Clayton First semester 2008 (Day)
A specialist genre study of gothic fictions (in prose and on film) with emphasis on twentieth-century examples, plus critical and theoretical approaches. Gothic fictions allow us to be frightened in a safe place: material opens up discussions on the nature of beliefs about the modern family, desire, repression, gender and sexuality, about distinctions between fantasy, dreams and reality, between madness and sanity.
Two seminar presentations with written papers (2000 words each): 50%
Essay (5000 words) or an original piece of Gothic fiction (5000 words): 50%
2 hour seminar per week