Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis This subject is a specialist genre study of gothic fictions with particular emphasis on late twentieth century examples. A number of prose fictions and film adaptations will be discussed, together with a range of critical and theoretical approaches to this very popular and disturbing material. Gothic fictions allow us `to be frightened in a safe place' from which we can examine extraordinary scenarios and `unimaginable' beings. Recent theoretical writing on popular literature and film has opened up the discussion considerably. Dominant gothic elements in the various story forms on the reading list (eg a horror story, vampire stories, science fiction, a ghost story, a psychological thriller or crime story) invite potentially subversive readings of conventionally accepted ideas about conscious reality and social norms. The material on this subject opens up discussion on the nature of beliefs about the modern family, desire, repression, gender and sexuality, about distinctions between fantasy or dreams and reality, between madness and sanity, and more.
Assessment Two seminar presentations with written papers (1500 words each): 25% each + one essay or original piece of Gothic fiction (3000 words): 50%
** Students will be expected to view available film adaptations of these gothic fictions (marked with **) as additional texts for seminar discussion.