Module code - CLP09129
Modules that deal with literary analysis, cultural and historical contexts for literature, or theoretical approaches to literature and culture.

The gothic is an enduringly popular and versatile genre within English literature. This module begins by looking at 18th century Gothic texts such as The Castle of Otranto in order to understand the tradition upon which later Victorian texts built. A history of Gothic literature through the early-to-mid nineteenth century will explore selected works by such authors as Christina Rossetti, Keats, and Poe . This survey will take up 5 weeks of the module with the next 6 weeks devoted to the second half of the nineteenth century. Reference will be made to some texts from earlier years on the programme such as Frankenstein and Dracula, but the majority of the students’ study will be spent on texts such as She, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Great God Pan and The Three Imposters. Students will be encouraged to read more widely on the Gothic tradition and to critically appraise how this tradition has influenced other genres such as science fiction and horror narratives. The final week of the module will be devoted to a discussion of how these earlier Gothic narratives have influenced the Gothic of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
LO1: critically reflect on a range of Gothic texts from the late-eighteenth-century to the present.
LO2: critically reflect on and appraise the relationship between cultural concerns and the Gothic tradition.
LO3: appraise the history and impact of the Gothic tradition in literature.
LO4: engage analytically with a range of theoretical approaches to Gothic literature.
LO5: apply theories of the Gothic to particular texts and particular historical moments.