University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Template Revised October 2005)

Code: UPGPFS-30-3 Title: Gothic Literature Version: 3

Level: 3 UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15

Module type: Standard

Owning Faculty: Social Sciences and Humanities Field: English

Valid from: September 2008

Discontinued from:

Contributes towards: Awards up to BA(Hons)

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Excluded combinations: None

Learning outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:

• an awareness of the continuity and development of the Gothic as a distinct literary genre from the 18th to the 20 century; (Components A and B.)

• the ability to consider how issues relating to gender, sexuality, class and race are reflected within Gothic writing; (Components A and B.)

• that they are equipped to read Gothic texts from a number of theoretical positions; (Components A and B).

• an appreciation of the inter-disciplinarity of the Gothic from a literary starting point; (Components A and B.)

Syllabus outline:

This module will approach the Gothic as a distinct fictional genre through a survey of literature and history, landmarked by key texts and literary movements. It will start with the origins of the Gothic novel during the mid eighteenth century, and then plot the course of its zenith during the Romantic era through to the Victorian and late twentieth-century period. Mainly through the prescribed novels and short stories, it will be shown how Gothic literature reflects, provokes and negotiates cultural anxieties. Theoretical approaches to the texts will include feminist theory and psycho-analysis.

Teaching and learning methods:

This module will be taught through weekly lectures and seminars. Students will be encouraged to give presentations on topics of their choice, in consultation with their tutor during the seminars. There will be group work and discussion focusing on one literary text per week. Essay tutorials will be arranged with students for discussing their assignments.

Indicative Bibliography:

Angela Carter	The Bloody Chamber (1979) (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1986)
Charlotte Dacre	Zofloya (London, Broadview, 1997)
Susan Hill	The Woman in Black (1987) (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1983)
Shirley Jackson	The Haunting of Hill House (1959) (London, Robinson, 1999)
Stephen King	Carrie (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974)
Edgar Allen Poe	The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (London: Penguin, 1982)
Patrick Süskind	Perfume (London : Penguin, 1989)
Bram Stoker	Dracula (1897) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996)
H.G. Wells	The Island of Dr Moreau (London: House of Stratus, 2002)

ASSESSMENT

Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 45% B: 55%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Unseen Examination (2 hours) 45%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Extended Essay (4000 words) 45%

2. Seminar Presentation 5%

3. Attendance 5%

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Unseen Examination (2 hours) 45%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Extended Essay (4500 words) 55%

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes is required.

Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)