Course Title : Vampires, Monsters, and the Gothic in Literature and Culture Course Code : CLB9030 Recommended Study Year: 2020/21 No. of Credits/Term : 3 Mode of Tuition : Sectional approach Class Contact Hours : 3 hours per week

Category : Humanities and the Arts Cluster in Core Curriculum Discipline* : Inter-disciplinary (Literature, history, art, film) Prerequisite(s) : none Co-requisite(s) : none Exclusion(s) : none Exemption Requirement : none

Brief Course Description: This course introduces students to the concept and representations of the Gothic in early history, art, architecture, poetry, fiction, and film. As the longest surviving cultural tradition in the West, the Gothic has never lost its fascination. This is seen in the proliferation of vampire films, Gothic courses, Gothic sub-cultures, and the International Gothic in art. Via a variety of readings, discussions, classroom activities, media clips, film, written assignments and creative project presentations, students will study the elements of the gothic related to such themes as terror and horror, appearance and reality, setting and confinement, justice and injustice, and the politics of transgression. The focus in this course will be on the tradition from the 12th to the 21st centuries, but examples of Gothic youth cultures from Asia will be included as well.

Aims: This course aims to engage students to analyze and evaluate the relationship between Gothic representations, our fascination with the dark side of the mind, and the Gothic as a social, cultural, and political critique. Students are challenged to trace the cultural sensibility of the gothic in art, literature, and film and develop a critical consciousness of the various forms of representation. This course addresses such questions as “Why are we fascinated with the dark side of the mind?” “What human consciousness does the Gothic represent?” “How does the cultural representation of the Gothic differ in the various and cultures?” How does the Gothic function as social, cultural, and political critique throughout the ages?” The aim is to nurture critical thinking about cultural productions and to express it well academically and creatively.

Learning Outcomes (LOs):

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: No. LOs 1. Explain the forms of the Gothic in various genres and to talk and write about them using proper terminology 2. Recognize elements of various genres in the Humanities and apply analytical skills to a variety of texts, films, and art 3. Research and interpret the connections between various forms of the Gothic and cultural, social, and political contexts 4. Demonstrate literary and cultural analysis skills that are applicable to other themes and enquiries 5. Express an aspect and interpretation of the Gothic in a creative way

Indicative Content: 1. Gothic origins I: History and architecture 2. Gothic Origins II: Art, the Church, and the culture of the Middle Ages 3. Gothic Origins III: Gothic Romance (early Gothic novels) 4. Dark : Fairy Tales and the idea of the ‘Uncanny’ 5. Monster Film: The Gothic novel in film (, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

6. Monster Medicine: Gothic perspectives on science and infectious diseases (Frankenstein, ) 7. The Monster Within: The psychology of the Gothic (Toni Morrison, Angela Carter, other) 8. The Homely Horror: Special on Edgar Allan Poe 9. Vampires: From mythology to film; history of the vampire (Hong Kong Gothic) 10. Gothic I: Dracula through the ages (interpretations and re- interpretations of Dracula) 11. Gothic Vampire Film II: The post-modern vampire (Anne Rice, Interview with the vampire) 12. The Culture of the Gothic: Gothic sub-cultures (fashion, music, TV) 13. Creative Project Presentations

Teaching Method: 3-hour sectional teaching. Since teaching is designed to be highly interactive and project-oriented, the course is taught in a 3-hour section so that audiovisual materials and discussions can easily be incorporated. In addition to short lectures, readings and class discussions, students are asked to contribute materials and ideas to each weekly session. Part of the teaching method is guiding the creative project, which will take several weeks of cooperation. The creative projects will be exhibited at the end of the semester, and student also must individually hand in a short reflective commentary on their projects. The two quizzes are intended to test general knowledge of concepts, assigned readings, and terminology. The final paper will examine a more in-depth understanding and interpretation of the materials and will include independent research. The creative project will help students to understand, apply, and express the Gothic as critical cultural trope. A typical class includes a lecture, homework sharing, and discussions of readings and other materials. In the week that covers Gothic Romance, for example, a short lecture covers the historical development and some of the main works. Students are assigned to contribute information about other relevant works and/or authors, films, cultural references (a week in advance). Each student/group shares the findings in class. They then will discuss the assigned reading for the week and report on the discussion. To sum up the class, there will be another mini lecture at the end.

Measurement of Learning Outcomes:

Learning outcomes Lecture Quizzes Essay Project

Explain the forms of the Gothic in X X X various genres and to talk and write about them using proper terminology Recognize elements of various genres in X X X the Humanities and apply analytical skills to a variety of texts, films, and art Research and interpret the connections X X X X between various forms of the Gothic and cultural, social, and political contexts Demonstrate literary and cultural X X X X analysis skills that are applicable to other themes and enquiries Express an aspect and interpretation X of the Gothic in a creative way

Assessment: 100% in continuous assessment

Two quizzes: 15% each (30%) Final essay: 35% Creative project cum analysis: 35%

Required/Essential Readings: Aisnworth, W. H., “The Spectre Bride” (1821), in Blair, D., Gothic Short Stories (GSS). London: Wordsworth, 2002. Berry, S., “Tattoo Me”, in K. Hawkinds, E. Price and M. Walker, eds., Hong Kong Gothic. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Writers Circle, 2014. 186-196. Botting, F., Gothic. London: Routledge, 1996. (First and last chapters) Burke, E., A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757) ed. by J. T. Boulton. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. (also Project Gutenberg public domain) Carter, A., The Bloody Chamber. London: Gollancz, 1979. (story excerpts) Freud, S., "The Uncanny", in Strachey, J., ed & trans., The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, vol. XVII. London: Hogarth, 1953. 219-252. Goethe, J. W., “The Bride of Corinth.” (Project Gutenberg public domain) Grimm’s Fairy Tales (selections) (Project Gutenberg) Gunderson, J., “The Rise of ” and “Gothic Art and Architecture”, in Gunderson, J., Gothic Art. Mankato: Creative Publication, 2015. 11-16; 42-50. Hoffmann, E.T.A. “The Sandman (1816).” (Project Gutenberg) Horner, A., Zlosnik, S., “The International Gothic Association”, in Hughes, W., Punter, D., & A. Smith, eds., The Encyclopedia of the Gothic. 348-350. Huckvale, D., “Stairways to Hell”, in D. Huckvale, Touchstones of Horror: A Film Genealogy of Eleven Motifs and Images. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2010. King, S. “Introduction”, in M.W. Shelley, R.L. Stevenson and B. Stoker, Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. London: Signet Classics, 1978. LeFanu, S., Carmilla (1872). (Project Gutenberg; excerpts) Maturin, C. R., “The Parricide’s Tale” (1820). In GSS, 21-31. Morrison, T., Beloved. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. (excerpts and film) Mulvey-Roberts, M., “Gothic Film”, in Mulvey-Roberts, M., The Handbook of the Gothic. New York: New York University Press, 2009. 136-141. Poe, E. A., “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (Project Gutenberg) Radcliff, A. The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794). (Project Gutenberg; excerpts) Rice, A., Interview with the Vampire. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. (excerpts and film) Shelley, M.W., Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1823). (Project Gutenberg; excerpts and film) Stoker, Bram. Dracula (1897). Ed. John Paul Riquelme. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin’s, 2002. (excerpts and film) Vidler, A., “Introduction”, in The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press., 1995. 3-14. Walpole, H., The Castle of Otranto (1764). (Project Gutenberg; excerpts)

Recommended/Supplementary Readings: Bernstein, S., "Form and Ideology in the Gothic Novel." Essays in Literature 18 (1991): 151-65. Clery, E.J. "The Supernatural Explained", The Rise of Supernatural Fiction, 1762-1800. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Davies, J.M.Q., German Tales of Fantasy, Horror and the Grotesque. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 1987. Gelder, K., The Subcultures Reader (2nd ed.). London: Routledge, 2005. Goodlad, L. M. E., Bibby, M., eds., Goth: Undead Subculture. Durham, N.C.: Duke University

Press, 2007. Greenway, J. L., “Seward’s Folly: Dracula as a Critique of ‘Normal Science.’” Stanford Literature Review 3 (1986): 213-30. La Ferla, R., “Embrace the Darkness”, The New York Times, October 30, 2005. Lyndenberg, R., " and Fiction: A Survey of Critical Responses", The Centennial Review 22 (1978): 95-109. Mishra, V., The Gothic Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994. Punter, D., A Companion to the Gothic. London: Blackwell, 2001. Rank, O., The Double: A Psychoanalytic Study (1914), trans. and ed. by H. Tucker, Jr. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1971. (a study of Poe) Spooner, C., The Contemporary Gothic. London: Reaktion Books, 2006. Voller, J. G., "", The Literary Gothic 9 Feb. 2010. (WWW) Williams, A., "Male Gothic", in A. Williams, Art of Darkness: A Poetics of Gothic. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995.

Important Notes: (1) Students are expected to spend a total of 9 hours (i.e. 3 hours of class contact and 6 hours of personal study) per week to achieve the course learning outcomes. (2) Students shall be aware of the University regulations about dishonest practice in course work, tests and examinations, and the possible consequences as stipulated in the Regulations Governing University Examinations. In particular, plagiarism, being a kind of dishonest practice, is “the presentation of another person’s work without proper acknowledgement of the source, including exact phrases, or summarised ideas, or even footnotes/citations, whether protected by copyright or not, as the student’s own work”. Students are required to strictly follow university regulations governing academic integrity and honesty. (3) Students are required to submit writing assignment(s) using Turnitin. (4) To enhance students’ understanding of plagiarism, a mini-course “Online Tutorial on Plagiarism Awareness” is available on https://pla.ln.edu.hk/.

Assessment Rubrics

Assessment Criterion Excellent Good Adequate Marginal Failure Task (A+, A, A-) (B+, B, B-) (C+, C, C-) (D) (F) 1. Quizzes (2) To test and reward Shows detailed and Shows general Shows some selective Shows limited Shows minimal or no students’ understanding of correct knowledge knowledge of texts, knowledge of texts, knowledge of texts, knowledge of texts, basic theories and concepts of texts, films and films and secondary films and secondary films and secondary films; no submission of madness, as well as secondary sources sources related to sources related to the sources related to the historical developments. assigned in class; the topic of topic of madness; topic of madness; Quizzes will also test madness; students’ understandings answers 16-20 answers 6-10 of primary and secondary questions correctly. answers 11-15 questions correctly answers 5-3 questions answers 2-0 questions readings. questions correctly correctly correctly 20 questions each. 2. Essay Students will write a paper Strong evidence of Evidence of critical Shows partial Shows very little Shows no evidence of of 1,500 to 2,000 words critical thinking thinking about evidence of critical evidence of critical critical thinking about that shows critical thinking about madness as a madness as a social thinking about thinking about madness madness and literature; about the theme of the social and aesthetic and aesthetic madness as a social and literature; cannot apply concepts course. concept; concept; and aesthetic concept. has difficulties applying and cannot make simple The paper should exhibit a capacity to analyse sufficient capacity to capacity to analyse concepts and can only connections between the firm grasp of the theories the topic of madness analyse the topic of the topic of madness make simple primary course materials and concepts of madness with a cross-cultural madness with a with a simple connections between the and the larger theme of and show a critical approach; superior cross-cultural approach; understands primary course materials madness; perspective and analytical grasp of literature as approach; literature as a vehicle and the larger theme of Shows no understanding ability. Students will a vehicle of understands of expression and its madness; of madness as a complex choose from a variety of expression and its literature as a social role in various Shows rudimentary theme in art and in life; topics. The paper should social role in various vehicle of times; does all related understanding of insufficient writing demonstrate good use of times. expression and its readings and madness as a complex ability that shows only academic style. Superior writing social role in various assignments; theme in art and in life; marginal understanding ability that uses a times; Shows partial Insufficient writing of a text or a film about variety of theories Shows growing understanding of ability that shows only madness; does not put and analytical tools understanding of madness as a complex marginal understanding effort into proofreading to approach a text or madness as a theme in art and in of a text or a film about written assignments; a film about complex theme in life; can make simple madness; does not put madness; shows art and in life; is connections between sufficient effort into understanding of the able to reflect upon texts and cultures; is proofreading written complexity of the diversity of able to relate changes assignments. madness as a madness as a human in the representation stereotype, experience and of madness to select expressive symbol, makes some socio-historical and serious mental connections between contexts. illness. Is able to texts and cultures; is Sufficient writing reflect upon the able to relate ability that shows diversity of madness changes in the marginal as a human literary expression understanding of

experience and of madness to socio- critical theories and makes intelligent historical contexts. analytical tools to connections between Good writing ability approach a text or a texts and cultures; is that shows at least film about madness; able to relate two critical theories changes in the and analytical tools literary expression to approach a text or of madness to socio- a film about historical contexts madness. with information taken from secondary readings.

3.. Creative Students are assessed for Excellent final Final presentation Final presentation Final presentation that final presentation that project their creative and presentation that that reflects good reflects satisfactory reflects rudimentary reflects rudimentary interpretative approach to reflects good communication communication skills communication skills communication skills the general theme and for communication skills and a and a useful approach and a sketchy approach and a sketchy approach the personal reflection skills and a meaningful to the topic of to the topic of madness; to the topic of madness; upon it. meaningful and approach to the madness; partially not able to address not able to address Students are expected to comprehensive topic of madness in able to address madness as an madness as an use various media, art, approach to the topic an interdisciplinary madness as an interdisciplinary and interdisciplinary and technology, and creative of madness in an and cross-cultural interdisciplinary and cross-cultural topic; has cross-cultural topic; has writing genres. Projects interdisciplinary and manner, but lacks cross-cultural topic; basic understanding of no understanding of the that show originality and cross-cultural comprehensiveness; has basic the novel, its literary novel, cannot make very interpretative approaches manner; superior has understanding of understanding of the context, and is able to simple connections; does rank higher than projects grasp of the novel, the novel, its literary novel, its literary make very simple not show analytical that merely repeat or its literary context, context, and is able context, and is able to connections; does not ability; information is summarize knowledge. and its stylistic and to describe its relate it to the theme show analytical ability; faulty or fragmentary. thematic approach to stylistic and of madness in a information is partially madness; exhibits thematic approach to simple way; does not incomplete. analytical skills madness; has only reflect an ability to beyond classroom limited analytical position a novel learning. ability. within a very comprehensive context of disciplines, cultures, and socio- political movements; does not show independent analytical ability.