ENGL C297: American Gothic Literature
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 11/20/2009 |
| Top Code | 150300 - Comparative Literature |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
This course is a survey of Gothic literature, concentrating on critically-acclaimed novels written during the 20th century in the United States. Students will study Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison's Beloved, The Shining by Stephen King, and Jeffrey Eugenides's The Virgin Suicides. The course will also study the 19th-century short story "Carmilla," which illustrates vampire themes, and compare the story's literary conventions to contemporary American Gothic themes. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Appraise the evolution of the contemporary Gothic genre and its core themes.
- Evaluate selected contemporary Gothic texts in terms of gender, class, and race.
Course Objectives
- 1. Analyze early Gothic conventions and the Victorian periods influence on the formation of Gothic literature.
- 2. Examine Gothic conventions and influence in American literature with sub-themes of horror, the 60s, slavery, and depression.
Lecture Content
Early Gothic Era The First Gothic Novel by Horace Walpole Historical Circumstances and the Gothics relationship to the Victorian Novel Conventions of the Gothic Genre The Shining Stephen King and the ‘60s Historical circumstances and The Shining American ideology and society Beloved Slavery and America The Gothic and Race Theory Modernism and its influence in the Gothic Narrative The Virgin Suicides Isolation and Depression The Gothic and the Psychology of Female Abjection Contemporary Feminism and Female Roles in the novel "Carmilla" and Contemporary Vampire Narratives Physical experience of horror Vampires and sexuality in the narrative Mysticism versus realism
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
Instructor utilizes large-class lecture, small groups, or one-on-one tutoring. Instructor requires students to post to discussion forums through the course LMS, email, or submit compositions to external sites such as Turnitin. Instructor employs various audio and visual technology to appeal to different learning types. Instructor assigns reading and writing homework assignments.
Reading Assignments
Students read from the assigned novels and novella. Students read course lessons posted on class website and follow links.
Writing Assignments
Students write essays, reports, discussion posts, emails, journals, or do other activities.
Out-of-class Assignments
Instructor requires students to read and write extensively outside class. Students may be assigned to attend a performance or watch a film.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Students will demonstrate critical thinking during class discussion and in formal and informal writings.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Group Project may be assigned.Creative demonstration of connection between contemporary and past literature through developing cause-and-effect explanations.
Eligible Disciplines
English: Masters degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Brock, M. From Wollstonecraft to Stoker: Essays on Gothic and Victorian Sensation Fiction, ed. McFarland Press, 2009 Rationale: As this course is devoted to literature, this books edition and publication date, even if older, are acceptable. Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: Legacy text 2. Required Morrison, T. Beloved, ed. Vintage, 2004 Rationale: As this course is devoted to literature, this books edition and publication date, even if older, are acceptable. Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: Legacy text 3. Required Eugenides, J. The Virgin Suicides, ed. Picador, 2018 Rationale: As this course is devoted to literature, this books edition and publication date, even if older, are acceptable. 4. Required King, S. The Shining, ed. Mass Market Paperback, 2012 Rationale: This is the most recent edition and is in print. Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: Legacy text
Other Resources
1. Coastline Library