Brian Chan- Connect

The tower that Theodore is imprisoned in and the virtual cathedral are similar in emotions. They both make you feel like you’re going up, since both tend to lean upwards and give you a sense of isolation. They are different by the tower being a lonely and not so roomy space while the cathedral is very spacious and has a much more unique feel. These sites are a “sublime” experience. They are both majestic and macabre, but maybe mainly majestic. That is because towers are usually filled with princesses and cathedrals are seen as holy places with beautiful designs. The tower is described as dark, maybe to make it stand out from the other towers, since it is a castle after all. If something stands out, people tend to feel different about it. An example would be an antique phone among modern phones. Potential buyers, especially collectors, will think of that antique phone as a very prized possession rather than a regular phone, even though some individuals may not feel that way. So does the tower being dark make it more mysterious/lonely/isolated? Perhaps. As stated in the story, “And he ordered some of his attendants to carry Theodore to the top of the black tower, and guard him strictly.” A castle can be a good or bad place, depending on the story. In this case, we see it is a black tower, so it is most likely not a good place to be. Guards guarding someone at the top of a black tower sounds like a Disney princess story. Someone in distress or of valuable assets.

Critical Response Prompts: The Castle of Otranto, ch. 3-5

Each of the prompts should be answered by at least 1 member of the blog group. Please confer amongst yourselves as to who will write which prompt. Responses should be at least 250 words and posted by 11 am the day of class.

CONNECT: Chapter 3 of the novel moves through a couple new locations: the tower where Theodore is initially imprisoned, and the forest/cavern where he fights a knight.

Connect one of these locations to either the virtual cathedral or the prison described in “Caleb Williams.” Compare and contrast the emotions conjured by the settings. Are these sites of “sublime” experience? If so, does that experience tend towards the majestic or macabre side of the spectrum?

CLUE: Throughout ch. 3-5, we learn new revelations about the familial lines and marital alliances that govern these characters lives. Frederic’s family history is described in ch. 3-4; Theodore’s in 4-5; and Manfred’s full history in ch. 5.  These bloodlines are integral to the competing claims of power in the novel.

Pick one moment where a family history is revealed. Reflect on how it might offer a clue as to Walpole’s political subtext. Is he attacking or affirming the hereditary system of power? In other words, what does the evidence reveal about Walpole’s attitude towards the tradition of land ownership?

CREATE: The novel has featured no shortage of supernatural phenomena. Ch. 4-5 include more apparitions: Frederick’s vision, which leads him to the prophecy about “Alfonso’s blood”; a giant hand that puts Bianca off of spying on Isabella; and, of course the giant ghost who resolves all conflicts at novel’s end. Pick one of these supernatural phenomena, and write a first–person description of it from one of the characters’ point of view. Try to show the character’s emotional and psychological responses. Include a direct quote after this paragraph as evidence.

Announcements, August 29 (HW due 9/3)

For next class 9/3:

-Read ch. 3-5 of The Castle of Otranto. Even if you’re not doing a blog post next class, read the critical response prompts before you read, as they will highlight key themes or motifs to guide you through the reading. (1.5 hrs)

-Read the excerpt from Godwin’s “Caleb Williams” (30 mins)

-Visit the Columbia University virtual tours of Gothic cathedrals Observe where you see concrete examples of parts of Gothic architecture. How does the experience of being in such a space compare with the experience of reading Walpole’s novel? (To what extent is the cathedral “sublime,” as defined in today’s lecture?) (2o mins)

-3 annotations, 1 in each chapter of our shared text of Walpole. Note at least 1 moment that invites comparison to your experience of touring the Gothic cathedral, and 1 moment that invites comparison to a character or scene description from the Godwin excerpt (be specific!).  (20 mins)

Blog group 1 (Sierra, Brian, Kerri, Jeremy), pick one of the prompts and write your 250-word response by 11 am on Monday. See “Critical Response Prompts” for more instructions. (30 mins)

Announcements, August 27

Glad to meet you all today! Looking forward to our semester.

For HW:

-Watch the John Bowen video on the Gothic (see “Videos”). Use the captions function to read the text of the lecture as you listen. Take notes on key Gothic motifs and themes. If you wish, you can also change the speed of the lecture so that you can listen at a faster rate.

-Read chapters 1-2 of The Castle of Otranto and Stevens’ essay on Gothic tradition, pp. 8-15 (UPDATED). Use the audiobook to guide your reading – you can vary the playback speed as necessary.

In the shared text, provide at least 2-3 annotations: at least 1 in chapter 1, 1 in chapter 2. These annotations should be 20-30 words. In particular, draw attention to moments where you see characters, scenes, turns of phrase, or plot developments illustrating points from John Bowen’s lecture [CORRECTED]. Read the “Digital Annotation Instructions” for further details.

-Use your blog group discussion forums to help each other clear up plot points or questions you may have. I do monitor these forums – esp. helpful or informative participation can count towards your participation grade.

-Read pp. 8-15 of David Stevens’ introduction to the Gothic (see Readings). Print and bring to class.

Welcome to ENG 3407, Fall 2019

Dear class,

Welcome back to another semester at City Tech, and particularly welcome to this section of Gothic literature. I am looking forward to meeting you in class on Tuesday.  Before that, I wanted to bring a couple items to your attention.
 
The Openlab site. Please become a member of the course site. Once you’ve done that, please browse the website – in particular, the course policies!
 
If you aren’t registered on Openlab yet, you’ll need to use your City Tech email address. Speaking of which…
 
City Tech email address. Make sure you have access to this!  I will be using it for important communications.
 
Readings. Many readings will be available online, but you are required to buy physical copies of the following books.
 

Beloved, Author: Toni Morrison, Publisher: Vintage, Price: 10.87 USD

ISBN: 978-1400033416

 

The Castle Of Otranto, Author: Horace Walpole, Publisher: Oxford World’s Classics edition, Price: 5.38 USD. ISBN: 978-0198704447


Dracula, Bram Stoker, Publisher: Dover Thrift edition, Price: 2.96 USD. ISBN: 978-0486454016

 
We are reading The Castle of Otranto first, so please make sure you obtain your copy as soon as possible! Having the same copy makes it easier for everyone to follow along. You can purchase it in the bookstore.
 
See you on Tuesday!