Updated Nov 17, 2020
First Unit: European and British Contexts
Week 1: (Aug 26) Introduction to Gothic, Website, Homework: Questionnaire and read Poe’s “The Black Cat” in Readings menu tab
Week 2: (Aug 31, Sept 2) Discuss Poe. Concepts: Romanticism, Victorianism, Enlightenment, Feudalism, Uncanny, Sublime, Individualism. Examples from popular culture; Readings: The Lottery, Stevens and excerpts Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe, and Mary Shelley. HW—Due Wednesday, Sept. 9: Gothic Coffeehouse Post: 300 words on favorite of W, R, S.
Week 3: (Sept 7: NO SCHOOL, Sept 9) Coffehouse post due; Concepts: Gothic pre-history especially Medieval and then, finally, UK history; Readings: Dr. Jekyll, pages TBA. Prepare for Quiz 1.
Week 4: (Sept 14, 16) QUIZ 1 on Tues over terms and readings; Discuss Jekyll/Hyde
Pages TBA and more history of Gothic. HW for Feb 28: Journal 3.
Week 5: (Sept 21, 23) Due: Virtual Gothic Coffeehouse 3; Finish Jekyll/Hyde; Discuss Essay 1
Second Unit: The Uncanny and Transgression: American Style
Week 6: (Sept 28: NO CLASS, TUESDAY, SEPT 29: WE WILL MEET (TUESDAY IS A MONDAY, SEPT 30) Discuss Sigmund Freud, “The Uncanny,” Homework for Oct 5: Read: Alan Lloyd-Smith’s chapter on American Gothic, Ellison’s “Prologue to the Invisible Man,” and Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Week 7: (Oct 5, 7) Monday: Discuss readings and Midterm Essay details. Homework for Wednesday: Read Hawthorne and Todorov on the Fantastic; Homework for Monday the 12th: Read Gilman, Bradbury, and Cheever– write Coffeehouse #4
Week 8: (Oct12, 14) Monday: NO CLASS
Wednesday: Homework due the 19th: Coffeehouse #4–Draft of Midterm Essay
Week 9: (Oct 19, 21) Monday: Due: Coffeehouse #4 Draft of Midterm Essay; Wednesday: Q & A over Midterm Essay. Homework for Monday: work on final draft of Midterm Essay
Week 10: (Oct 26, 28) Monday: Final Drafts Due of Midterm Essay; Wednesday TBA.
Identity and the Gothic Readings
Week 11: (Nov 2, 4); Discussion of Gothic Spaces Presentation; reading tba
Week 12: (9, 11); readings tba
Week 13: (Nov 16, 18) Begin Haunting of Hill House
Week 14: (Nov 23, Nov 25: NO CLASS) Continue Haunting of Hill House
Week 15: (Nov 30, Dec 2) Haunting of Hill House text and film; Quiz 3; Gothic Spaces discussion
Week 16: (Dec 7, 9) Finish Haunting of Hill House film; Gothic Spaces Presentations; Discuss Essay 2
Week 17: (14, 16) Gothic Spaces Presentations; Essay 2 Due on the 14th, Final Exam due on the 16