Course coordinator
Dr Melissa Dickson
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
One of the most influential and still current imaginative traditions in English literature, the Gothic specialises in the macabre, the horrifying, the sensational, and the fantastical. Students study key works by (among others) Ann Radcliffe, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson and Bram Stoker.
What sort of things go bump in the night? Haven’t we come this way before? Is that a light flickering in the castle’s window? And – who is this who is coming? The gothic is a truly thrilling genre – it stays with us, it gets under our skin – and it's these kinds of questions and their wider implications that preoccupy the writers of the gothic, and that will preoccupy us. We will consider the ways in which the gothic delights in terrifying us, and why we delight in being terrified; we’ll look to the political and social contexts that gave us to the genre, and we’ll consider different psychological truths that the gothic has sought to disclose. Along the way we will encounter all sorts of ghosts, monsters, undead creatures, seekers of occult knowledge – and the horror of the ordinary…
Gothic literature has its birth in the late eighteenth century. Since then it has been reborn, rejuvenated, resurrected, and mutated time and again up to the current cultural moment. This course studies Gothic literature and culture from its origins in the eighteenth-century, through its nineteenth and twentieth-century forms, and to its revival within contemporary culture. It aims to situate a range of Gothic literary tropes—including live burial, hidden manuscripts, doubles, ghosts, hysteria, immoral religious figures, family secrets, ruined buildings and bodies, sexual danger and incest, the undead, underground spaces, imprisonment, and the unspeakable—within the historical and socio-cultural contexts that generated them.ﾠThese frameworks and contexts include industrial/predatoryﾠcapitalism; urbanization/precarity;ﾠrevolution; religion and secularization; modern regimes of gender and sexuality; theories of evolution, the weird, the eerieﾠand the uncanny; new technologies; environmental and planetary perspectivesﾠand global cultural forms. We will consider the gothic as a genre in and of itself, as well as a set of tropes that can be incorporated into or appropriated by a variety of other literary genres. Seeking to cover a broad range of gothic modes, we will explore categories such as the imperial gothic, the female gothic, the comic gothic, ecogothic, and the southern gothic. And we will approach our texts through a variety of thematic and theoretical frameworks, such as the uncanny, ‘hauntology’, monstrosity and the gothic body, repression, and the spectre of the past.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This is a second-level course (2000 coding), which assumes that you have already taken #4 units of introductory courses (1000 coding), preferably including ENGL1800, Literary Classics.ﾠ If you haven't, you may find you're at a disadvantage.
The course does assume:
•ﾠﾠﾠ that you have had previous experience in studying literary texts, at a first-year level or later.ﾠ
•ﾠﾠﾠ that you are able to write inﾠclear and precise English.
•ﾠﾠﾠ that you have skills in close literary analysis, and that you are able formulate cogently argued and well-supported responses to texts in both oral and written form.
•ﾠﾠﾠ that you are familiar with the School's conventions of format, presentation and documentation, as set out in the School of Communication and ArtsﾠStyle Sheet.
This course does not assume you have already taken relevantﾠliterature coursesﾠ(such as ENGL2440, The Novel: Realism, History, Fiction), though doing so will certainly enrich your contextual and background knowledge for this course.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
4 units of BA list courses
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
ENGL1800 (Literary Classics: Texts and Traditions) is highly recommended, along with ENGL1500 (Contemporary Literature: Reading and Writing).
Restrictions
Course offering may be cancelled unless a minimum of 20 students enrol.
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Tutorials begin in Week 2. You must attend a weekly lecture (or listen to the recording) and attend a tutorial.
Refer to Blackboard for the full lecture/tutorial schedule, including topics and weekly reading.
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to introduce you to key novels,ﾠshort stories and visual media that comprise the Gothic tradition as it shapes Gothic and neo-Gothic culture today.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Situate the Gothic within the historical, social and philosophical contexts of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Victorian and contemporary culture.
LO2.
Trace a genealogy of the Gothic from the eighteenth-century novel to contemporary forms of literature and film.
LO3.
Understand key debates concerning the Gothic within contemporary critical theory.
LO4.
Formulate, present and defend a proposal or position with relation to Gothic literature, tolerate constructive criticism, and incorporate feedback into ongoing projects.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Tutorial Participation
|
10% |
Week 2 - Week 13 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Close Reading Exercise 1 | 20% 800 words |
23/08/2024 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Close Reading Exercise 2 | 20% 800 words |
20/09/2024 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Essay | 50% 2200 words |
4/11/2024 4:00 pm |
Assessment details
Tutorial Participation
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
Week 2 - Week 13
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Overview
This task assesses your participation in the tutorial program across the semester. For the purposes of assessment, the three components of meaningful participation are: preparation for and attendance at class; engagement with the learning activities in class; and respectful peer collaboration.
Task
In order to get the most out of the tutorials, you need to actively participate in them. This involves more than simply showing up. You should ensure that you prepare for class by reading each week’s set text in full before attending.
Parameters
You will be allocated a participation mark based on the quality of your contribution to each tutorial you attend.
While lecture attendance is not formally recorded, it is critical that you attend lectures (or listen to the recorded lectures) in order to achieve the highest possible mark for this participation task. The quality of the contributions you are able to offer in tutorials will, after all, significantly depend on your command of the lecture material.
Generative AI
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Please note: this is a class assessment item and students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal. Please contact your course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Late submission
Late submission is not possible for this piece of assessment.
Close Reading Exercise 1
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20% 800 words
- Due date
23/08/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
Description: An 800-word close reading literary analysis of ONE passage from Walpole's Castle of Otranto OR Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance .
The close-reading assignment and extracts will be made available on Blackboard.
Use of Generative AI: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn through Blackboard
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Close Reading Exercise 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20% 800 words
- Due date
20/09/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
Description: An 800-word close-reading literary analysis of ONE passage from Matthew Lewis's The Monk OR Mary Shelley's Frankenstein OR one of Poe's tales
The close-reading assignment and extracts will be made available on Blackboard.
Use of Generative AI: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn through Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Research Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 50% 2200 words
- Due date
4/11/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Description: A 2200 word essay on two texts. Questions will be distributed via Blackboard.
Use of Generative AI: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn through Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
See the ENGL2040 Library course reading page
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lecture: Ghoulish; grotesque; dark; morbid; monstrous; or, as one critic succinctly put it recently, SPOOKY. These are some of the terms that we encounter (that haunt us?) again and again in definitions of the Gothic. But how useful are they really? In our first lecture on the gothic, we will discuss what it means to be reading ‘gothic’ fiction by looking at the the history of meanings that have attached to the word 'Gothic' and the beginnings of the genre itself. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 1: NO TUTORIALS Tutorials start in Week 2 |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2 Lecture: This week we turn to the work generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, Horace Walpole's, The Castle of Otranto, from 1764. We will look at many of the features of this novel that have found their way into the genre while also considering the historical and cultural contexts that gave rise to its production. As you read the novel, you may want to consider the role of dreams, visions and prophecies in influencing the novel's action, as well as the setting of that action and the import of religious frameworks. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 2 Tutorial: The Castle of Otranto / Walpole Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lecture: This week's lecture introduces the so-called 'female gothic' via Ann Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance. We will consider the cultural and historical backdrop of this work, notably the French Revolution and its aftermath, before considering the role of women in Radcliffe's fiction and the Gothic more generally. We will also interrogate the concept of the 'sublime' via Edmund Burke and consider the import of Radcliffe's sublime landscapes. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 3 Tutorial: A Sicilian Romance / Radcliffe Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4: READING WEEK - NO LECTURE No lecture due to public holiday |
Tutorial |
Week 4: READING WEEK - NO TUTORIALS No tutorials due to public holiday |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lecture: This week we turn to Matthew Lewis's The Monk, and consider the role of religion, especially Catholicism, in building the Gothic genre. By the time of the Gothic novel, the English were, to some extent, institutionally anti-Catholic. Characters such as the wicked abbess, the unchaste nun, and the lascivious monk represent the naked anti-Catholicism projected by the Gothic Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 5 Tutorial: The Monk / Matthew Lewis Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6 Lecture: When Frankenstein was first published in 1818, it was declared by one reviewer to have ‘an air of reality attached to it, by being connected with the favourite projects and passions of the times’. Taking this as its starting point, this lecture will consider some of the scientific and literary projects of the moment in which Mary Shelley's novel was participating. This is a novel that does, in many ways, spring both from its time - a period of new scientific experimentation and imagination – and from its creator, a young woman who had experienced an extraordinary amount of birth, death and loss in her short life by the time this novel was published when she was 20 years old. Content Warning: Please be advised that this lecture involves discussion of child birth and death, abortion, suicide, dissection, and medical experimentation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 6 Tutorial: Frankenstein/Mary Shelley Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lecture: Turning this week to the beginnings of the American Gothic, we will read a selection of works by Edgar Allan Poe. We will consider the nature of minds, bodies and the human in Poe, and the ways in which the Gothic troubles and redefines the borders between the living and the dead. A selection of stories will be provided. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Tutorial: Selection of Poe stories Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8 Lecture: This week we move later into the nineteenth century with Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 Gothic novella, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Here, we will trace some of the turns that the Gothic begins to take, away from the Romantic sublime towards what we might call the Urban Gothic, the cities and the problematic spaces within the city, as well as towards questions of the mind and of psychological distress, delusions, insanity, and the psychodrama of the every day. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 8 Tutorial: Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde/Robert Louis Stevenson Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9: READING WEEK - NO LECTURE |
Tutorial |
Week 9: READING WEEK - NO TUTORIALS |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lecture: This week we move to Bram Stoker's Dracula, published in 1897, and consider its contribution to the long-lasting appeal of the figure of the vampire. Each iteration of the vampire is very much of its moment – ‘up to date with a vengeance’ as Jonathan Harker puts it in the early pages of our novel - and this lecture will explore the ways in which Bram Stoker's Dracula reflects the contemporary anxieties and fears permeating the atmosphere of late Victorian England. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 10 Tutorial: Dracula/Bram Stoker Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lecture: This week we edge ourselves into the twentieth century with M.R. James, a master of the English ghost story, alongside H.P. Lovecraft, an American writer of Weird and Horror fiction. We will read the following stories: 'The Rats in the Walls'; 'The Call of Cthulhu'; 'The Colour out of Space'; 'The Shadow over Inssmouth'; 'The Haunter of the Dark' James: 'O Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad'; 'Lost Hearts'; 'A Warning to the Curious' Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 11 Tutorial: Selected stories of Lovecraft and James Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture: This week we turn our attention to more fully to the American Gothic, which builds in many ways on what we have already encountered in the works of the Poe and Lovecraft. We will look at two women writers, Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson, both of whom made remarkable contributions to the Gothic and Horror genres in the twentieth century. We will be focusing on Flannery O'Connor's 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' and Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 12 Tutorial: Stories by Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 13 Lecture: In our final week of the course, we turn to Julia Leigh's The Hunter from 1999 and consider the Gothic tradition in relation to the Australian landscape, and in terms of Australia's colonial past. From there, we will think more particularly about the Tasmanian Gothic in particular, about Julia Leigh the novel itself, which taps into a number of concerns that are particular to Australian history. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 13 Tutorial: The Hunter/Julia Leigh Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.