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Module Specifications

Archived Version 2020 - 2021

Module Title
Module Code
School

Online Module Resources

NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
Description

The aims for this module are to study examples of Gothic texts and film from the eighteenth century to the present day in their social and cultural contexts. Using a selection of textual and visual resources students will engage in a detailed overview of the various ways in which discourses of the Gothic have developed from eighteenth century to the present day by reflecting on the meanings and role of these texts and films in developing dialogues of Gothic and to consider the role of popular culture in the development and longevity of this genre. Students will be introduced to the various historical and social contexts in which Gothic has achieved prominence; be able to trace the development of a Gothic culture (in art, architecture, literature and film) and to develop a further appreciation of the role of both Gothic literature and film in connecting to the apprehensions of contemporary society.

Learning Outcomes

1. Be aware of the historical and cultural origins of Gothic and its conceptual evolution from Romanticism and Victorianism to the present day.
2. Become acquainted with the various social contexts in which Gothic has achieved prominence.
3. Be able to trace the development of a Gothic culture in art, literature and film.
4. Be introduced to iconic film directors of the genre (from Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Sangster, George A. Romero, Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro) and become familiar with Gothic literary and cinematic discourse (cinéma d'auteur, mise-en-scène, cinematography techniques, shot selection, lighting, film score etc).
5. Develop a further appreciation of the role of Gothic literature and film in connecting to the apprehensions of contemporary society.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture24No Description
Directed learning12Film Screening
Independent Study24Essay
Assessment Feedback1No Description
Independent Study64No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment% Examination Weight%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
Unavailable
Indicative Reading List

  • Du Maurier, Daphne: 0, Rebecca, Virago Modern Classics,
  • Le Fanu, Sheridan: 0, In a Glass Darkly: Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural, Oxford University Press,
  • Poe, Edgar Allan: 0, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Penguin,
  • Shelley, Mary: 0, Frankenstein, Penguin,
  • Stoker, Bram: 0, Dracula, Norton Critical Edition/Penguin/Everyman,
  • Wilde, Oscar: 0, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Norton Critical Edition/Penguin,
  • Botting, Fred: 1996, Gothic, Routledge,
  • Cosgrove, B. (ed).: 1995, Literature and the Supernatural, Dublin,
  • Davenport-Hines, Richard: 1998, Gothic, Straus and Giroux, Farrar,
  • Durgnat, Raymond: 2002, A Long Hard Look At Psycho, BFI Publishing,
  • Eagleton, Terry: 2005, Holy Terror, Oxford,
  • McGrath, Patrick: 1996, The New Gothic, Picador,
  • Kael, Pauline: 1965, I Lost It At the Movies, Brown,
  • Skal, David J: 1990, Hollywood Gothic, Straus and Giroux, Farrar,
  • Skal, David J: 1993, The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror, Penguin,
  • Zizek, S: 1992, Enjoy Your Symptom!, RKP,
  • Zizek, S: 1997, The Plague of Fantasies, RKP,
Other Resources

0, Film, F. W. Murnau, 1922, Nosferatu, Germany, 0, Film, Alfred Hitchcock, 1940, Rebecca, USA, 0, Film, Charles Laughton, 1955, The Night of the Hunter, USA, 0, Film, Alfred Hitchcock, 1955, Psycho, USA, 0, Film, William Friedkin, 1973, The Exorcist, USA, 0, Film, George Sluizer, 1988, Spoorloos/The Vanishing, FR/NL, 0, Film, Tim Burton, 1990, Edward Scissorhands, USA, 0, Film, Tomas Alfredson, 2008, Låt Den Rätte Komma In/Let The Right One In, SWE,
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