Short Paper: 1500 -1800 words

Marks: 25

Using the essay structure provided in the Assessment 1 task description, write a short paper on one (1) of the following topics:

1. In Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), Ellis argues ‘women bring to an end the usurped control of the castle. And by doing so, they gain a degree of power and control that the prevailing social order could not otherwise permit’ (2010, p. 8). Discuss with reference to woman and boundaries in the narrative.

2. Botting suggests ‘while terror and horror are often used synonymously, distinctions can be made between them as countervailing aspects of Gothic’s emotional ambivalence’ (1990, p. 10). What unique distinctions between 'terror' and 'horror' emerge in Beckford’s portrayal of Vathek’s decline in Vathek (1786) and for what purposes?

3. As Ambrosio spirals into hell in The Monk (1796), readers encounter an array of superstitious and supernatural characters. How does Lewis use these characters to explore Ambrosio’s transgressions and their moral and religious consequences?

4. Students may consult with the lecturer to create your own short paper topic on any of the above texts.

Note: The specified word limit for this item (1500 - 1800 words). The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

The following assessment criteria will be used for this assessment task:

1. Does your short paper have a clearly articulated thesis (point of view) that can be considered as an answer to the question and the specific issue/s related to the chosen novel and its critical and theoretical location/s regards the gothic that the question raises?
2. Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the central thesis of the short paper supported with clear arguments supported by relevant evidence from the text(s)?
3. Has secondary criticism (at least 3 credible, scholarly sources) been used to support the arguments and does the essay show an understanding of the relevant critical theory regards the gothic that is being called upon?
4. Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling (i.e., has the essay been carefully edited)?
5. Have all sources been properly acknowledged both in-text and in the reference list using the Harvard Author-date system (i.e., ideas, paraphrases as well as quotations)?

Research Paper: 1500 - 1800 words

Marks: 25

Using the structure provided in the Assessment 2 task description, prepare a formal research paper on one (1) of the following topics:

Note: Some films are available in the CQU library (check the unit eReading List) or may be found on popular streaming services.

1. Schneider (2015) claims that in Shelley’s Frankenstein, ‘Both the creature and Victor himself can be seen as monsters. Both cross socially established boundaries, albeit mostly different ones.’ Analyse how the construction of the monstrous/monstrosity may affect the reading of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created using the text and at least one film version of the novel as a reference.

2. Brignell (2012) states ‘The constant emphasis on landscape within the text of Wuthering Heights endows the setting with symbolic importance’. Discuss symbolism and the psychological nature of Gothic settings with reference to the novel Wuthering Heights (1939) and at least one other gothic text of your choice (you may choose novel/s or film/s).

3. William Hughes (1988) argues that the figure of the vampire has been eroticised and that this characterisation has been at the expense of 'the literary vampire.' With reference to Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), explore the concept of 'the literary vampire' then examine, using two film or television versions of vampires as reference, how the popular eroticisation of the vampire seems to dominate any other signification of the trope.

4. Freud (1905) writes ‘The History of civilization shows beyond any doubt ... An intimate connection between cruelty and the sexual instinct’. The White Hotel (1981) identifies a number of means or stories by which individuals operate in complicity with structures of iniquity and oppression. Consider the role that sexuality plays in this complicity with cultural iniquity in the novel The White Hotel and at least other gothic text (you may choose novel/s or film/s).

5. Students may consult with the lecturer to create your own research essay topic on any of the above texts.

Note: The specified word limit for this item (1500 - 1800 words). The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

The following assessment criteria will be used for this assessment task:

1. Does your essay have a clearly articulated thesis (point of view) that can be considered as a research topic critically examining the specific concern relating to the chosen novel/author/text and its critical and theoretical location/s regards the Gothic that the question/s raised?
2. Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the central thesis of the research paper supported with clear arguments supported by relevant evidence from the text(s)?
3. Has secondary criticism (at least 4 credible, scholarly sources) been used to support the arguments and does the research paper show an understanding of the relevant critical theory regards the Gothic that is being called upon?
4. Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling (i.e., has the essay been carefully edited)?
5. Have all sources been properly acknowledged both in-text and in the reference list using the Harvard Author-date system (i.e., ideas, paraphrases as well as quotations)?

Analytical Paper - 2000-2500 words

Marks: 50

Using the structure provided in the Assessment 3 task description, write an analytical essay on one (1) of the following topics:

Note: You cannot use set texts or films already used in a previous assessment item.

1. Bond (BBC 2016) observes ‘interest in morbid crime, and particularly in serial killers, has become pervasive in popular culture’, with a recent explosion of true crime stories, documentaries and podcasts. Analyse this trend with reference to one of these ‘news’ reports and one form of either Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates OR Perfume by Patrick Süskind (eg. the text, the 2008 play Zombie (see Week 10 Moodle link), the 2006 film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, or the 2018 Netflix series Perfume based on Süskind’s novel). What aspects of the Gothic are appropriated in these cultural forms in their construction of the serial killer and how does this drive reader/viewer fascination?

2. Gothic literature and ‘horror’ films have always been popular as they provoke thrill and fear at the same time by focusing on the uncertainties and contradictions of the psyche. Select any one of the set Gothic texts and compare/contrast it with a film version of the same text. Identify and analyse differences of emphasis on fear. What aspects of fear (eg. anxiety, terror, horror, disgust, etc) emerge most predominantly in each text and for what purpose? How does this change the psychological reception of the story?

3. Botting (2013) argues that the Gothic ‘juxtaposes terrors of the negative with an order authorised by reason and morality’. Analyse this statement with reference to two of the unit's set texts, or, one set text and a film version of a set text, to compare/contrast the operation of negative aesthetics versus reason and morality. How do these texts exhibit and emphasise these concepts? Does your analysis support Botting’s statement?

4. Write a short story in the Gothic genre (refer to the Tip Sheet on Moodle) and accompany it with a brief justification essay of the specific literary elements and techniques of the Gothic your story incorporates (e.g., themes, tone, characterisation, rising action, suspense, setting, point of view, figurative language, foreshadowing, simile, metaphor, metonym, etc.). If you choose this option, your story should be approximately 1800 words and your justification essay (supported with at least six [6] peer-reviewed, scholarly sources) in the region of 700 words.

5. Students may consult with the lecturer to create their own analytical topic for any of the texts studied during the term.

Note: The specified word limit for this item (2000 - 2500 words). The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

The following assessment criteria will be used for this assessment task:

1. Does your essay have a clearly articulated thesis (point of view) that can be considered as a research topic critically examining the specific concern relating to the chosen novel/author/text and its critical and theoretical location/s regards the gothic that the question/s raised?
2. Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the central thesis of the research paper supported with clear arguments supported by relevant evidence from the text(s)?
3. Has secondary criticism (at least 6 credible scholarly sources) been used to support the arguments and does the research paper show an understanding of the relevant critical theory regards the gothic that is being called upon?
4. Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling (i.e., has the essay been carefully edited)?
5. Have all sources been properly acknowledged both in-text and in the reference list using the Harvard Author-date system (i.e., ideas, paraphrases as well as quotations)?