Overview
In this unit students will explore the gothic mode in both contemporary culture as well as in the historical sense. Through study of a range of films, literature, artforms, media and journalism as well as critical commentary, students will be given an opportunity to discuss and debate important issues of sexual identity, the relation between nature and culture, and popular pleasure through transgressive style.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: Minimum of 18 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Observations
Low enrolments over time.
Discontinue this unit.
- Discuss the Western Gothic as it has manifested itself across a range of cultural texts including film and literature from its inception in the eighteenth century up to the present.
- Discuss the Gothic's transgressive mode, particularly the way in which this problematises questions of gender and sexuality.
- Demonstrate further development of your analytical and written communication skills.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 25% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 25% | |||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom account (Free)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.kindleysides@cqu.edu.au
j.brown@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction: Explorations in the Gothic.
In this unit you will examine the essential Gothic themes of horror, death and romance and explore some of the major issues raised by the genre across a number of literary and filmic texts.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 1: Introduction
Mulvey-Roberts:
- Introduction
Events and Submissions/Topic
Textbooks:
Botting, Fred 2014, Gothic (The new critical idiom), Routledge.
Mulvey-Roberts, Marie 1998, The Handbook to Gothic Literature, Routledge.
Module/Topic
The Castle of Otranto (1764), Horace Walpole
The earliest accepted Gothic novel, Walpole, a British Earl, was among the very first to incorporate the iconography of Romance woven into a story of horror, tragedy and romantic love.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 2: Gothic origins
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Walpole, Horace'
- 'Death'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Vathek (1786), William Beckford
Originally written in French, the narrative tells an elegantly-crafted story of sensuality, pride and violence when the ill-fated Caliph Vathek of Baghdad makes a pact with the Devil.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 3: Gothic forms
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Beckford, William'
- 'Horror'
Events and Submissions/Topic
A voluntary Zoom session may be scheduled before the due date for Assessment Item 1. Please check the Moodle unit site (see 'Virtual Classes for details).
This session will be recorded and available for download soon thereafter.
Module/Topic
The Monk (1796), Matthew Lewis
A story of scandalous, erotic obsession and the corruption of power. This novel was roundly condemned as blasphemous and depraved upon its original and anonymous publication.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 4: Gothic writing in the 1790s
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Lewis, Matthew'
- 'Occultism'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Frankenstein (1818), Mary Shelley
The story of the Modern Prometheus is a tragedy to rival Shakespeare's best. Set during a period of great social change, the narrative follows the rise of scientific hubris and a tragic descent into madness and oblivion.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 5: Romantic transformations
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Shelley, Mary'
- 'Romanticism'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Wuthering Heights (1874), Emily Bronte
Published the year before Bronte's death, initial reviews for the novel were divided. Not only were its depictions of mental and physical cruelty bleak and confronting, but it openly challenged the social mores of the day.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 6: Homely gothic
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Brontë, Emily'
- 'The Brontës'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Dracula (1897), Bram Stoker
Stoker was not the inventor of the vampyre, but he was the first to bring the notion of the undead into modern fictional narratives. A classic novel of the Gothic genre.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 7: Gothic returns in the 1890s
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Stoker, Bram'
- 'Female gothic'
- 'Vampire'
Events and Submissions/Topic
A voluntary Zoom session may be scheduled before the due date for Assessment Item 2. Please check the Moodle unit site (see 'Virtual Classes for details).
This session will be recorded and available for download soon thereafter.
Module/Topic
The White Hotel (1981), D.M. Thomas
Three narratives or movements examining the erotic fantasies of Lisa Erdman, an opera singer. The narratives overlap to form a chilling and horrific witnessing of the Holocaust in WWII. Short-listed for the Booker Prize.
Chapter
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'The sublime'
- 'The supernatural'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Perfume (1985), Patrick Suskind
Originally published in German, this episodic narrative of the main character examines how the sense of smell can be taken to extremes, as well as the extremes of murder and moral antipathy that such divergence from a perceived 'normal' may cause.
Chapter
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'German gothic'
- 'Terror'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Zombie (1995), Joyce Carol Oates
This text looks at the extreme and the gruesome in modern America, offering a diaristic experience of a young serial killer determined to acquire a zombie.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 8: Phamtomodernisms
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Gothic body'
- 'The grotesque'
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Gothic Film
The Gothic edifices in The Club (1998) and The Unholy (1993) serve as both a setting and a symbolic signifier. Labyrinths, dungeons, burial vaults and confined spaces illustrate the realm of the unconscious.
Intrigue, darkness and sexual repression follow the central character in Night Train to Venice (1993) where iconic images of the Gothic abound, as do the Jungian archetypes of good and evil.
Chapter
Botting:
- Chapter 9: Consuming monsters
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'Monstrosity'
- 'Gothic film'
- 'Gothic drama'
Events and Submissions/Topic
A voluntary Zoom session may be scheduled before the due date for Assessment Item 3. Please check the Moodle unit site (see 'Virtual Classes for details).
This session will be recorded and available for download soon thereafter.
Module/Topic
Australian Gothic
Works in this genre exude an atmosphere of isolation, mystery, fear, or dread, typically against a menacing or destabilising Australian landscape.
Chapter
Mulvey-Roberts:
- 'The uncanny [Unheimlich]
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Analytical Essay - 1500 words (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 25%
Using the structure provided on the unit website (see Week 4 Topic Section), write an analytical essay on the following topic:
Characteristics of early Gothic novels often include: death and decay, haunted homes/castles, omens and family curses, ghosts, madness, powerful love/romance, power, confinement and isolation, etc.
Explore at least three of these characteristics and their significance with reference to the Gothic in one of the novels studied in Module 1 (The Castle of Otranto, Vathek or The Monk).
Note: The specified word limit for this item (1500 words +/- 10%). 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:
- Does your essay have a clearly articulated thesis (point of view) that considers the specific issue/s related to the chosen novel and its critical and theoretical location/s regards the Gothic that the question raises?
- Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the central thesis of the essay supported with clear analysis supported by relevant evidence from the text(s)?
- Has secondary criticism (at least 3 credible, scholarly sources) been used to support the analysis and does the essay show an understanding of the relevant critical theory with regards to the Gothic that is being called upon?
- Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling (i.e., has the essay been carefully edited)?
- 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)?
Note: The specified word limit for this item (1500 words) does not include the reference list. Also, there is a 10%+/- allowable variance over or under the stipulated word count.
- Discuss the Western Gothic as it has manifested itself across a range of cultural texts including film and literature from its inception in the eighteenth century up to the present.
- Discuss the Gothic's transgressive mode, particularly the way in which this problematises questions of gender and sexuality.
- Demonstrate further development of your analytical and written communication skills.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Written Assessment
Essay - 1500 words (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 25%
Using the structure provided on the unit website (see Week 7 Topic Section), write an essay on one (1) of the following topics:
- 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.
- 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).
- 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 how the popular eroticisation of the vampire seems to dominate any other signification of the trope.
- 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 White Hotel.
- Students may consult with the lecturer to create your own essay topic on any of the above texts.
Note: The specified word limit for this item (1500 words +/- 10%). 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:
- Does your essay have a clearly articulated thesis (point of view) that considers 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?
- Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the central thesis of the essay supported with clear arguments supported by relevant evidence from the text(s)?
- Has secondary criticism (at least 4 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?
- Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling (i.e., has the essay been carefully edited)?
- 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)?
Note: the word count does not include the reference list. A variation of 10%+/- the word count is allowable.
- Discuss the Western Gothic as it has manifested itself across a range of cultural texts including film and literature from its inception in the eighteenth century up to the present.
- Discuss the Gothic's transgressive mode, particularly the way in which this problematises questions of gender and sexuality.
- Demonstrate further development of your analytical and written communication skills.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Written Assessment
Research Paper - 2500 words (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 50%
Note: You cannot use set texts or films already used in a previous assessment item.
1. 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 two (2) of the set Gothic texts that have been adapted to film and compare/contrast them with a film version of the same text. Identify and analyse similarities and/or 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 impact on your psychological reception of the story? Report on your findings, supported by the two texts and at least four (4) scholarly sources with regards to Gothic theory.
2. Doolan (2019) suggests that despite Australia’s lack of European history or ivy-covered ruins ‘Australian Gothic increasingly finds new sites to play out its terrors’ where ‘Australia is not a country of promise and plenty, but rather a menacing and claustrophobic hell’. Choose a selection of Australian Gothic novels or films (2-4) and research what makes these texts Gothic. Perform an analysis of how the authors/filmmakers explore the dark side of the Australian experience, and compare or contrast this with Gothic tropes used in at least two (2) of the texts you have studied in the unit. Report on your findings, supported by these two texts and at least four (4) scholarly sources with regards to Gothic theory.
3. Bond (BBC 2016) observes that ‘interest in morbid crime, and particularly in serial killers, has become pervasive in popular culture’, with a recent explosion of true crime podcast and documentary productions. Analyse 1-2 of these podcast productions of your choice alongside one form of Perfume and Zombie (text/play/film/TV series) to determine what aspects of the Gothic are appropriated in these cultural media productions in their construction of the serial killer. Report on your findings, supported by the two texts and at least four (4) scholarly sources with regards to Gothic theory.
OR
Using the information from your research above, write a script for a podcast or documentary about either a real or fictional serial killer. Accompany your script with a reflective analysis of the specific Gothic tropes and techniques that you have incorporated and an evaluation of how your approach was successful for driving listener fascination. If you choose this option, your script should be up to 1500 words and your reflection in the region of 1000 words, supported by the two sources above used for your research and at least four (4) scholarly sources supporting your choice of Gothic tropes/techniques.
4. Write a short story in the Gothic genre, incorporating tropes and techniques of the Gothic mode learned in this unit and at least two of the texts you have studied (e.g. themes, tone, setting, characterisation, point of view, foreshadowing, suspense, figurative language, literary devices, etc.). Accompany your short story with a reflective analysis of the specific Gothic elements that your story incorporates, and an evaluation of whether your approach was successful in creating a story in the Gothic mode. If you choose this option, your story should be up to 1500 words and your reflection in the region of 1000 words, supported by the two texts used for your research and at least four (4) scholarly sources supporting your choice of Gothic tropes/techniques.
5. Students may consult with the lecturer to create their own research topic for any of two (2) the texts studied during the term.
The following assessment criteria will be used for this assessment task:
- Does your paper have a clearly articulated research topic critically examining the specific concern and its critical and theoretical location/s in regards to the Gothic that the question raises?
- Have key terms been clearly defined in a scholarly manner and is the research supported with clear arguments and relevant evidence?
- Have secondary sources (at least 6) including credible, scholarly sources as required, been used to support the arguments and does the paper show an understanding of the relevant critical theory in regards to the Gothic that is being called upon?
- Has care been taken with presentation, grammar, expression and spelling?
- Have all sources been properly acknowledged both in-text and in the reference list using the Harvard Author-date system?
- Discuss the Western Gothic as it has manifested itself across a range of cultural texts including film and literature from its inception in the eighteenth century up to the present.
- Discuss the Gothic's transgressive mode, particularly the way in which this problematises questions of gender and sexuality.
- Demonstrate further development of your analytical and written communication skills.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
