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Intro to Gothic Fiction

ENGL 148: Intro to Horror, with Paul Blom

Section 002, Spring 2025

M, W, F; 10:10am-11:00am

Greenlaw Hall, Room 302

Fri. Jan. 17, 2025

Please sign in at the front as you arrive! (Always sign in when you arrive.)

Don’t see your name? Add it to the bottom of page 2. (Please print AND sign.)

Log into our Canvas course site and then to go Modules>Lesson Plans.

Click the link to open today’s lesson plan slides (these slides).

You’ll need to have access to our daily lesson plan slides during every class session.

Open today’s readings (and your notes from today’s readings). Keep Canvas open also.

If you run into issues accessing our Canvas course site and/or our lesson plan for today, please let me know asap.

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Announcements

Remind Paul to begin recording (Zoom recording available after class).
If you are still having trouble accessing Canvas or receiving my emails/announcements, please let me know ASAP via paulblom@live.unc.edu. Be sure to check Canvas>Announcements regularly.
As you read and work, please feel free to contribute to the following optional Google Doc, “Suggested Readings and Other Content” (Canvas>Modules>Lesson Plans).
Reminder: Download your readings to your device so you can annotate them and have easy future access to them; don’t just read them off Canvas.
“Guidelines for Daily Response Posts” (Canvas>Files>Assignments). Warning: Canvas tends to time out as you compose; I suggest always composing offline and then copying/pasting your work into Canvas. (This applies to any kind of important/serious composition. Compose offline, proofread it, then copy/paste it to submit it. Also, keep all of your response posts in your own running document for easy future reference.)
See the extra credit announcement I shared Thursday morning (Jan. 16).

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Today’s Class

“[Horror fiction] shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion.” —Clive Barker

Last Class:

Practicing literary analysis
Curtis, “Empty” (2007)

Today’s Class:

Intro to Gothic fiction
Readings from The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, edited by Jerrold E. Hogle (2002)

TODAY’S LEARNING OBJECTIVES - By the end of this class session, you will be able to:

Define the typical tropes, symbols, and themes in Gothic fiction
Explain the sociocultural context for the emergence and popularity of Gothic fiction
Identify ways in which later horror media was (and continues to be) influenced by Gothic fiction

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Preparing for Today

Everyone should have already:

Caught up on any missing work, readings, etc.
Completed the following readings: The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, edited by Jerrold E. Hogle, 2002 (Canvas>Files>Readings>Week 2):

Hogle, Ch. 1: “Introduction: The Gothic in Western Culture,” pp. 1-20
Suggested reading (should have at least skimmed): Clery, Ch. 2: “The Genesis of ‘Gothic’ Fiction,” pp. 21-39

Submitted your discussion post in response to today’s readings (Canvas>Discussions).
Explored our Canvas site to get familiar with it and skimmed other potentially useful resources (esp. Canvas>Files).

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Introductions from New Class Members

If you’re new to our class (or if you’re ever absent), be sure to look at the lesson plans and video recordings from those class sessions you missed (Canvas>Modules). Talk to me about how we can get you caught up.
New students: Tell us your preferred name, pronouns, year at UNC, (intended) major, where you’re from, and what scares you:

STUDENT NAMES REDACTED FOR PUBLIC SHARING

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Discussion Instructions

LET’S DISCUSS GOTHIC FICTION!

Today’s readings (full bibliographic/Works Cited citations in MLA 9th edition citation style):

Hogle, Jerrold E. “Introduction: The Gothic in Western Culture.” The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, edited by Jerrold E. Hogle. Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp. 1-20. Cambridge Companions to Literature, https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1017/CCOL0521791243.
Clery, E.J. “The Genesis of ‘Gothic’ Fiction.” The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, edited by Jerrold E. Hogle. Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp. 21-39. Cambridge Companions to Literature, https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1017/CCOL0521791243.

You should have already completed these readings and posted your response to today’s discussion board, answering my questions for homework.

Get into groups of about 4. (If this is your first day in this class, join a group of people who are not new and were able to complete the discussion board posts for homework in preparation for today’s class.) Open the readings for today, and pull up your discussion board posts for today (Canvas>Discussions).

Remember this is a discussion/conversation! Yes, you should use your posts for reference, but don’t just read your posts to each other. Look at each other and talk to each other. Respond, debate, etc. Make sure everybody in your group has a chance to share for each of the discussion segments on the next slide.

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Discussion Instructions

As a group, briefly discuss your responses to Question 1 from today’s discussion board, your preconceptions regarding Gothic fiction. Then move on to discuss, as a group, your responses to Question 2. In your opinion, what were Hogle’s (or Clery’s) most compelling or significant points? Why? Would you critique any of their points, and if so, how? Or…what confused you? KEEP DISCUSSING UNTIL I ASK YOU TO STOP. DON’T MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC YET.
As a group, discuss your responses to Question 3 from today’s discussion board. What connections can you create between today’s readings and our earlier scholarly readings (from Clasen and/or from Cohen)? KEEP DISCUSSING UNTIL I ASK YOU TO STOP. DON’T MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC YET.
As a group, discuss your responses to the final homework question, Question 4, from today’s discussion board. Which option did you choose to answer? Share your responses with each other:

How does the Gothic continue to influence modern horror? How do Gothic tropes or themes continue to appear in more recent horror media?
How is “the Gothic” (or even horror in general) used for conservative or progressive ends, to maintain or challenge the status quo?
KEEP DISCUSSING UNTIL I ASK YOU TO STOP.

Q1: Before you completed the readings for today, what were your preconceptions, assumptions, and/or prior knowledge regarding “the Gothic,” especially in terms of literature (although you can also reference art, architecture, whatever) as well. Answer in a brief paragraph.

Q2: List a few (two or three) points or facts made by Hogle in chapter 1 and/or by Clery in chapter 2, points or facts you find especially compelling, provocative, or significant. You can quote or paraphrase/sum up these points, but please include page numbers. Explain why you chose these points and how they fit into the authors’ overall arguments. (Alternatively, you can choose a few points with which you wish to disagree or critique and explain why you disagree.) Answer in a few paragraphs.

Q3: Think back to our readings from Jan. 10 (Clasen) and Jan. 13 (Cohen). In our readings for today (especially chapter 1 by Hogle), can you draw any connections back to the ideas/arguments of Clasen and/or Cohen? Explain. Answer in a brief paragraph.

Q4: Choose one of the following two questions to answer. Make sure it’s clear which question you’re answering:

Today’s readings (especially chapter 1 by Hogle) articulate many of the common tropes, symbols, and themes present in Gothic fiction, a subset of horror that has influenced (and continues to influence) horror media (texts, films, tv, etc.) in various ways. Name two or three ways in which these Gothic elements continue to appear in more recent horror media. (For instance, are there specific tropes, themes, etc. that continue to appear, and if so, provide some examples.) Answer in a paragraph.
In chapter 1, Hogle brings up a few dichotomies in terms of the Gothic, including the “male Gothic” vs. the “female Gothic” as well as “terror Gothic” vs. “horror Gothic.” However, he also explores the possibility for the Gothic to be used to uphold either conservative or progressive/revolutionary ideas and values. Do you think horror tends to be used more for one than the other (to maintain vs. to challenge the status quo)? Explain, providing at least one example for each side (conservative vs. progressive/revolutionary) or at least two examples for one side. Answer in a paragraph. (Note: Although these ideas can certainly be relevant to the United States, we're not necessarily purely focused on current definitions of America's conservative and progressive political alignments. Basically, your answers can also discuss conservative and progressive values in any particular context: when and how has horror been used to either maintain the status quo or used to challenge the status quo?)

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Questions to Consider as We Discuss

What are the most significant/compelling points Hogle (or Clery) makes?
What are the typical tropes, symbols, and themes in Gothic fiction?
How do these ideas relate back to either Clasen (1/10) or Cohen (1/13)?
How has Gothic fiction continued to influence horror media (texts, films, tv, etc.)?
How is horror media used for conservative or progressive ends?
See also a few literary definitions of the Gothic.
A “romance” vs. a novel?

Now let’s discuss the text! (Click the link to open a Google Doc for our discussion notes for today. We’ll write these together.)

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Hogle, “Introduction: The Gothic in Western Culture”

“The reason that Gothic others or spaces can abject myriad cultural and psychological contradictions, and thereby confront us with those anomalies in disguise, is because those spectral characters, images, and settings harbor the hidden reality that oppositions of all kinds cannot maintain their separations, that each ‘lesser term’ is contained in its counterpart and that difference really arises by standing against and relating to interdependency. While high versus low and serious versus popular tend to blur in the malleable Gothic genre, so do all of the cultural distinctions it takes on thematically, whether these are based on gender, sexual orientation, race, class, stages of growth, level of existence, or even species” (Hogle 11-12).

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Hogle, “Introduction: The Gothic in Western Culture”

“The Gothic clearly exists, in part, to raise the possibility that all ‘abnormalities’ we would divorce from ourselves are a part of ourselves, deeply and pervasively (hence frighteningly), even while it provides quasi-antiquated methods to help us place such ‘deviations’ at a definite, though haunting, distance from us” (Hogle 12).

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Homework

Reminder: Mon. Jan. 20 is MLK Jr. Day (no classes held)

Next class, Wed. Jan. 22: Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (1764), day 1

Homework due by 10:10am Wed. Jan. 22:

Before you leave, make sure you signed in today!
Connect Carolina: Especially if you just joined our class, remember to verify your enrollment in my class and affirm your agreement with the Honor Code. Instructions for verifying enrollment can be found here.
In general, catch up on any tasks or readings so far.
Take a look at the Course Schedule in our Course Syllabus (Canvas>Files) and make note of upcoming readings, deadlines, etc. Plan ahead accordingly for when things look like they will be busy. Consider reading/working ahead as needed.
Homework continues on the next slide.

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Homework continued

Homework due by 10:10am Wed. Jan. 22:

Complete the following readings before our next class session and come to class prepared to discuss: Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (1764):

“A Note on the Text,” p. xlii
“Preface to the First Edition,” pp. 5-7 & “Preface to the Second Edition,” pp. 9-13 (The prefaces are important; don’t skip them!)
Chs. 1-2 (end on p. 53)
Suggested reading: “Chronology,” pp. vii-xii & Gamer, “Introduction,” pp. xiii-xxxv
(The supplements to the text, including full endnotes, have been scanned and posted to Canvas at Files>Readings>Week 3.)

Post your response to the discussion board for Wed. Jan. 22 (Canvas>Discussions>Due Wed. Jan. 22: Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, day 1). Follow the directions listed in the description for that particular discussion board. (All discussion board posts are due before class begins that day.) Come to class ready to discuss.
Reminder: As you read pieces of literature, read actively (annotate your readings), read closely, take notes on major plot points and characters but also on the methods/tactics/language of the author.
Continue to explore our Canvas site to get familiar with it and check out other potentially useful resources (esp. Canvas>Files).

Homework due in preparation for class on Wed. Jan. 22: Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, day 1

Ideally, you’re using the following version: The Castle of Otranto (1764), by Horace Walpole, 1st edition, edited and with an introduction and notes by Michael Gamer, Penguin Classics, 2001, ISBN: 9780140437676.

READ: Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (1764):

“A Note on the Text,” p. xlii
“Preface to the First Edition,” pp. 5-7
“Preface to the Second Edition,” pp. 9-13
Chs. 1-2 (end on p. 53)
Suggested reading: “Chronology,” pp. vii-xii
Suggested reading: Gamer, “Introduction,” pp. xiii-xxxv

Note: I have scanned the supplementary materials into a .pdf file, located at Canvas>Files>Readings>Week 3. This includes the chronology, the introduction by Gamer, “A Note on the Text,” “Preface to the First Edition,” “Preface to the Second Edition,” and complete endnotes for the entire text. Don’t skip the prefaces to each edition! They are important!

In complete sentences (unless otherwise specified) and clear, proofread prose, answer all of the following questions. Do not upload your response as a document. Post your response directly into the discussion board. To post your response, I suggest composing in Microsoft Word, revising and proofing your response first. Then click on “Reply” to create your post; copy and paste your response into the post and submit. Be sure to submit prior to the beginning of class on Wed. Jan. 22. We will discuss your answers (and other ideas) in class.

NOTE: Before you write and submit a response, read "Guidelines for Daily Response Posts.docx" (Canvas>Files>Assignments), if you haven’t already.

Note: For Wednesday, I’m only asking you to read the first two of the novel’s five chapters. (You’ll finish the novel for next Fri. Jan. 24.) In preparation for Wed. Jan. 22, you are free to read ahead, past chapter 2, but in your answers today, please restrain your responses within the limits of today’s reading, no further than chapter 2. (No spoilers!)

Horace Walpole’s The Castle of the Otranto is typically hailed as the origin of Gothic fiction. Considering our previous discussions of Gothic fiction, what elements (tropes, symbols, themes, etc.) do you see in today's reading that line up with (or at least suggest) the typical conventions or definitions of Gothic fiction? Explain your answer in a brief paragraph.
Choose two passages from today’s text (The Castle of Otranto, chs. 1-2) that interest you or strike you as strange/confusing/worthy of interrogation. To clarify, a passage should probably be around 1-3 paragraphs in length. (In choosing your passages, go beyond the surface content/plot like “This was a cool moment,” or “This surprised me.” Instead, look for passages in which the author’s use of language interests you.) Copy and paste the passages here with page numbers, so we can also easily locate these passages. (If the passages are really long, you can just provide the beginning and end of each quote with page numbers so we can find the quote in the text.) For each passage, write a sentence or two about what interests you about each passage.
Choose one of the passages from Q2 and explain why it interests you in a solid paragraph or two. Maybe it’s the word choice (diction) or sentence structure (syntax). Maybe it’s the author’s use of metaphor. Maybe it’s the presence of a recurring theme or motif. Maybe it’s a combination of elements that caught your attention. Can you relate these elements back to the rest of the text? For instance, perhaps the syntax caught your attention because it’s the only instance in which the author breaks from his usual sentence structure. Maybe this is a major turning point in the text, and the passage is filled with imagery of ____. How does that imagery relate back to the rest of the text? (Basically, look at the stylistic/linguistic choices Walpole made in your passage. Ask—and try to answer—why he made those choices. How is this passage functioning in the text overall? Why is it significant? What's the author trying to do with this passage, especially in relation to the rest of the text and its plot or themes?)

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Looking Ahead

Look ahead at the reading schedule and start thinking about which text you’ll discuss in your First Essay (first workshop on Fri. Jan. 31; second workshop on Fri. Feb. 7; final draft due Fri. Feb. 14). See also the assignment prompt for the First Essay (Canvas>Files>Assignments).
For Fri. Jan. 24, you’ll be reading and responding to the rest of The Castle of Otranto:

Chs. 3-5, pp. 54-101
Suggested reading: “Appendix: Early Responses to The Castle of Otranto,” pp. 117-160
Remember that full endnotes for the entire text are posted to Canvas>Files>Readings>Week 3. (The appendix is not.)

Any final questions?

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After Class

If you have other questions or concerns that arise after class, please feel free to email me (paulblom@live.unc.edu), visit me (in Greenlaw 509) during my office hours (Mon, Wed, 11:15am-12:45pm est), or schedule a time to meet with me virtually [ZOOM LINK REDACTED FOR PUBLIC SHARING] outside of office hours. (Download Zoom at https://unc.zoom.us/.)
A few hours after this class session has ended, I will post the recording of this class session to Canvas at Modules>Class Recordings. You may want to revisit the recording, especially if you missed the class. Each recording will be accompanied by a real-time automatically-generated transcript as well as automatically-generated closed captions. You can stream these online or download these to your own devices.

These recordings are captured through Zoom and are only available to watch/download for 30 days after the recording date.
These recordings are solely for the purpose of reviewing class material and should not be shared with people outside of our class. (See also our course syllabus: Course Policies>Technology>Recordings of Class Sessions.)
See also “Using Lecture Recordings: A Guide for Students” (Canvas>Modules>Class Recordings).