The Gothic has held readers in thrall since its monstrous birth in the late eighteenth century. This paper considers the complex nature of that grip, beginning with the origins of the Gothic and moving through some of its most compelling nineteenth-century manifestations, including Frankenstein, Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe and The Turn of the Screw. Our approach to these texts will be through a range of theoretical perspectives, including cultural studies, gender studies, psychoanalysis and narrative theory.

We will consider the following primary texts in relation to the following theoretical approaches and problems:

• Frankenstein: New Historicism and psychoanalytic approaches
• Dracula: cultural studies, gender studies and narrative theory
• Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Uncanny, and more on gender
• Edgar Allan Poe short stories: more on psychoanalytic approaches
• The Turn of the Screw: dealing with difficulty and ambiguity

Learning in this paper is cumulative. If you keep up with the reading, attend class regularly, and participate in discussion, you should find that your familiarly with the primary texts and various theoretical perspectives deepens in the course of the trimester. The assessment reflects that cumulative learning.

• An early short assignment is a close reading exercise. It asks you to think and write about a short focus passage from one of the 'theory' readings.
• A research essay, submitted in two assessed phases. The questions for the research essay are designed to test depth of knowledge.The research essay resubmission is designed to help you refine your thinking and writing in response to feedback.
• The final in-class test is designed to test the breadth of your knowledge.
• A mark for class participation assesses your knowledge of the primary and secondary readings as displayed in discussion, and incentivizes regular attendance.

The paper has three timetabled hours per week. The Monday session will often serve as a 'lecture' introduction to a text and a related theory. The two-hour session on Wednesdays will build on that information via class discussion.

Students are expected to attend all classes, and to read the week's primary and secondary readings before coming to class. A roll will be taken, and a mark allocated for participation.

The written assessment for this paper has been designed to foster some core skills for literary study at upper undergraduate level:

• Reading carefully and evaluating thoughtfully
• Developing evidence-based opinions
• Locating, evaluating and citing relevant secondary sources
• Revising written work in response to feedback