Kommentar |
In this seminar we’ll investigate the representation of haunted houses in Anglophone literature and film. We’ll compare and contrast historically and culturally specific literary styles and conventions as well as the key characteristics of different media. Starting with Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), we’ll continue with some Victorian ghost stories through to du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938) and Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (1959) to the filmic adaptation of Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger (2018). Combined with theories on the functions of supernatural horror and the fantastic in literature, our close readings will provide participants with an overview of the origins, definitions and present-day variants of Gothic narratives.
In preparation for the seminar, please acquire and read the following novels:
Henry Walpole, The Castle of Otranto Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House |