230399 Southern Gothic (S) (WiSe 2019/2020)

Gothic addresses the primeval nature of our individual and collective fears, which speaks for Gothic being its own "revenant genre,” in and out of fashion throughout time, but always apt to inspire new works of literature and film. This course will focus on Southern Gothic as a movement that shaped the U.S.-American literary and artistic canon over several centuries, and which is still influential in contemporary literature and media. By looking at works of literature by William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, as well as recent movies by Dee Rees, Sofia Coppola, James Franco, etc., we will explore their various Gothic elements as complex aspects of U.S.-American culture. For a Studienleistung students are expected to do the required amount of reading, take part in group discussions and turn in several written assignments, thus improving their literary analysis skills. Please note that the first session of this seminar will take place on October 17!