230633 Horror Stories & Colonial History (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

Focused on North American stories & history, the seminar provides an overview of the horror genre and the key techniques and theories for their critical analysis. The main question and concern with which we will approach the texts is whether and how colonial logic served as a backdrop and source for horror fiction; whether and how white writers used the genre to promote white ideology, and how Black cultural producers subverted it in turn. We will discuss a wide range of horror stories and consider cultural & political dynamics within narration.

For those of you who would like a head start on the reading material, we will discuss short stories (e.g, Lovecraft’s “The Horror at Red Hook”, Irving’s `”The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”), novellas (e.g. LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom), selected poems by Edgar Allan Poe, and movies (e.g. Peele’s Get Out {2017} and Demme’s Beloved {1998}).

Requirements for participation, required level

Vor dem Besuch der Veranstaltungen in den Profilmodulen muss der Language Proficiency Test (23-ANG-Basis1) bestanden sein. Im Master of Education gilt diese Voraussetzung mit dem erfolgreichen Masterzugang als erbracht.