One Last Note on Sources...

For those of you working on the final paper, a quick note: if you're using the handouts I gave you as sources for the paper, here are citations for each:

Woolf, Virginia.  A Room of One's Own.  New York: Vintage, 1996.

Freud, Sigmund.  "The Uncanny."  The Uncanny and Other Essays.  New York: Penguin, 2003. 

Freud, Sigmund.  Totem and Taboo.  New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1989. 

Don't forget to use Culler's text throughout, and consider the supplemental sources in our editions of The Turm of the Screw and Dracula.  You can also find great articles about any of the texts via JSTOR. 

Having said that, let me wish you luck on your papers and a profound sense of regret that our class is over.  I've probably enjoyed teaching this class the most of any class I've taught at ECU (last semester's Brit II is a close, close second), and this is largely because of the class itself.  Thank you to those of you who really came to class, did the grunt work, and made the class a worthwhile experience.  I won't soon forget it! 

For Monday: Culler, Ch.3

Our final reading for the semester takes us back to Culler and one of the hottest movements in theory today--"Cultural Studies."  Gothic Literature started as a 'low' form of literature and has always been on the periphery of literary respectability, though many great writers have dabbled in the form, such as Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, the Brontes, and of course Poe, James, Stoker and Jackson.  However, scholars no longer make apologies for studying works that fall outside the traditional canon, and increasingly write studies of Harry Potter, Twilight, and even The Hunger Games.  Chapter 3 discusses the rise of Cultural Studies as a theoretical worldview, and how this shapes our study of the Gothic and literature in general. 

No questions this week (work on your paper!), but we will do an in-class activity or two.  See you on Monday!

ALSO--Don't forget the Department Picnic this Tuesday at Wintersmith from 6:00-8:00! 

Critical Paper #2 and Important Message for Wednesday

Katharyn Stober, a job candidate from the University of North Texas, will be visiting our class on Wednesday as part of her inteview process.  She asks that all students bring the 4 main books for class--Poe, James, Stoker, and Jackson--to class for a group activity.  Please come since this is a valuable chance for us to see a potential colleague at work, and for you, to see a potential professor before you get her in class.  I look forward to her visit and hope you will join me in extending her a warm welcome to our cozy, yet decidedly Gothic, class. 

For FRIDAY: I will give you a handout from Woolf's A Room of One's Own.  If you miss class you can find copies in the box on my door.  There are no questions for Friday, but this is an important essay to read which will undoubtedly help you on your Critical Paper #2 (see below).  See you then! 

Critical Paper #2: Gothic Women

"No stone lions for me, she thought, no oleanders; I have broken the spell of Hill House and somehow come inside.  I am home, she thought, and stopped in wonder at the thought.  I am home, I am home, she thought"

The Gothic movement was largely started by women writers writing about women: women trapped in castles by lecherous dukes, unearthing forbidden secrets, or in the case of Jane Austen's heroine, Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey), seeing the entire world through Gothic spectacles.  Through the abstract lens of the supernatural, Gothic Literature allowed women to focus on who women were and how identity was shaped not only by a patriarchal society, but by the books women read and the ideas they shared in private.  Both Dracula and The Haunting of Hill House document these very ideas, as Mina writes letters to Lucy and confides personal thoughts to her diary, or as Eleanor forms an intimate--if uncanny--friendship with Theodora, as well as the 'story' she writes at Hill House.  Each work becomes a meditation on how women find themselves in the horrors of society, when the vampires and haunted houses are often more inviting than the freedoms offered by husbands and lovers. 

Focusing on these 'gothic women,' write a paper that examines one of the following topics:

·         Women and Madness: how madness is defined in a male world, and how often the 'madwomen' are simply breaking taboos and/or refusing to be good little girls (as Woolf reminds us, every would-be Shakespeare was probably sent to an asylum)

·         The New Woman: how the women (esp. Mina and Lucy) are redefining their class and role in society; we see this, too, with Theodora, who lives with her "friend," Eleanor, who makes a decisive break with her mother/sister's ideals, and Mrs. Montague, who clearly has her husband in check (and seems to have a curious relationship with Arthur!)

·         Women as Authors: how Mina truly writes the book of Dracula (Lucy also contributes a chapter or two), and how Eleanor writes her own story--and perhaps the story of The Haunting of Hill House itself.

·         Women and Taboo: how being a woman, itself, is somewhat taboo in Victorian and 1950's America, and how these taboos are addressed and overcome in the novels.  Why might the very performance of gender strike an uncanny note for Stoker and Jackson's readers? 

·         Stoker and Jackson: how each one envisions their women, and if one performance is more authentic than another.  Can Stoker truly see women as Jackson does?  Or is Jackson too close to her subject--writing like a 'woman' (see Woolf's A Room of One's Own)? 

REQUIREMENTS

·         You must use both works (Dracula and Hill House) in your paper, supporting your reading with close readings from both.

·         You must use Culler's Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction as a substantial source--not just one superficial quote.  It should help you form the basis of your theoretical reading.

·         You should also use 2-3 secondary sources, either from any of the supplemental material in Dracula or even The Turn of of the Screw, or from the Freud and Woolf handouts, or other articles found through JSTOR or books in our library.

·         At least 5-6 pages double spaced

·         DUE ON OUR FINAL EXAM DAY: Monday, May 7^th by Midnight

For Friday: The Haunting of Hill House

Reading schedule for this week:

Wednesday: Chs.1-3 (pp.3-92)
Friday: Chs.4-5 (pp.93-163)

NOTE: This book reads quite quickly, so don't be intimidated by the seemingly long reading assignments.  A lot of dialogue as well.  So try to keep up! 

Answer ONE of the following for Friday...

1. How does the opening sentence relate to the rest of the work: "No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream."  How could this statement be a 'theory' to read the entire work--or itself a commentary on Jackson's use of Gothic elements to frame her novel? 

2. Though Eleanor is not the narrator of the work, the naration is a limited third person, meaning that we get most of it through Eleanor's thoughts and perspective.  Based on this premise, is Eleanor a "reliable narrator"?  What does she reveal of herself in the opening chapters, and do we trust or understand why she is coming to Hill House in the first place?

3. Discuss Jackson's use of dialogue in the book, particularly when all four characters are together.  When they first meet, they engage in a manic dialogue of back and forth witticisms which may seem out of place in this context.  What does each characters' dialogue reveal of them and why does Jackson focus so much on their attempts to be witty to one another? 

4. On page 139, Dr. Montague claims that "No ghost in all the long histories of ghosts has ever hurt anyone physically.  The only damage is done by the victim to himself..." and Eleanor responds, "I could say...All three of you are in my imagination; none of this is real."  Is this book more like Dracula or The Turn of the Screw?  Are the events real occurences or internal hauntings?  Can we be sure that anything experiened truly occurs--or is the narrator playing with the conventions of the genre?

For Friday and Short Paper #3 assignment

Readings for this week:

M 9: Stoker, Dracula, Chs.24-27 (pp.311-369)

W 11: Scenes from the Coppola film, Bram Stoker's Dracula

F 13: Sol Elitis' essay (pp.450-465)

Answer ONE of the following

1. Examine the power dynamic between Mina and the Vampire Hunters throughout the final chapters of the novel. Though Van Helsing has reluctantly agreed to let Mina back into the fold after her attack, he continues to keep her in the dark about several matters. Ultimately, he has cause to regret this, as he admits on page 347, "Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher. Her eyes have seen where we were blinded." Is Stoker claiming that Mina is the hero of the work...or is she merely a tool that needs male guidance to work?

2. Throughout the final chapters of the work, Van Helsing insists that Dracula has a "child brain," or at least not a fully "human brain." What does he mean by this, and how does it tie into the then-modern science of criminology? Consider page 335, when Van Helsing says, "The criminal has not full man-brain. He is clever and cunning and resourceful; but he be not of man-stature as to brain."

3. According to Sos Eltis' essay, how does Dracula (the vampire) represent aspects of contemporary English society? Though he can also represent the exotic, decadent 'East,' how might his true personalities be linked to anxieties closer to home? Consider her discussion of the New Woman and modern novelists such as Mary Corelli.

4. How does Eltis examine the role of masculinity in the novel, and how the Vampire Hunters attempt to reassert the "proper order of things"? Does she feel Stoker is reactionary in his depictions of gender...or does he admit that being a man, itself, is open to interpretation in late Victorian England?

Short Paper #3: Staging Dracula

For this assignment, I want you to choose a specific scene from Dracula: it can be a longer one (a few pages), but no more than a chapter. Then I want you to write a short paper on how you would adapt this scene for a modern production of Dracula. Consider that no film can show the book exactly as it is, since we automatically "see" the book differently than its ideal audience of 1897. You want to keep the spirit of the original intact, while projecting your personal interpretation of the passage. So your paper should be (a) an explanation of what 'theory' or interpretation you would want us to see in the adaptation, and (b) a close reading of key passages that explain how you would "read" them in your film.

As you do this, consider the following ideas:

* What theory would shape your interpretation of the scene? Are you approaching this from a Freudian/Psychoanalytic perspective (the uncanny, taboo, etc.)? Or are you more interested in aspects of Gender? Make sure we understand your approach and what you want people to "see" when they watch this scene.

* What aspects of the scene would be hard to film or show in a different medium (outside the text)? How would you capture the narration in this passage (a diary, letter, etc.)? What might you have alter or tweak to get the right effect?

* How might you instruct your actors to interpret their roles? What kind of Mina would you want the actress to project? Or Van Helsing, Dracula, Harker, etc.?

* Where do you stand on Dracula as a metaphor for 19th century English society, or Dracula as a 'modern' horror for the 21st century? Do you want to emphasize the work as a piece of history ("this is what it felt like to be in 1890's England") or as a piece of living literature ("this is why Dracula is still relevant today")? You might also consider updating the passage/story to the modern era as is often done with Shakespeare.

REQUIREMENS

* 3-4 pages, double spaced

* No outside sources, but you MUST quote from Dracula and engage in a close reading of your passage--do not summarize what happens (the plot); show us why and how it unfolds

* Due next Monday, April 16th IN CLASS. We will discuss these adaptations in class, so if you miss your paper is LATE (unless for an excused reason).

Scissortail Extra Credit (see post below for Friday Response)

REMEMBER: No class on Friday--go to the Festival during our class instead! (I read at 11, hint, hint!)  I also strongly encourage you to attend the Thursday 6:30 reading with Natasha Trethewey! 

BEFORE YOU GO...
Remember to go to the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival this Thursday-Saturday!  You can see the full schedule, author biographies and more here: http://www.ecuscissortail.blogspot.com/.  On Thursday the sessions follow a TR class format: sessions at 9:30, 11, 2 and 3:30, along with our featured reader, Natasha Trethewey at 6:30--come to this one if you can!  On Friday they follow a MWF class format, with readings at 9, 10, 11, and 2, with an additional one at 3:30 and another featured reader at 6:30, Norbert Krapf.  There are two sessions on Saturday, at 9 and 10:45.  Note that on both days, there are concurrent sessions going on in the Estep Auditorium (in the Bill S. Cole University Center) and at the North Lounge (just down the hall from the Campus Bookstore). 

AFTER YOU GO...
Be sure to attend a full session--and please don't leave in the middle of a reading (it's rude and might disturb the reader and the audience).  Afterwards, answer ONE of the following questions in a short paragraph based on your experience as a COMMENT to this post. 

1. Explain the experience of hearing authors read their own works.  This doesn't usually happen, and especailly not at ECU.  What were you able to see, hear, or experience that you might not if you had simply read the work yourself?  On the same note, would you be more likely to read one of the stories or poems in your session after hearing them in the session? 

2. Which work/author impressed you the most and why?  Was it his/her manner of presentation, the story he/she told, or simply the ideas expressed in the story/poem?  Be specific so I can understand why you identified or enjoyed this writer. 

3. Which work or works opened themselves up to a theoretical reading?  Did you see a poem that seemed to cry out for a psychoanalytic reading?  A 'Marxist' short story?  Any work that might be wildly subjective if given a 'reader response' analysis?  Or, where there anyworks that connected with any of our Gothic ideas in class, such as unreliable narrators, the "uncanny," taboos in society, etc.?  Be as specific as possible so I can "see" your connection.

ENJOY THE FESTIVAL! 

For Friday: Dracula, Chs.14-23

Reading Schedule for This Week: 

M 2: Stoker, Dracula, Chs. 14-20 (pp.189-263)

W 4: Stoker, Dracula, Chs. 20-23 (pp.263-311)

F 6: Canceled for Scissortail Creative Writing Festival

M 9: Stoker, Dracula, Chs.24-27 (pp.311-369)

NOTE: This week, as we race to the conclusion of the book (though we'll technically finish on Monday, the 9th) I want to consider several theoretical perspectives we've already discussed in class. Answer ONE of the following as usual for Friday, even though we don't have class that day. Please see the post on the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival (above) for an extra credit opportunity.

1. PSYCHOANALYSIS: Examine the role of 'taboo' in the book particularly in regard to women's sexuality, rites of death, and the conception of madness. Where do we see characters forced to confront cultural taboos in order to face Dracula and/or see the "truth"? You might consider Dr. Seward's account of seeing Vampire Lucy for the first time in the graveyard: "Lucy's eyes [were] unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing; had she then to be killed, I could have done it with savage delight" (XIV, 219).

2. MARXISM: Though this is a Gothic work of the "uncanny," it is also a work written at the height of the British empire and is full of mercantile artifacts and imagery (bills, receipts, lawyers, etc.). How might we read some part of the work in a Marxist light--as something that reflects the class struggle or exposes the 'monstrous' nature of the Bourgeoise? You might consider the passage when the vampire hunters corner Dracula in Chapter XXIII: "Harker evidently meant to try the matter, for he had ready his great Kukri knife, and made a fierce and sudden cut at him. The blow was a powerful one...the point just cut the cloth of his coat, making a wide gap whence a bundle of bank-notes and a stream of gold fell out" (304).

3. READER RESPONSE: Why does Dracula, despite all its characters and shifting narration, ultimately give the story to three main narrators: Harker, Mina, and Dr. Seward? Why not Van Helsing? Quincy? Or even Dracula himself? How do these three narrators affect what we read and how the story is told? And more importantly, why this trio--a scientist, a solicitor, and his 'new woman' wife? You might consider what one or more of these narrators reveals to us in their narration, such as this passage from Mina in Chapter XVIII: "Manlike, they have told me to go to bed and sleep; as if a woman can sleep when those she loves are in danger! I shall lie down and pretend to sleep, lest Johnathan have added anxiety about me when he returns" (247)/