AML 2070: Survey of American Literature
"American Gothic" University of Florida
Semester: Fall 2016
Section: 1623 Class Meetings: MWF Period 6 In his essay, “Invention of the American Gothic,” scholar Leslie Fiedler described American Gothic as “a pathological symptom rather than a proper literary movement.” It is a fair comment, as Gothicism is not only threaded throughout multiple genres and modes of American media, but is, in fact, deeply embedded within the American Canon, having played an integral role in the rise of American literature. But if American Gothic is a symptom, then what is the illness that it belies?
This course will examine the prevalence and cultural work of American Gothic fiction and how/why so many American authors have chosen the genre as an outlet for expressions of anxiety, outrage, and suffering in a country ostensibly built upon the ideals of optimism and equality. By reading a selection of American Gothic texts, this course will unveil and interrogate the ghosts that haunt the American consciousness from the awe and terror of the wilderness to the specter of slavery to the darker aspects of the American Dream. By the end of this course, students will arrive at a better understanding and appreciation of the social functions that the Gothic and horror serve as genres by engaging with American Gothic texts through a number of different critical lenses, including historical readings, feminist criticism, and critical race theory. |
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office Location: Turlington 4323 Office Hours: Wednesday Periods 7 & 8 or by appointment Email: [email protected] TEXTBOOKS:
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