Overview
Vampires, ghosts, and haunted homes: a study of the Gothic with particular reference to Irish-Scots Gothic.
The Gothic, with its panoply of ghosts, skeletons, vampires, revenants, and ruined castles, has held an enduring fascination for Irish and Scottish writers, a number of whom have made a significant contribution to the genre.
This paper will examine at least two foundational Gothic novels before exploring a selection of Scottish and Irish texts from the 19th century to the present, paying close attention to questions of political and national context.
Authors studied usually include: Robert Burns, James Hogg, Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, and a changing selection of more recent work.
About this paper
| Paper title | Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2026 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,103.10 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level ENGL points
- Restriction
- ENGL 241
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- Students who have not passed the normal prerequisite may be admitted with approval from the Head of Department.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the English and Linguistics Programme website
- Teaching staff
Paper Coordinator: Professor Thomas McLean
Lecturers: Professor Thomas McLean
Associate Professor Grace Moore- Paper Structure
- The paper follows a chronological structure.
- Textbooks
- Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto
- Matthew Lewis, The Monk
- Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
- James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (Penguin)
- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Penguin)
- Bram Stoker, Dracula
- Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
By the end of the paper students should have a sound knowledge of the key generic, technical and thematic features of Gothic writing as represented by the works on the syllabus.
They should:- Understand the historical trajectory of the Gothic as a genre
- Be able to interpret works of Gothic literature in relation to their literary and historical contexts
- Be able to articulate their views cogently both in discussion and writing
Overview
Vampires, ghosts, and haunted homes: a study of the Gothic with particular reference to Irish-Scots Gothic.
The Gothic, with its panoply of ghosts, skeletons, vampires, revenants and ruined castles, has held an enduring fascination for Irish and Scottish writers, a number of whom have made a significant contribution to the genre.
This paper will examine at least two foundational Gothic novels before exploring a selection of Scottish and Irish texts from the 19th century to the present, paying close attention to questions of political and national context.
Authors studied usually include: Robert Burns, James Hogg, Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde and a changing selection of more recent work.
About this paper
| Paper title | Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level ENGL points
- Restriction
- ENGL 241
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Notes
- Students who have not passed the normal prerequisite may be admitted with approval from the Head of Department.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the English and Linguistics Programme website.
- Teaching staff
Paper Co-ordinator: Professor Thomas McLean
Lecturers: Professor Thomas McLean and Associate Professor Grace Moore
- Paper Structure
The paper follows a chronological structure.
- Textbooks
- Walpole, Horace. (1764). The Castle of Otranto.
- Lewis, Matthew. (1796). The Monk: A Romance.
- Austen, Jane. (1817). Northanger Abbey.
- Hogg, James. (1824). The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.
- Stevenson, Robert Louis. (1886). The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
- Stoker, Bram. (1897). Dracula.
- Le Fanu, Sheridan. (1872). Carmilla.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
By the end of the paper students should have a sound knowledge of the key generic, technical and thematic features of Gothic writing as represented by the works on the syllabus.
They should:
- Understand the historical trajectory of the Gothic as a genre.
- Be able to interpret works of Gothic literature in relation to their literary and historical contexts.
- Be able to articulate their views cogently both in discussion and writing.