Outline
MAIS 752 comprises four units to be studied over 13 weeks:
- Unit One: Gothic Revolutions (the 18th century)
- Unit Two: Early (Re)incarnations (the 19th century)
- Unit Three: Rising From The Dead (the 20th century)
- Unit Four: World War Zee / World War Zed
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- describe the historical developments of Gothic, vampire, and zombie literature.
- articulate the cultural anxieties referenced in vampire and zombie literature.
- closely read how zombie and vampire characters, personae, and stories are composed, and interpret the textual constructions and cultural functions of these literary forms.
- analyze critical theories and their readings of the figures of the vampire and the zombie.
- define and pursue individual interests in the popular cultural and scholarly treatments of vampires and zombies.
Evaluation
To receive credit for MAIS 752, students must complete and submit all of the assignments, and achieve a minimum grade of C− (60 percent) for the course.
Students will be evaluated on their understanding of the concepts presented in the course and on their ability to apply those concepts. The final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Close Reading Essay | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Critical Review | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Research Essay or Creative Work Proposal | 20% |
| Assignment 4: Research Essay or Creative Work | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Primary Text
- Gliserman-Kopans, Dana and Mark A. McCutcheon, editors. Bride of the Walking Undead: A sampling of zombies and vampires in literary history.
Secondary Text
- ---, editors. Reading the Walking Undead: Critical essays for interpreting zombie and vampire literature.
Note: As a seminar for senior undergraduates and Master's-level students, this course does presume students will have at least some familiarity with two texts that are not specifically assigned for this course but that are pivotally significant to the course topic: namely, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1899). These texts are widely taught in undergraduate English literature curriculum, and widely adapted in popular culture. This course therefore proceeds from an assumption that you may have already read these novels—or have seen film adaptations of them—but in any case are already familiar with their plots and main characters. If you wish to read or re-read these novels (though they are not required reading), the recommended open-access, digital editions of each are as follows: