Horror fiction is alive and relevant, as demonstrated by the recent
success and critical acclaim of movies such as Robert Eggers’ Puritan
slow burn The Witch (2015), Jordan Peele’s racial horror Get Out (2017), Alex Garland’s eco/scifi-horror Annihilation (2018), and John Krasinski’s post-apocalyptic prepper fantasy A Quiet Place
(2018). But why do we love what terrifies and repulses us? What
captivates audiences and readers, and what elevates horror fictions into
the cultural canon? In this course we will examine the themes, tropes,
conventions, and archetypes of horror, both in popular literature and
movies, and aim to come to an understanding of the genre and its
relevance for the American cultural landscape. How does horror reflect
and influence culture? What scares us, and why? Which monsters lurk in
the depths of American anxieties? And how are those negotiated in
literature and film throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st century?
PLEASE NOTE: It goes without saying that this course
will deal with potentially disturbing materials. If you are sensitive to
'scary' movies and literature and the horror genre overall, please
reconsider your participation.
- Dozent/in: Lisanna Wiele