Module Code - Title:
EH6072
-
SITUATING IRISH GOTHIC
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This course contributes to graduate options in English and in Irish studies. It aims to introduce graduate students to the Irish gothic literature, c. 1800-1830 in the context of contemporary developments in British and European literature. To do so, it will examine, among other things, the 'rise' of the literary gothic in the latter half of the eighteenth century; contemporary and more modern understandings of 'Gothic' as an aesthetic; the formal and generic variations of the literary gothic as it emerged in Ireland, Britain and Europe in the latter half of the eighteenth century; the influence of contemporary social, political, and cultural developments in Ireland and abroad; and modern critical debates about Irish gothic literature, its place in wider British and European literary traditions, and the very question of the existence of an Irish gothic 'tradition'.
Syllabus:
This module traces the evolution of Irish gothic literature in the period c. 1800-1830, probing the contested issue of the existence of a peculiarly Irish Gothic tradition by placing exemplary Irish texts alongside contemporary British and European Gothic productions. Students will consider such questions as: How did Irish texts from this period fit in with those being written in neighbouring countries? How were they alike, and how did they differ? What influences did such works draw from English, French, German, and Scottish experiments with the supernatural and the fantastic? How did they, in turn, influence ongoing literary experimentation with the literary gothic in Britain and Europe? And, finally, what conclusions, if any, can we draw about the unique nature of an Irish gothic literary tradition?
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to
- Discuss the social, cultural and historical background from which gothic literature was produced across Ireland, Britain and Europe, c. 1800-1830;
- Define key concepts that underpin a full understanding of the literary gothic in early- nineteenth century Ireland, Britain and Europe;
- Analyse critically the set texts while also relating them to each other and to their social, cultural, and political contexts;
- Appreciate and engage in existing debates over the definition and meaning of 'Irish Gothic' in this period.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a greater knowledge of Ireland's literary and cultural heritage;
Relate that knowledge to contemporary concerns and cultural activity;
Demonstrate in writing and in oral presentations a critical appreciation of the aesthetic, ethical, political, and national questions raised in literary history and critical debates thereupon.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
n/a
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
This module is taught in a series of graduate -level seminars which will situate Gothic literature in its historical and generic contexts. These seminars will facilitate close readings of individual texts and discursive exchanges on issues of theme, form, and critical reception. They will equip students with a deeper knowledge of Ireland's creative and artistic heritage. The module will be examined by essay and presentation work which will enhance students' literary, critical, and historical vocabulary.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Maria Edgeworth (2008)
Castle Rackrent
, Oxford UP
Sydney Owenson [Lady Morgan] (2008)
The Wild Irish Girl
, Oxford UP
James Hogg (2010)
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
, Oxford UP
Other Relevant Texts:
EJ Clery (2005)
The Rise of Supernatural Fiction, 1762-1800
, Cambridge UP
Luke Gibbons (2004)
Gaelic Gothic: Race, Colonization, and Irish Culture
, Arlen House
Christina Morin (2011)
Charles Robert Maturin and the Haunting of Irish Romantic Fiction
, Cambridge UP
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
MAENGLTFA - ENGLISH
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
christina.morin@ul.ie