Gothic Novel Study Semester Course: Frankenstein|Rebecca|Haunting of Hill House

The evolution of the gothic and horror genres is intriguing. In this semester course, students will have the opportunity to explore the gothic novel genre through the books Frankenstein, Rebecca, and The Haunting of Hill House. These are great books to engage your student in studying and analyzing literature.

Relevant historical background information will be taught by the teacher, as well as a lesson on the Gothic novel. Through reading and answering questions in the classroom, we will explore the plot, character development, themes, symbols, and other literary devices. 

Activities for the class will include:
A reading guide each week with comprehension questions and activities
A video lesson for each week's chapters
Comprehension questions posted in the class for students to answer
A weekly comprehension quiz
An optional essay for students to complete and receive feedback on. There will be an essay for each book.


This is a self-paced class where students can work at their own pace. There will be no live meetings. Please give three business days for teacher feedback on comprehension questions and the optional essay. 

Book summaries for the books below:

Frankenstein
"Obsessed with creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life with electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear. Mary Shelley's chilling Gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living with her lover Percy Shelley near Byron's villa on Lake Geneva. It would become the world's most famous work of horror fiction, and remains a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity." Summary from Goodreads.com.

Rebecca
""Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. . ."
With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten—a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife—the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca." Summary from Goodreads.com.


The Haunting of Hill House
"It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own." Summary from Goodreads.com.