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ENG-10078 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

ENG-10078 - Gothic Nightmares: Robots, Monsters and Witches
Coordinator: James Peacock Room: CBB0.025 Tel: +44 1782 7 33140
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

Gothic Nightmares introduces you to the representation of spooks, automatons, monsters and supernatural horrors in literature, film, and TV from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Each week you will read a short story and a critical text, and watch an example of the gothic genre from film or TV. Why has the gothic persisted as it has? Why do we need (or want) to be scared? What are we afraid of anyway?

Aims
To introduce students to key literary texts from the gothic genre; to equip students with relevant theoretical perspectives.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe, explain and apply key critical and theoretical terms and concepts relevant to the interpretation of Gothic writing, film and TV.: 1,2
Demonstrate familiarity with the generic characteristics of Gothic writing, as well as an awareness of national cultural differences and of the social and historical contexts of Gothic.: 1,2
Demonstrate skills of close textual analysis and the ability to use consistent and accurate bibliographic references.: 1,2
Construct a clear and convincing argument using reasoning, analysis and judgment.: 1,2
Engage with a wide variety of sources as part of the practice of research.: 1,2

Study hours

Two hour lecture/workshop X 12
One hour film/TV screening X 12
One hour seminar X 12
Independent study hours: reading the required texts and making notes (4 hours per week) in preparation for class; reading select further readings (2 hours per week); preparing the short paper (24 hours); preparing the research essay (48 hours) and 108 hours independent study.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 40%
Close reading assessment
You will be given three extracts from texts studied on the first half of the module and you will choose ONE. You will be asked to perform an analysis of the extract's key linguistic features, its tone and style; what the extract is doing and how it achieves its effects. You will structure the close reading as a kind of 'argument', in order to persuade your reader of the validity of your own individual 'reading' of the piece. Close readings will be 1000 words. You may use secondary criticism to supplement your argument, but the emphasis is on your own individual analysis.

2: Essay weighted 60%
Research Essay
You will be given a list of 8-10 questions, which will cover all the texts and topics we've covered on the module. You will choose ONE question. The essay will be 2500 words and will incorporate elements of close reading (your own individual analysis) with reasoned argument and relevant secondary criticism. You'll be asked to consider more than one text in each question: you can write on film and TV but you must answer with relation to at least one literary text.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025