Class Spotlight: Gothic Literature

Mar Jacobi|March 6, 2023

Here at Village, a variety of unique electives are offered that you may not see at other schools. One of these electives is Gothic Literature, which focuses on a classic genre of literature that originated in the Victorian era. We dive into gothic tropes such as damsel in distress, the supernatural, melodramas, etc.

Here I interviewed the teacher, Lauren Sullivan.

Why did you decide to teach this class?

“Most people think poetry is just about love, romance, and beautiful things, but it certainly doesn’t have to be and often isn’t. It’s fun to get into the macabre and dark side of writing. I mean, who doesn’t like the super natural? This is actually my second time teaching the class. The first time, students expressed interest in Edgar Allen Poe, I realized gothic literature would be a perfect class!”

What are the reading plans for the rest of the class?

“We’ve started with learning the overview of the genre and the time period in which the works were mainly written. We’re currently reading and analyzing Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories and poems. Then we’re going to move into Mary Shelley, and her very wild and unconventional life that led to her writing Frankenstein. If there is time, we will then head to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We’ll do some visual projects as well plenty of writing.”