S Accounts of the Count: Dracula Rising
Under Construction!
COURSE OUTLINE
3.02.120: S Accounts of the Count: Dracula Rising
[Module] ang612 - Periods and Key Figures
[Credits] 6 KP
[Instructor] Dr. Christian Lassen
[Time] Tuesday, 8-10 am
[Room] A01 0-005
[Description] The seminar is at the same time an homage to and an analysis of the world's most famous (and arguably most creepy) vampire: Count Dracula. Approaching the topic from a neo-Victorian angle, the course aims to trace the aspects that inspire and eventually necessitate a revision of this Victorian revenant. Revisiting this character will lead us to address issues as diverse as gender and sexuality, colonization, drug addiction, fans, fandoms and intertextuality. Consequently, we will discuss a number of Victorian and neo-Victorian texts, all of which have in common that they engage in a confrontation with the past in order to reassess and rewrite Victorian horror stories whose influence shape British culture up to the present day.
[Office Hours] see Stud.IP; until further notice, office hours will be held via video conference. Please sign up for a time slot on my Stud.IP profile ("Sprechstunden") and you will receive a link to the virtual conference room.
PRIMARY TEXTS
Polidori, Jon. "The Vampyre." 1819. The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre. Oxford: OUP, 2008. 1-24. Print.
Sheridan Le Fanu, J. "Carmilla." 1872. In a Glass Darkly. Oxford: OUP, 2008. 243-319. Print.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. Eds. Nina Auerbach and David J. Skal. New York and London: Norton, 1997. Print.
Interview with a Vampire. 1994. Dir. Neil Jordan. Perf. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst. Warner Bros., 2003. DVD.
Ed Wood. 1994. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, and Bill Murray. Buena Vista Pictures, 2003. DVD.
Twilight. 2008. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke. Perf. Kristen Steward and Robert Pattinson. Summit Entertainment, 2010. DVD.
ASSIGNMENTS
[Prüfungsleistung] (Gruppen-)Referat (max. 4 Personen; 45-60 min.) mit Schriftlicher Ausarbeitung (10 Seiten) [oder Hausarbeit (15 Seiten)]
[Aktive Teilnahme] 3 Abstracts, jeweils inklusive Thema, Forschungsstand, These und Outline des Arguments (approx. 1 page)
Please note that written assignments (abstracts, short term papers, long term papers) need to be composed according to the style sheet ("Leitfaden")of the University of Oldenburg, which can be accessed via the 'Institutswiki'-page of the English department. The style sheet not only provides relevant information on how to write a correct bibliography but it may also help you to structure your work according to academic standards.
Please make sure to sign the "Erklärung zum 'Plagiat'" and to attach it to your research papers.
[Abgabefrirst] September, 15, 2020.
Contents
- 1 Session One, April, 14: Introductory Session
- 2 Session Two, April, 21: Theory Session
- 3 Session Three, April, 28: Blood Brothers: Vampirism and Male Homoeroticism
- 4 Session Four, May, 05: The Blood Countess: Vampirism, Sexology, and Female Same-Sex Desire
- 5 Session Five, May, 12: Blood v. Soil: Vampirism and (Reversed) Colonization
- 6 Session Six, May, 19: Blood Samples: Vampirism, Addiction and Substance Abuse)
- 7 Session Seven, May, 26: Blood Circulation: Vampirism and Male Homosociality
- 8 Session Eight, June, 02: Blood Relations: Vampirism and the Queer Family
- 9 Session Nine, June, 09: Blood Disease: Vampirism and AIDS
- 10 Session Ten, June, 16: Stage Blood: Vampirism and Gender Performativity
- 11 Session Eleven, June, 23: Blood Poisoning: Vampirism and Aging
- 12 Session Twelve, June, 30: Bloody Racists: Vampirism and White Supremacy
- 13 Session Thirteen, July, 07: Bloody Misogynists: Vampirism and Anti-Feminism
- 14 Session Fourteen, July, 14: RPO Session
Session One, April, 14: Introductory Session
Organisational Matters
- Presentation Topics
- Active Participation/ Abstracts
- Assignmnets
- Seminarapparat
Session Two, April, 21: Theory Session
Theory Texts
Further Reading
Session Three, April, 28: Blood Brothers: Vampirism and Male Homoeroticism
Primary Material
- Polidori, Jon. "The Vampyre." 1819. The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre. Oxford: OUP, 2008. 1-24. Print.
Secondary Material
- Auerbach, Nina. Our Vampires, Ourselves. Chicago and London: The U of Chicago P, 1995. 11-38.
- Skarda, Patricia L. "Vampirism and Plagiarism: Byron's Influence and Polidori's Practice." SiR: Studies in Romanticism 28 (Summer 1989): 249-69.
Presentation
- Presentation Group:
Session Four, May, 05: The Blood Countess: Vampirism, Sexology, and Female Same-Sex Desire
Primary Material
Secondary Material
Presentation
- Presentation Group:
Session Five, May, 12: Blood v. Soil: Vampirism and (Reversed) Colonization
Primary Material
Secondary Material
Presentation
- Presentation Group:
Session Six, May, 19: Blood Samples: Vampirism, Addiction and Substance Abuse)
Primary Material
Secondary Material
Presentation
- Presentation Group:
Session Seven, May, 26: Blood Circulation: Vampirism and Male Homosociality
Primary Material
Secondary Material
Presentation
- Presentation Group:
Session Eight, June, 02: Blood Relations: Vampirism and the Queer Family
Primary Material
- Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Print.
Secondary Material
Analytical Tools
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Graphic Novel" published
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Graphic Novel": sample solution
Session Nine, June, 09: Blood Disease: Vampirism and AIDS
Primary Material
- Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, and Dennis Hopper. 1979. Arthaus, 2019. DVD.
Secondary Material
Analytical Tools
[WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Graphic Novel" due]
Session Ten, June, 16: Stage Blood: Vampirism and Gender Performativity
Primary Material
- Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, and Dennis Hopper. 1979. Arthaus, 2019. DVD.
Secondary Material
Analytical Tools
Session Eleven, June, 23: Blood Poisoning: Vampirism and Aging
Primary Material
- Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, and Dennis Hopper. 1979. Arthaus, 2019. DVD.
Secondary Material
Analytical Tools
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Film" published
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Film": sample solution
Session Twelve, June, 30: Bloody Racists: Vampirism and White Supremacy
Skills and Activities
Brief Report on 'Work in Progress': Your Term Paper Projects
[WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "Film" due]
Session Thirteen, July, 07: Bloody Misogynists: Vampirism and Anti-Feminism
Skills and Activities
Brief Report on 'Work in Progress': Your Term Paper Projects
[WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT "RPOplus" due August 15]
Session Fourteen, July, 14: RPO Session
Guidelines for finding your RPO topic:
1. Your RPOplus topic needs to be related to at least one of the key concepts: identity, media, discourse, culture and representation
2. As the material basis for your analysis you will need to pick material from the 'Übungen' (Incidents, Maus, Crying Game).
You have access to the scholarly discourse on the material from the Übung through the MLA database.