In the popular imagination, Italy is the land of fashion and Vespas, pasta and wine, sunshine and romance. Yet it has also been the site of tales of terror, ranging from 18^th-century Gothic novels to contemporary horror films. In this course, we will analyze literary texts and films that feature labyrinthine catacombs, mad scientists, ancient Roman vampires, Renaissance ghosts, ballerina-witches, and more. Through the study of such materials, we will seek to reconcile this darkness with Italy’s sunny side and to understand what these macabre depictions might reveal about Italy’s complex past.

This course fulfills the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and its primary purpose is to prepare you for college-level work through the development of critical reading, writing, and research skills. In addition to producing polished, final drafts of essays, you will write preliminary drafts and numerous close readings, and you will participate in regular in-class writing workshops. After completing this course, you should have an analytical toolkit that allows you to analyze primary and secondary texts, draft research-based essays in clear and elegant academic prose, and provide your peers with constructive feedback on written assignments.

One of our major goals in this class is to reflect on who we are as writers, how we present our ideas, and how we can gain a sense of pride in both the writing process and the product. To that end, all activities – formal and exploratory writing, active reading, peer feedback, classroom discussion, etc. – are designed to encourage awareness and reflection in the cultivation of our academic voices.

Required Texts to be purchased (available at campus bookstore or online):

Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014) ISBN 9780198704447

Ann Radcliffe, A Sicilian Romance (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008) ISBN 9780199537396

Additional texts and course reader information to be announced.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading & Composition requirement or its equivalent. Students may not enroll in nor attend R1B/R5B courses without completing this prerequisite.

Due to the high demand for R&C courses we monitor attendance very carefully. Attendance is mandatory the first two weeks of classes, this includes all enrolled and wait listed students. If you do not attend all classes the first two weeks you may be dropped. If you are attempting to add into this class during weeks 1 and 2 and did not attend the first day, you will be expected to attend all class meetings thereafter and, if space permits, you may be enrolled from the wait list.