Fall 2019

Extended Syllabus
Studies in British and American
Course Title
Vampire Literary Tradition
Classroom J124

Course
Credit 3 ENG6008
Number
Enrollment
Class Time F 14:00 - 17:00 M. A. and Ph. D. students
Eligibility

Name: Ki Yoon Jang Office: J810

Instructor's E-mail: kyjang@sogang.ac.kr Telephone: 02)705-8291

Photo
Office Hours: MW 14:00 - 16:00, F 13:00 - 15:00 (by appointment only)

Ⅰ. Course Overview
⦁Description
This course examines the western literary tradition with particular focus on vampire stories. Although well
known to us via (mostly U. S.-produced) popular visual media today, vampires originally came from myths and
legends in ancient civilizations all around the globe. Those myths and legends gradually spread to European
folklores, which subsequently transformed the earliest vampiric figures of cursed, dead souls into those of blood-
sucking revenants. Such transformation, in turn, paved the ground for the inception of vampire literature as a
legitimate genre for the first time in history. Starting from German Romantic poetry and continuing with British
and American gothic fiction, vampires have undergone dynamic adjustment and readjustment in accordance with
various sociopolitical phenomena of fear and terror. Drawing on that long-lasting and constantly mutating
intercultural symbolic functionality of vampires, this course reads a selection of representative literary texts that
shed light on uncanny dimensions of the Enlightened West by means of undead and undying vampiric characters.

⦁Course Format
Lecture Discussion Experiment/Practicum Field study Presentations Other

30 % 40 % % % 30 % %

⦁Evaluation
Presentations Pop Quizzes Term paper Participation Other

35 % 15 % 45 % 5% %

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Ⅱ. Course Objectives
⦁ Knowledge: English literary tradition, gothic studies, vampire studies
⦁ Skill: Literary analysis, literary theories and criticism, research methodology
⦁ Attitude: Creative reading, critical thinking, interactive communication, academic writing

Ⅲ. Course Requirements and Grading Criteria

⦁ Presentations (two for each student; 15%/points and 20%/points, respectively; 35 %/points in total)
⦁ Pop quizzes (15%/points)
⦁ Participation (5%/points)
⦁ Term paper (45%/points)

⦁ I normally give a numerical grade to each assignment. The course grade, which will be in letter, is to be an
accumulation of the points students earn throughout the semester.
** Grades are not negotiable in any case. **

IV. Course Policies

⦁ Attendance: I take roll every class period. In addition to the university rules of FA, more than two unexcused
absences will result in the course grade being lowered one increment (e. g. B0 → B-). Students are responsible for
providing evidence to have their absence “authorized.” Students are also responsible for informing me if they
know of their absence ahead of time, though they still need documentation for authorization.
⦁ Make-up: Available only for presentations and with absolutely inevitable and provable reasons
⦁ Paper format: The paper should be 1.5-spaced, using Times New Roman of 11-point font size, titled, typed,
stapled, meeting the minimum word count (1,500 words for presentation paper & 5,000 words for term paper),
proofread, following MLA format, and written for this course only. Points will be deducted if any of these
conditions are not satisfied.
⦁ Grades: Students should complete all requirements in order to get a grade for the course. Again, grades are
not negotiable as they reflect students’ performance that is based on proper comprehension and accomplishment
of the course objectives. Students may discuss their concerns about class with me during my office hours. I do
not discuss grades on e-mail or the phone.
⦁ Handouts: The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. “Handouts” refer to all materials generated for
this class, which include, but are not limited to, syllabi, reading assignments, exams, pop quizzes, and prompts.
Students do not have the right to copy and distribute them unless I expressly grant permission.
⦁ Academic integrity: Scholarly dishonesty including lying, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, etc. will not be
tolerated in any case and result in failing the course.

V. Textbooks (in order of reading)

⦁ Purchase the following books (except for those available at Cyber Campus) at your earliest convenience via
Kyobo, Yes24, Aladin, or Amazon. The specified editions below are most highly recommended, but, if not
available, you may get alternative ones.

Summers, Montague. “The Vampire in Greece and Rome of Old.” The Vampire in Europe. 2003. Routledge, 2016.
(posted at Cyber Campus)
Burger, Gottfried August. “Lenore.” 1774 (posted at Cyber Campus)

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von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. “The Bride of Corinth.” 1792. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Byron, George Gordon. “The Giaour.” 1813. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Keats, John. “Lamia.” 1819. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Bryon, George Gordon. “A Fragment.” 1819. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Polidori, John William. “The Vampyre.” 1819. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Poe, Edgar Allan. “Berenice.” 1835. (posted at Cyber Campus)
---. “Morella.” 1835. (posted at Cyber Campus)
---. “Ligeia.” 1838. (posted at Cyber Campus)
---. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” 1839. (posted at Cyber Campus)
---. “The Oval Portrait.” 1842. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Le Fanu, Sheridan. Carmilla. 1872. (posted at Cyber Campus)
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. Oxford World Classics, 2008. (ISBN: 9780199564095)
Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend. 1954. (posted at Cyber Campus)
King, Stephen. ‘Salem’s Lot. 1975. Anchor Books, 2011. (ISBN: 9780307743671)
Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. 1976. Ballantine Books, 1991. (ISBN: 9780345337665)
Butler, Octavia. Fledgling. 2005. Grand Central Publishing, 2007. (ISBN: 9780446696166)
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. 2005. Megan Tingley Books, 2006. (ISBN: 9780316015844)
Grahame-Smith, Seth. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. 2010. Grand Central Publishing, 2012. (ISBN:
9781455510177)

VI. Course Schedule (subject to change)

⦁Week 1 (9/6)
­ Learning Objectives: To learn about the course
­ Topics: Course objectives and requirements; the origins of vampire literature
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture
­ Materials (Required Readings): Summers, “The Vampire in Greece and Rome of Old”

⦁Week 2 (9/13)
- No class (Chu-seok)

⦁Week 3 (9/20)
­ Learning Objectives: To read the earliest vampire literature
­ Topics: (German) Romantic poetry
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture & discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Burger, “Lenore”; Goethe, “The Bride of Corinth”; Lord Byron, “The Giaour”;
and Keats, “Lamia”

⦁Week 4 (9/27)
­ No class (Dr. J on business trip)

⦁Week 5 (10/4)
­ Learning Objectives: To read the first popular vampire literature I
­ Topics: Aristocracy

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 ­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Bryon, “A Fragment”; Polidori, “The Vampyre”

⦁Week 6 (10/11)
­ Learning Objectives: To read the first popular vampire literature II
­ Topics: Democracy
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Poe, “Berenice”; “Morella”; “Ligeia”; “The Fall of the House of Usher”; and “The
Oval Portrait.”

⦁Week 7 (10/18)
­ Learning Objectives: To read female vampire literature
­ Topics: Gender and sexuality
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Le Fanu, Carmilla

⦁Week 8 (10/25)
­ Learning Objectives: To read canonical vampire literature
­ Topics: Imperialism
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Stoker, Dracula

⦁Week 9 (11/1)
­ Learning Objectives: To read postwar vampire literature
­ Topics: World Wars
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Matheson, I Am Legend

⦁Week 10 (11/8)
­ Learning Objectives: To read regional vampire literature I
­ Topics: Puritanism
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): King, ‘Salem’s Lot, Prologue - Part II

⦁Week 11 (11/15)
­ Learning Objectives: To read regional vampire literature I
­ Topics: Puritanism
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): King, Part III - Epilogue

⦁Week 12 (11/22)
­ Learning Objectives: To read regional vampire literature II
­ Topics: American South
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion

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 ­ Materials (Required Readings): Rice, Interview with the Vampire, Parts 1 - 2

⦁Week 13 (11/29)
­ Learning Objectives: To read regional vampire literature II
­ Topics: American South
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Rice, Parts 3 - 4

⦁Week 14 (12/6)
­ Learning Objectives: To read SF vampire literature
­ Topics: Racism
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Butler, Fledgling

⦁Week 15 (12/13)
­ Learning Objectives: To read young adults’ vampire literature
­ Topics: Adolescence
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Meyer, Twilight

⦁Week 16 (12/20)
­ Learning Objectives: To read revisionist vampire literature
­ Topics: New Historicism
­ Class Work (Methods): Lecture, presentations, and discussion
­ Materials (Required Readings): Grahame-Smith, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

※ Term paper due: 5 pm, Friday, December 27 at Cyber Campus

Ⅷ. Aid for the Challenged Students

Please contact the Sogang Support Center for Students with Disabilities at 02-705-7800 or dasoni@sogang.ac.kr.