The Gothic: 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Rebecca'

Course Overview

This course will cover two key texts of the Gothic genre, 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Rebecca' – two well-known examples of classic literature. During this course, we will explore in-depth the origins, development and characteristics of the Gothic genre, and its influence on English literature over time. We will explore how Gothic and romantic literature collide in these two examples. Starting with Brontë, we'll explore the text's treatment of the Gothic through the appearance of the ghostly figure in the opening. We'll explore the importance of Heathcliff - the savage, Gothic and brutish figure, and explore his representation of the Byronic Hero. We'll explore madness and insanity, as well as other key themes prolific in the Gothic genre: power, gender, youth, corruption and others. We'll then analyse the importance of different geographical locations and settings, and the significant journeys between them. The course will then explore 'Rebecca', Du Maurier's 20th Century classic. We'll dive into the themes of romance and ghostliness, and how such topics were of such interest to Victorian readers – both positively and negatively. We will look at how Rebecca engages with The Supernatural and the legacy of the dead. We will progress to a complete comparison of the two texts, analysing side by side the novels' treatments of the key themes examined. During which, we will conduct a close language analysis and be taken through the fundamentals of English literature analysis. We will learn how to plan and write comparisons on English literature, as well as practising our analytical and debating skills. This course will give a comprehensive overview of how to study two classics in English literature and will demonstrate just why these two classics are so revered, and so widely studied all around the world, centuries after their creation.