Course Description: Mystery & Horror is a genre literature course that dives into the world of the mysterious and the unknown. This world is often inhabited by dark, destructive forces that represent a threat to our “typical” daily experiences. Mystery builds off of the occurrence of an unknown event and often centers on the need to understand or uncover the truth of that event. Horror, in much the same way, explores an unknown event or force that—in some jarring fashion—scares us to our core. The greatest mystery stories create memorable protagonists; the greatest horror stories build iconic antagonists. The two genres, however, are not typically easy to separate. Great horror often builds tension and mystery; the greatest mysteries often ask us to confront our fears.
The major goal of this course is to improve your basic English skills—critical reading, effective personal writing, thesis & explanatory writing, active reading strategies, and reading analysis.
As we read through various novels, short stories, films and articles, we want to try to build a deeper understanding of these genres. We want to try to question and focus on the following guiding topics:
- Where does this piece fit within our Mystery à Horror spectrum?
- What types of tools and story elements are used to create tone & mood?
- In what ways is a master detective or master villain developed in the context of the story?
- How does this article or informational text connect to a story or film we have been exploring?
- How would I classify this story using the rules and guidelines we have developed so far?
- What specific texts, authors, and films have come to define these genres? Which have greatly changed or influenced these genres?
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