- Instructor: Professor Dashwood
Introduction
Good day, students. Please bear with me, as I am still not accustomed to using these forums. You may have to help me along for a while. In fact, I may have as many questions for you about this technology as you have about the literature we are going to study - and I hope your questions will be many!
The goal of this class is to take a look at Human Literature that has been written about the Awlyn, or what humans believe to be our species. We will look at texts both ancient and modern, and we will discuss the human concept of "monster" and their characterization of The Grotesque and The Other. We will talk about how these perceptions and pervasive myths affect our dealings - or non-dealings - with Humans. But I hope that, as we discuss the socio-political ramifications of this literature, we will also spend much time considering and discussing the beauty and elegance of form with which these stories and novels are constructed.
Please freely share your comments and observations about the material. We will be doing a great deal of reading in what is going to be a short term, so please do your best to keep up without taking shortcuts. I realize that senior year is a busy time for all of you, but in order to get the most out of this class, you must do the reading.
The Vampyre: A Tale by John William Polidori
Although this tale does not originate the vampire myth, which has persisted in many forms among many human societies, it is remarkable in that it is one of the first "vampire stories" to be considered "mainstream", as you students say these days. The text was originally attributed to Lord Byron, who had previously written The Giaour, which also references vampires. This attribution ensured that The Vampyre was received by a wide audience. It was later revealed to be the work, not of Byron, but of his physician, John William Polidori.
Please read and discuss this story; you may post discussion topics in this thread even before completing the reading. I will post key discussion points throughout the week.
