Anthropology of monstrosity. Vampires, werewolves and other monsters - significance of the fantastic imagery in the past and present

elective courses
general courses

Reading comprehension in Polish and English.

Classroom

We will know both the general theories of monstrosity, and the specific examples of imaginary monsters. We will examine the genesis of the figures of Vampire, werewolf and ghost in the folkloric beliefs, and next we will trace the history of the evolution of these figures in literature and then in films. We will think of which ideologies, complexes, fears and convictions each figure was a carrier in the first literary realisations of 19th century and how their significance have changed through decades.

During the course we will know both the general theories of significance of imaginary monstrosity, and the specific examples of imaginary monsters, in the diachronic and synchronic approach, mainly in Western culture, but we will also try to have a few comparative lessons.

We will examine the genesis of the figures of Vampire, werewolf and ghost in the folkloric beliefs, and then we will examine the first literary realisations (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe). We will see the cultural, social and political conditions in which those works were created and then we will think of which ideologies, complexes, fears and convictions each figure was a carrier in 19th century, century of the first monster literature works. 

Subsequently we will examine the manner in which those figures migrated from literature to the film (studio Hammer films). We will notice the change in the creation of the monsters’ figures in the second part of 20th century (from Anne Rice’s The Interview with the Vampire to Buffy, the Vampire Slayer series), we will think about the sources of the change: we will analyse the range of socio-cultural changes that occurred in Western civilisation (Waves of feminism, emancipation of minorities, decolonisation, sexual revolution). We will see the emergence of new monstrous figures such as cyborgs.

Then we will think about the creations of fantastic figures in 21st century. We will recognise the two kinds of creation: traditional one, rooted in 19th century ways of representing vampires and werewolves as monsters; and the new one, showing them as heroes, models of behaviour (such as vampires in Twilight saga). We will think what the presence of these two creations tells about the contemporary society and culture.

J. Kristeva, Potęga obrzydzenia. Esej o wstręcie, Kraków, 2007; fragmenty.

D. Harraway, Manifest cyborgów, tłum. Ewa Majewska i Sławomir Królak, “Przegląd Filozoficzno-Literacki” 1(3) 2003; fragmenty

A. Gemra, Od gotycyzmu do horroru. Wilkołak, wampir i monstrum Frankensteina w wybranych utworach, Wrocław, 2008, fragmenty.

A. Has-Tokarz, Horror w literaturze współczesnej i filmie, Lublin, 2011, fragmenty. E. Petoia, Wampiry i wilkołaki; źródła, historia, legendy od antyku do współczesności, Kraków, 2003, fragmenty.

P. Barber, Vampires, Burial and Death, Yale, 1988, fragmenty.

J. W. Polidori, Wampir

M. Schelley, Frankenstein

B. Stoker Dracula

N. Groom, The Vampire. A New History, New Haven and London, 2018, fragmenty.

G. Agamben Homo sacer. Suwerenna władza i nagie życie, fragmenty.

L. Wacquant, Moralism and Punitive Panopticism: Hunting Down Sex Offenders, in: Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity, Duke, 2009, pp. 209-239.

J. Chessex, Wampir z Ropraz, 2007.

J. Weeks, The invention of sexuality, in: Sexuality. Second Edition, New York, 1986.

T. Kitliński, Obcy jest w nas. Kochać według Julii Kristevej, Kraków, 2001.

M. Janion, Wampir. Biografia symboliczna, Gdańsk, 2001, fragmenty.

J. S. Le Fanu Carmilla

G. Spivak, Czy podporządkowani Inni mogą przemówić?

C. von Braun, „Le Juif” et „la femme”: deux stereotypes de “l’autre” dans l’antisémitisme allemand du XIX siècle, in: “Revue germanique international”, n 5, 1996 (tłumaczenie własne).

Texts are enlisted in chronological order of lectures.

Literature can be changed, especially on students' suggestion.

Texts will be provided to students via mail, dropbox or another chosen tool.

Student:

◦ can describe and submit to the deep, all-embracing analysis genesis and direction of evolution of the imagery of the vampire, werewolf, ghosts in diverse time periods,

◦ can interpret the works including fantastic figures and situate them on the broader cultural background of the specific era. Student analyse the cultural work in relation with socio-historical background of the era,

◦ has the ability of drawing conclusions, discussing, making judgments and argumentations about historical and cultural problems,

◦ sees fantastic imageries, including the popculral ones, as an important tool to examine the cultural specificity of a society and era, student understands the interdependence between the culture and other domains of life.

Presence and activity