We are deep into Trinity term now and assignment season seems to have come around really quickly. This is my second term studying at Oxford and I have been enjoying it immensely, ever since I started my course back in January. Our tutors are brilliant and the course work is interesting. I have studied both Creative Writing and Gothic Literature before at university level and Gothic Literature is one of my favourite nerdy topics to dive into. However, the course I am currently on is taking this to a whole new level as we re-evaluate the subject matter. Its really making me think about books I thought I knew well.
The core texts include some of my favourite classic Victorian novels, including books I have adored since I was a young girl, so to study them chapter by chapter, with an emphasis on their Gothic content, is a real thrill. I'm seeing them in a whole new light, which is wonderful for a bookworm. I am fascinated by the nuts and bolts of Gothic literature. What is it that makes a story a Gothic novel, rather than just a novel with Gothic themes, and to what degree was this the intention of the author, or the perception of the reader?
The Gothicisation of certain novels, poems and authors is quite fascinating, as we view them through a lens of doom, gloom and personal tragedy, yet these authors would have had joyful aspects to their lives as well, we just choose not to pay any attention to those moments. Instead, a dark mythology evolves that surrounds these authors forevermore. Consider the image of Robert Louis Stevenson writing in a fevered frenzy upon his death bed in order to finish Dr Jekyll and My Hyde. Or Charlotte Bronte walking the moors all alone after watching her siblings die one after the other in quick succession. Picture Edgar Allan Poe hiding away from his personal demons and escaping into his study by candlelight, or the reclusive existence of Emily Dickinson as she spewed out a plethora of poetry. All of these images serve to maintain the mythology that surrounds these authors, bestowing upon them a gloomy misama - that is, a Gothicisation of their lives and work. Separating mythology from biography is always the first task in understanding any classic author and their body of work.
It is great fun to spend the summer months delving into the gloomy, Gothic romance of the Brontës, Poe, Radcliffe and so on, in order to better understand the structure of Gothic writing and imagery. As we approach the summer solstice, the course work and required reading are giving me a welcome taste of spooky autumn, which is nice. It may be sunny outside but tucked away in my study, with Enya playing softly in the background and the breeze tinkling the chimes in the open window, I can delve into the dark, foreboding worlds created by some of the best authors in the history of English Literature.
There is quite a lot of work to do each week, in addition to the assignments, so a course such as this isn't something to undertake on a whim. You do have to put the hours into your studies, but of course, it's Oxford - you expect to have to work hard at Oxford! Just because it's an online course doesn't mean that they let you off lightly either. They don't! My tutors are lovely, but they are also rather strict. If there is so much as a comma out of place, they will jump on you for it! I quite like that though, as it all helps to make me a better author.
Overall, I am really glad I was brave enough to apply to Oxford last year. So far I have greatly enjoyed my studies there, especially the creative writing aspects of Hilary term and now the Gothic literary aspects of Trinity term too. This weekend I have a new assignment to write and submit to my tutor, plus I need to complete my first new book title of 2024 for my publisher, so it's going to be a busy few days! I also have some new pre-release books that I need to read for review too. It's a very bookish, scholarly life and I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy solstice!
BB Marie x
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