What makes a novel “Gothic”? Scholars have debated this question for decades: some consider “the Gothic” a literary time period, spanning from the 1760s to the 1830s; others view it as a set of thematic concerns; still others understand it as a literary mode, in which contemporary authors like Stephen King continue to write. In this course, we will explore these and other definitions as we read a number of novels (and screen several films), attempting to define for ourselves the term “Gothic.” We will supplement our studies with critical literature on the Gothic genre, critiquing and adapting their approaches and theories as we see fit.