COURSE ID: PLPH1800

Gothic Literature: Monster Stories*

Upcoming 2025-26
Start Date: August 18, 2025
End Date: May 29, 2026
District: Sheridan County School District #1
Grade Levels: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Provider: Cowboy State Virtual Academy

From vampires to ghosts, these frightening stories have influenced fiction writers since the 18th century. This course will focus on the major themes found in Gothic literature and demonstrate how the core writing drivers produce, for the reader, a thrilling psychological environment. Terror versus horror, the influence of the supernatural, and descriptions of the difference between good and evil are just a few of the themes presented. By the time students have completed this course, they will have gained an understanding of and an appreciation for the complex nature of dark fiction.