Comparative Literature 100 - International Horror
Fall
2026
01
4.00
Jeremi Marek Szaniawski
M W 10:10AM 11:00AM
UMass Amherst
12010
Hasbrouck Lab Add room 126
jszaniawski@umass.edu
Using literature and film, this course will examine the genre of horror through the analysis of its psychological ramifications, its cultural specificities, and its social significance. We will consider what evokes fear and why, how particular forms of the monstrous evoke particular forms of fear, and what this reveals about the human condition. Featuring texts and films from many different countries, we will assess how historical experience and culture inform the depiction and meaning of fear as well as how horror engages social phenomena such as race, gender, and class. (Gen. Ed. AL, DG)
This course is open to all without prerequisite, but please be advised that some of the films and books on the syllabus feature potentially disturbing material.
If you are interested in taking this course for an additional Honors credit, please contact the professor directly for information and permission, preferably prior to enrolling, and no later than during the add/drop period.
Multiple required components--lab and/or discussion section. To register, submit requests for all components simultaneously.