Profs and Pints Online presents: “Modern Gothic Heroines,” a look at the literary roots of Buffy, Sabrina, and other popular hell-raising women, with Miranda Wojciechowski, associate instructor of English at Indiana University, Bloomington.

[This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

Since their emergence in the early eighteenth century, Gothic tales have shocked and delighted audiences with their explorations of the monstrous, transgressive, and taboo. Yet, the words “Gothic heroine” likely still conjure timeless images of conventional femininity: the young, beautiful virgin fleeing ruin through a crumbling castle or helplessly swooning in the arms of her heroic rescuer.

It might be time to rethink such assumptions. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the recent Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, today’s popular culture is full of plucky heroines slaying the patriarchy, one demon at a time. And although Buffy creator Joss Whedon claims to be the first to “create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim,” the truth is that Buffy had plenty of predecessors.

Come learn what has changed—and what hasn’t—from Miranda Wojciechowski, who teaches a class on the pop culture afterlives of Gothic literature at Indiana University. Among the questions she’ll tackle: Where do these narratives come from? How much have their conventions changed over time? And what can they tell us about the histories that continue to haunt us, as well as new anxieties that have emerged in contemporary culture?

You’ll learn about the weird and wonderful literary roots of today’s favorite Gothic heroines and how such fictional characters have grappled with misogyny, gender-based and sexual violence, and the abuse of power across the centuries. And you’ll gain a newfound appreciation for both some of your favorite TV characters as well as the heroines of books that beckon from shelves.

Profs & Pints Online: Modern Gothic Heroines