# Bonus 4: Queering the Gothic

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/re-dracula-6265099/bonus-4-queering-the-gothic
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/re-dracula-6265099/bonus-4-queering-the-gothic.md
Podcast: [Re: Dracula](https://stenobird.com/podcast/re-dracula-6265099)
Published: 2024-11-11T20:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://redracula.live/
Audio file: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/afp-898815-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/1d554b02-9703-458b-8212-9f2c5e83462d/episodes/9456a7e5-2ebf-460c-8e15-59b747d8173d/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=1d554b02-9703-458b-8212-9f2c5e83462d&awEpisodeId=9456a7e5-2ebf-460c-8e15-59b747d8173d&feed=MrfL0mVE
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/re-dracula-6265099/episodes/bonus-4-queering-the-gothic
Duration seconds: 2617

## Resource

Dr. Jamie Bernthal-Hooker explores how queer theory provides a lens to uncover hidden identities and social tensions in Victorian literature. The discussion examines how characters in classics like Dracula are defined through their relationship to the 'other' and the 'not-me'.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Queer theory is a tool for reading texts through perspectives that resist traditional norms of 'straight' or 'normal'
- Failure mode: Avoid equating a character's villainy with their identity, as Victorian narratives often used 'otherness' to signal moral corruption
- Practical takeaway: Use historical context and scholarly introductions to uncover the subtextual layers of popular fiction
- Main idea: Identity in literature is often constructed through 'abjection'—defining the self by identifying what is strange or wrong in others
- Practical takeaway: Look for themes, feelings, and shifting societal attitudes rather than searching for explicit modern labels in historical texts

## Topics

Queer Theory, Victorian Literature, Dracula, Gothic Fiction, Identity Politics, Literary Analysis, Gender Studies, Popular Culture

## Chapters
- 1:00 — Introduction to Queer Theory: Dr. Jamie Bernthal-Hooker defines queer theory as a malleable perspective that resists fixed identities.
- 7:40 — Defining Good and Evil: An analysis of how media uses character traits to establish boundaries between heroism and villainy.
- 11:00 — The Victorian Fear of Identity: Discussing the Victorian preoccupation with 'thought crime' and the moral implications of what one consumes.
- 17:40 — Psychology and the Gothic: How the rise of psychological science at the end of the 19th century influenced the complexity of Dracula's characters.
- 20:50 — Unlocking Texts with Theory: Using the works of Judith Butler and Foucault to understand how identity is constructed through the 'not-me'.
- 24:00 — The New Woman in Literature: Examining how characters like Mina and Lucy reflect the shifting gender roles of the era.
- 42:00 — The Evolution of Identity: Reflecting on how historical perspectives on queerness provide insight into the changing nature of human identity.

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## Transcript

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