Dark Academia in Literature: Defining the Genre

Klančar, Urška (author), Krevel, Mojca (mentor), Šporčič, Anamarija (comentor)

This Master’s thesis is an analysis of Dark Academia literature. Dark Academia is a trend that originated from Donna Tartt’s novel The Secret History and manifests in various forms: as an aesthetic, subculture, and in film, music, and literature. In my thesis, I describe what Dark Academia is, its origin, and the reasons for its popularity. I then attempt to place it within literary theory. The thesis outlines the main characteristics of Dark Academia novels (academic setting, student outsider in a tight-knit friendship group, themes of death and murder, obsession within a secret society, social critique, and elements of fantasy) with the support of five novels. Additionally, I summarize the characteristics of the campus novel genre and compare it to Dark Academia novels. Finally, this thesis examines the criticism directed towards Dark Academia novels before concluding that the genre deserves more recognition.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Dark Academia, literature, genre, characteristics, campus novel
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-168435
• COBISS.SI-ID: 234179075
• Publication date in RUL: 13.04.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Temačni akademski roman: Opredelitev žanra

Abstract

To magistrsko delo je analiza temačnega akademskega romana. Temačni akademski trend izvira iz romana Donne Tartt Skrivna zgodovina in se pojavlja v različnih oblikah: kot estetika, subkultura ter v filmu, glasbi in literaturi. V magistrskem delu opisujem kaj temačni akademski trend je, njegov izvor in razloge za njegovo priljubljenost. Nato temačne akademske romane poskušam umestiti v literarno teorijo. V magistrskem delu so na podlagi petih romanov opisane glavne značilnosti temačnih akademskih romanov (akademsko okolje, protagonist novinec in tesno povezana skupina prijateljev, motivi smrti in umora, obsedenost v skrivnem društvu, družbena kritika in fantazijski elementi). Poleg tega naloga povzame značilnosti žanra akademskega romana in ga primerja s temačnim akademskim romanom. Na koncu magistrska naloga obravnava kritiko temačnih akademskih romanov, nato pa sklene, da si žanr zasluži večjo prepoznavnost.

• Keywords: Temačni akademski roman, književnost, žanr, značilnosti, akademski roman