gothic literature essay

Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Introduction

The sublime in gothic fiction, the element of supernaturalism, mystery horror and suspense in gothic fiction and their significant utility, important elements in gothic fiction, gothic fiction as fantastic literature.

It is accurate to say that a gothic horror story is defined as a frightening story that has echoes of the past and has a constant theme of gloom and the supernatural, which makes it dark and rather threatening. From any perspective and point of view, gothic fiction cannot be dismissed as merely escapist and sensational on the basis that it is more than having only these two elements in it. There are many useful prospective insights which cannot be termed and delimited to mere sensational and escapist ones.

Science fiction is fiction based and claims scientific discoveries and often deals with convincing technological events, such as, space travel or life on other planets. By taking into account the definitions of the attributes, you can clearly see that one of the criteria for a gothic horror story is the use of light and darkness to create a sinister atmosphere.

In the beginning of gothic fiction era, it was not long after the translation of mythological texts that artists began experimenting with ways to elevate and transport their audiences with the use of the sublime. One group in particular began using the ideas of terror, death, and the supernatural, in combination with that which is terrible in nature to create the sublime. This group became known as the “Graveyard Poets” or the “Graveyard School”. On why these poems are effective author Fred Botting (2001:39) states, “the awful obscurity of the settings of Graveyard poetry elevate the mind to ideas of wonder and divinity”. In other words it’s the sublime imagery that produces the required effect.

“Graveyard Poetry” became increasingly popular during the early 1700’s, and paved the way for what would officially become “Gothic” literature. It was not long before the sublime idea of terrible nature grew until it included even more of the supernatural such as fantastical beings, witchcraft, and other extraordinary phenomena (Kemp, 2001, WEB). These became the components that gave Gothic literature its very definition. The first author to utilize these elements in a large literary work was Horace Walpole in his novel, The Castle of Otranto. It was the first novel to receive the title of “Gothic”, and it was also one of the first to use and develop the sublime.

In the Preface to his second edition, Walpole strives to construct a structure by which the Gothic novel can be defined. He states that in Gothic texts, it is necessary to leave, “the powers of fancy at liberty to expatiate through the boundless realms of invention, and thence of creating more interesting situations… to conduct the mortal agents… according to the rules of probability” (Walpole, 1964:7). In this description, Walpole is essentially offering a definition of the sublime as it is the sublime that elevates the “fancy” as it both fears and finds astonishment in the “boundless realms of invention”, but can delight in it as no real danger is found as it is “conducted” by “the rules of probability”. In this Walpole is demonstrating how the sublime is a necessary ingredient to the Gothic genre.

Burke defined precisely what is to be considered sublime. Some of the main Characteristics that Burke (1834) identified as ones that lead to sublimity include: obscurity, eternity and infinity, the crowded and the confused, power, vastness, magnificence, darkness, and excessiveness. He also points out that its nature that primarily conveys the sublime. These guidelines laid out by Burke became the structure by which all Gothic scenes were constructed. In this work, Burke also gave justification to the continuance of the Gothic genre as he identifies and highly emphasizes terror as being the ruling attribute of the sublime. He declares terror to be the “ruling principle” in the sublime as he states:

Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime (1834: 42).

However Burke does set down the limitation that the terror, “should have no idea of danger connected with it” as this would hinder the production of “delight” (1834:74). This lends an understanding to the Gothic text then, as it is the aim of the author of a Gothic text to produce terror so that it delights the reader (Hennelly, 2001, 19). The Gothic writers who came soon after Burke display how his ideas of the sublime greatly influenced their Gothic writing.

As more time has progressed and more thought given to the idea of the sublime, the Gothic has evolved, and has even produced a number of sub genres. In all of them, the sublime is a crucial element. As it is seen, this genre as a whole would not have been made possible if not for the sublime. Furthermore, without the sublime, a complete understanding of Gothic texts would be impossible.

While assessing this evolution, Richard Davenport-Hines pronounced, “Gothic is nothing if not hostile to progressive hopes”. The Gothic plot in Dorian Gray is ultimately hostile to the progressive hopes held out by the Paterian plot of self-actualization. (Davenport, 1998, 139)

Most of the gothic fiction involves the supernatural. The monster in “Frankenstein” and the vampire in “The Vampire of Kaldenstein” both have similar qualities. Both are obviously not human and look natural and strange. The creature is described as a “catastrophe” and his creator goes on to describe the monster in full. “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness, but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips”. This account of the monster really gives the reader a clear picture of how different the monster is. The vampire is described as “unusually tall, with a face of unnatural pallor”. The narrator also adds that the creature “cast no shadow”.

For the period of the closing years of the eighteenth century, England emerged and involved in the whirlpool of a collective unravelling. The contemporary philosophers provided the scholarly circles with such theories of inspiration and action that warranted their self-interested attitude and started to expose themselves as unendurable. The incongruity between the English philosophy in which “individual desires and collective needs participated in perfect reciprocity” (Clery, 2002, 35) and real political and economic circumstances commenced to facade.

It is out of this sociological environment that the Gothic novel emerged: an innovative, shocking and fearful genre for a prospective time. The phantom of communal uprising is obvious in the mystical “spectres” of the Gothic: a ghastly way of life emerges as a haunted and disintegrative Gothic mansion; the thrashing of English societal distinctiveness stands the Gothic hero or heroine’s quest for individuality.

Although, the Gothic is frequently reproached or even rejected for its excessively histrionic situations and absolutely expected plots, but the unbelievable attractiveness of the genre in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and the regaining of gothic narratives within the past two decades, indicates to an elasticity that cannot be ignored.

The Gothic novel evolves onward rather abruptly as the rising obsession with individual awareness that starts in the early 18th century crash with the exceptional cultural apprehensions of the late 18th century. The sensations of the gothic fiction characters are exposed and externalized in a far-reaching new technique; their innermost fears and passions are literally modified as other characters, paranormal and weird phenomena, and yet lifeless objects. Simultaneously, the trait of the fright portrayed in these novels–fear of incarceration or snare, of individual breach and rape, of the victory of wickedness over good and pandemonium over order–appears to reproduce a particular historical time branded by growing disenchantment with illumination lucidity and by blood-spattered revolutions in France and America.

“The progressive myth of Frankenstein deserves the name of science-fiction, whereas Dracula can only be discarded as superstition fiction.” (Botting, 2001, 71) “We can account for Dracula’s success, and for its continuing success only in terms of the eternity of the opposition between Good and Evil, in terms of human nature, that is in the very terms in which the myth itself is couched — at the cost of dehistoricising the novel and the myth that has developed around it.

It is also unjust to the novel, by insisting on its obvious flaws, and neglecting the very qualities that have ensured its survival. For instance, Dracula, relying as it does on a multiplicity of texts and of points of view, is narratively more complex than Frankenstein, which is based on the traditional structure of embedded narratives; and to call it superstition-fiction means that we forget the advanced technology that amply compensates for the garlands of garlic — whereas Frankenstein’s bright idea was inspired by alchemy”. (Botting, 2001, 72)

The first factor included in a science fiction genre is the existence of aliens or strange creatures. The strange creature that was created in ‘Frankenstein’ was obviously the monster. “The Gothic, we find, as it enters the twentieth century just past, has performed an unusually intense enactment of the changing assumptions about signification that Baudrillard has traced in Western history since the fading of ‘the counterfeit’ from dominance.

In Frankenstein, the ghost of the counterfeit is shown giving way, as the culture did, to the sign as a manufacturable and mechanically reproducible ‘simulacrum’, the very next stage, the ‘industrial’ one, in our thinking about symbols.” (Botting, 2001, 157) The most vital criterion for a science fiction story is the connection with reality. It has to be relevant to earth or humanity and have something familiar that people can relate to.

Most of the theories developed to create the monster are realistic. Frankenstein has a combination of both elements which gives it a good diversity. The gothic component comes in mainly with the violence and romance, but the creation discovery is more science based. This makes ‘Frankenstein’ a good mix between the two genres, which makes the story more effective and helps it suit a wider audience. (Kilgour, 1997, 66)

A word or two should be said about the difference in meaning that the word ‘mystery’ has in American and British contexts. Writing of psychological ghost stories, Peter Penzoldt suggests that American authors prefer a natural explanation, while the English do not fear to intimate that there is more in the world than reason can account for. Glen Cavaliero, too, points to ‘the repeated tendency of English novelists to write about the supernatural or at any rate about mysterious and inexplicable events’. (Cavaliero, 1995, vi)

The Society considered its work in encouraging and directing restorations to be highly useful; yet none of its activities have been so offensive to succeeding generations. The encouragement which the Ecclesiologists gave to replacing medieval features by more ‘correct’ details was abused by many architects. But the Society must bear the responsibility for the wholesale destruction of great quantities of medieval art. Sir Kenneth Clark remarks: ‘It would be interesting to know if the Camden Society destroyed as much medieval architecture as Cromwell. If not it was from lack of funds, sancta paupertas, only true custodian of ancient buildings.’ (Clarke, 1962, p. 237)

The pattern of Gothic fiction, to a certain extent is the delineation of two apparently alternative spaces, the violation of boundaries between them, the overwhelming power of the more negative and deconstructive environment—is widely, almost universally shared by horror narratives, explicitly or inferentially. Horror narrative stresses the teleological implications of abjection; it is the ultimate literature of absence—from God, from substantial selfhood—and the ghost is its central character.

It is no wonder that Mary Shelley in Frankenstein parodies Paradise Lost; horror narrative records loss, paradise gone and certainly not to be regained. Kristeva goes on to note that “all abjection is in fact recognition of the want on which any being, meaning, language, or desire is founded” (Kristeva, 1982, 61). David Punter argues that “our knowledge of romantic-period Gothic drama can be informed by the politics of an increasingly plebeian theatre.” (Putner, 2000, 102)

The gothic genre, as with all genres, is made up of many elements and concepts resulting in a massively broad and varied spectrum; including the supernatural, the sublime and horror to name but a few of the more common and generally fundamental ones. Some concepts may be clearly overt, and others will be more discreetly manipulated, but nevertheless a gothic text will more often than not include many of these elements. In terms of the supernatural in the gothic genre, it generally appears in the form of some kind of other than natural being or object, such as a vampire or ghost, which is frightening due to its refusal to adhere to the laws of nature, God or man.

Returning to Frankenstein, it could be argued that there is no element of the supernatural, or alternatively that the creature is supernatural by virtue of its being a composition of dead parts then re-animated by ungodly means.( Kilgour, 1997, 69)

Elements of the supernatural may seem to be almost an obligatory component of the gothic tale. On a closer examination, the word itself suggests also a rather deeper level of meaning: beyond that of the natural, rationally explainable world. In this expanded sense the supernatural relates to another favourite gothic, and Romantic, concept: the sublime. Edmund Burke’s A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757) was a particularly influential treatise in this context, focussing on the human reaction to an overwhelming experience that transcends everyday normality.

It is hardly surprising that Burke’s words had such an impact, as they succinctly state what so much gothic art was striving for with greater or lesser degrees of success. “Whilst we contemplate so vast an object, under the arm, as it were, of almighty power, and invested on every side with omnipresence, we shrink into the minuteness of our own nature, and are, in manner, annihilated before him.” (Burke, 1834, 41)

The mystical and religious connotations should be clear; gothic writers also noted the link between this overwhelming, oceanic sensation and some degree of horror. In gothic narratives there are abundant examples of supernatural and sublime elements, sometimes overt and sometimes less so. There is a useful distinction to be drawn between those authors who tend to leave the supernatural elements unresolved and those who seek rational closure through explaining the apparent mystery.

The two words ‘gothic’ and ‘horror’ seem to belong together, so close is their relationship. Horror however does not have to be present in a gothic text; neither does its presence necessarily make a text gothic. As Clive Bloom indicates; “Horror is the usual, but necessarily the main ingredient of gothic fiction and most gothic fiction is determined in its plotting by the need for horror and sensation. It was Gothicism, with its formality, codification, ritualistic elements and artifice……that transformed the old folk tale of terror into the modern horror story.” (Bloom, 1998, 110)

There are certain well-known definitions as regards to fantasy or the fantastic and all of these are worth considering. Eric Rabkin’s Fantastic in Literature (1976) deals largely with the same subject matter. This particular piece opens with an examination of Alice’s surprised response to the talking plants in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass”. Rabkin argues that the fantastic mode is established through the reversal of the ground rules: as he says, “One of the key distinguishing marks of the fantastic is that the perspectives enforced by the ground rules of the narrative world must be diametrically contradicted.” (Rabkin, 1976, p.8)

Victor Sage, in his “Horror Fiction in the Protestant Tradition”, narrates the method in which, in the Pauline solace convention concerning the seventeenth century, the aging house implied and worked as a connotative metaphor for the body’s unavoidable decomposition and as a trope of mortality and decay in a wide-ranging implication. Sage, to further elaborate the case, refers to a seventeenth-century Huguenot content that, employing the house far-fetched simile, depicts the body assaulted and devastated by degenerative powers:

“Death labours to undermine this poor dwelling from the first moment that it is built, besieges it, and on all sides makes its approaches; in time it saps the foundation, it batters us with several diseases and unexpected accidents; every day it opens a breach, and pulls out of this building some stones.” (Sage, 1988, p.1)

In literature, for the reader to become oriented, they must search for clues as to the equilibrium of the setting. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the reactions of his characters provide the reader with a backdrop of that reality. When events start to go askew, we look to these characters to show us just how far askew. Utterson serves as a neutral facilitator to obtain for the reader this feedback. Stevenson first establishes these characters as reliable, and then relies on their reactionary movements (testimony and actions) to illustrate the intensity of man’s dual natures. It is in these reactions that the reader can discern just how ordinary or outlandish the actions committed by Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde really are.

It also offers an outlet for the comparison of Jekyll/Hyde’s actions to the morals and attitudes of society. The actions of the Hyde persona deviate greatly from what Stevenson has established through characters such as Poole and Dr. Lanyon as Jekyll’s basic nature.

We are shown that the divergence between the characters of Jekyll and Hyde is not a miniscule one, but capable of creating disarray and disbelief. It works as a perfect illustration, and further supports my point. Stevenson most definitely relies on the intensity of his characters’ reactions to emphasize the tremendously disparate natures of Jekyll and Hyde. It adds enormous depth and magnitude that would be lost if the reader were only shown Jekyll and Hyde’s actions, but not the reactions yielded by them. (Attack, 2003, 90) We are also shown much about the balance of the world Stevenson created for his novel. Clearly, the balance has been thrown off.

The characters react with fear and terror at this maelstrom of reality gone asunder. Stevenson valiantly achieves this effect solely by demonstrating these reactions. Were we simply shown Hyde’s actions, and then informed that Hyde was acting in ways incongruent from Jekyll’s normal behaviour the effect would be nowhere near as poignant.

The Gothic fiction cannot be assumed or declared as escapist genre of literature rather it is filled with hidden eroticism that drags the reader into a daemonic and antiquated womb which is manifestly the author’s. The partisanship of the text and the reader is reduced by the hypothetical genuineness of the author’s objective.

The soundness of the text is thus focussed to a critic’s words not the incidence of the reader. Amplifying the Gothic, psychoanalysis seems to be late gothic story that has risen to help describe twentieth-century knowledge of contradictory aloofness from the panic of others and the precedent. This relevance of language eliminates the reader from the gothic fiction text. The text has unexpectedly become a caldron of depraved sensationalism contrasted with voyeurism and exhibitionism emphasized transvestism that demarcates the misuse of Christian moralism.

The Gothic fiction has had a massive effect and influence on many genres of literature since its beginning in the middle seventeenth century. Attractiveness of the Gothic genre has progressively amplified as the mistrust of the legends of the Age of Reason has been reached us. Nevertheless, literary criticism of the past as well as present has been dawdling to recognize the Gothic as a valid genre. Previously critics have traced the immensity of Gothic to revitalize a putrefying genre, but at present modern critics have found to shed new orientation into this literary mystery by diverse literary perspectives. Numerous opinions through the years have evaluated, but the most noteworthy of them is the psychoanalytical approach.

This strives to relate Freudian, Jungian, and post-Jungian notion and words to the Gothic text. Nonetheless, by implementing this perspective to a text it gives emancipation to the hazard of misreading a text. This assumption rules out the reader from the text whereas striking the author back into it. This decreases the soundness of the text by imagining the target of the author. Such readings and involving of literary tools concentrate on extraneous features of the text and lessen it to a medium to maintain ideas not in the actual text.

One of the reasons that this always has been, still is, and always will be one of the best examples of horror/gothic fiction, is because it exploits the universal disgust at human corpses. Whether they are whole, in pieces, fresh or decaying, it is safe to assume that almost anyone would be horrified and disgusted at the sight of them. Because Victor ‘dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave’ to gain body parts to create the monster, the monster is imagined, even with no further description, as hideously ugly, revolting, and probably unfeeling. This initial assumption definitely adds to the horror of the story, and also adds to the sympathy we perhaps feel later in the novel for the monster, at the way people judge him so cruelly.

Descriptions are highly detailed and create a vivid picture; often so detailed they could form a comprehensive travel guide. Conversely, as we move from Walton’s point of view to that of Victor these locations are made strange and foreign by the use of highly melodramatic and emotive language, ‘But it was augmented… the habitations of another race of beings’ , a practice common in both gothic and melodramatic writing.

The landscapes encountered are wild, barren and untamed and we move through a world of extremes; from the towering majesty of the Alps, via the wind swept remoteness of the Orkneys, to the barren wasteland of the Arctic and each step in Victor’s journey echoes his deteriorating sanity. This, combined with Shelley’s use of the weather to evoke a dark and brooding atmosphere overlies the narrative with an implication of the paranormal, leaving the reader always aware of a sensation of impeding doom.

The Creature is driven to his later actions by the behaviour of those around him and by a society who apportions worth on physical appearance and social standing. Where the Creature would give only love and affection, humanity gives him fear, repulsion and pain.

He is rejected by everyone, even by the old, blind elder De Lacy ‘Great God… Who are you’ but, even then, he retains his innate humanity. It is only after he is shot while saving the girl child from drowning that his personality begins to change ‘The feelings of kindness… gave place to hellish rage…’ and he begins to become the monster society perceives him to be. In responding to monstrous treatment he becomes monstrous.

Attack, Richard D., Victorian People and Ideas: A Companion for the Modern Reader of Victorian Literature, Norton, 2003. 89-91.

Bloom, C. (ed) Gothic Horror: A Reader’s Guide from Poe to King and Beyond, 1998. Macmillan. 110.

Botting Fred – editor: The Gothic. Publisher: D.S. Brewer. Cambridge, England. 2001. 39, 71, 72, 156-57.

Burke, Edmund: The Works of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke: With a Biographical and Critical Introduction. New York Public Library; 1834: Vol 1. p. 40-43, 74.

Cavaliero, Glen. The Supernatural and English Fiction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. vi.

Clark Sir Kenneth. The Gothic Revival: an Essay in the History of Taste. (Revised and Enlarged Edition; London: Constable, 1962.) p.237.

Clery, E.J. (2002) ‘The Genesis of “Gothic” Fiction.’ In: Hogle, J.E. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge Press. 34-36.

Davenport-Hines, Richard. Gothic: Four Hundred Years of Excess, Horror, Evil and Ruin. New York: North Point Press/Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 1998. 139.

Hennelly, M.M. (2001) ‘Framing the Gothic: From Pillar to Post- Structuralism’ College Literature 28(3), pp. 15-26.

Hogle, J.E. (ed) the Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, 2003. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 243.

Kemp, J. (2001) A Glossary of Literary Gothic Terms. Web.

Kilgour, M. The Rise of the Gothic Novel, 1997. Routledge: London. 66-70.

Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Trans. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982. p.61.

Punter, David. Ed. A Companion to the Gothic. Oxford and Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2000: 94–106.

Rabkin Eric. The Fantastic in Literature. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton Univ. Press, 1976. p.8.

Shelley. M., 1998, Frankenstein (1818 Text), Oxford University Press, Reading.

Stevenson, Robert Louis; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Signet Classics), Signet Book; Reprint edition (1994).

Victor Sage, Horror Fiction in the Protestant Tradition (Macmillan, 1988) p. 1.

Walpole, H. (1964) The Castle of Otranto; A Gothic Story. London: Oxford University Press. p7.

Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
Contrasting Deception in the Inferno and the Decameron
Position Paper on "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"
Human Character in «The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde»
Monsters, Reflection of Creators: Frankenstein and Mr. Hyde
"Death is the Mother of Beauty" by W. Stevens Review
A Rose for Emily Literary Analysis
Irony in Frank O'Connor's "First Confession"
Antebellum Slavery in Mark Twain’s World
Flaubert's "Sentimental Education" as a Bildungsroman
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 7). Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gothic-fiction-history/

"Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere." IvyPanda , 7 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/gothic-fiction-history/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere'. 7 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere." September 7, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gothic-fiction-history/.

1. IvyPanda . "Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere." September 7, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gothic-fiction-history/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Gothic Fiction History: Horror Stories With Dark and Threatening Atmosphere." September 7, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gothic-fiction-history/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

Basic site functions
Ensuring secure, safe transactions
Secure account login
Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
Remembering privacy and security settings
Analyzing site traffic and usage
Personalized search, content, and recommendations
Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

Remembering general and regional preferences
Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

History & Society
Science & Tech
Biographies
Animals & Nature
Geography & Travel
Arts & Culture
Games & Quizzes
On This Day
One Good Fact
New Articles
Lifestyles & Social Issues
Philosophy & Religion
Politics, Law & Government
World History
Health & Medicine
Browse Biographies
Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
Environment
Fossils & Geologic Time
Entertainment & Pop Culture
Sports & Recreation
Visual Arts
Demystified
Image Galleries
Infographics
Top Questions
Britannica Kids
Saving Earth
Space Next 50
Student Center

What is Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley best known for?
When was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley married?
What did Truman Capote write?
What awards did Truman Capote win?
How did Truman Capote and Harper Lee meet?

Britannica's Book Bingo. Take our reading challenge! Books range form greatest, banned, and counterculture.

Gothic novel

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Woodbury University - Elements of the Gothic Novel
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction - Gothic novel
Gothic fiction - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Gothic novel , European Romantic pseudomedieval fiction having a prevailing atmosphere of mystery and terror. Its heyday was the 1790s, but it underwent frequent revivals in subsequent centuries.

Called Gothic because its imaginative impulse was drawn from medieval buildings and ruins, such novels commonly used such settings as castles or monasteries equipped with subterranean passages, dark battlements, hidden panels, and trapdoors. The vogue was initiated in England by Horace Walpole ’s immensely successful The Castle of Otranto (1765). His most respectable follower was Ann Radcliffe , whose The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and The Italian (1797) are among the best examples of the genre .

Young woman with glasses reading a book, student

A more sensational type of Gothic romance exploiting horror and violence flourished in Germany and was introduced to England by Matthew Gregory Lewis with The Monk (1796). Other landmarks of Gothic fiction are William Beckford ’s Oriental romance Vathek (1786) and Charles Robert Maturin ’s story of an Irish Faust , Melmoth the Wanderer (1820).

Mary Shelley and the birth of Frankenstein

The classic horror stories Frankenstein (1818), by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley , and Dracula (1897), by Bram Stoker , are in the Gothic tradition but introduce the existential nature of humankind as its definitive mystery and terror.

Easy targets for satire , the early Gothic romances died of their own extravagances of plot , but Gothic atmospheric machinery continued to haunt the fiction of such major writers as Charlotte , Anne , and Emily Brontë , Edgar Allan Poe , Nathaniel Hawthorne , and even Charles Dickens in Bleak House and Great Expectations . In the second half of the 20th century, the term was applied to paperback romances having the same kind of themes and trappings similar to the originals.

Gothic Literature Essay

Gothic Elements In Gothic Literature

Natalie Earl Mrs. Kanney Honors ELA 9 3 October, 2017 Uses of Gothic Literature in Short Stories The style of Gothic Literature was invented around 1764. The Gothic style writing is composed of at least one or more of the essential gothic elements. Edgar Allen Poe is a famous author of many mysterious and dark literary works. Most of his stories are said to likely be inspired by personal horrors. Nathaniel Hawthorne, famous author of The Scarlet Letters uses a similar style based around dark romanticism

Gothic Elements Of Gothic Literature

Gothic can be defined as “literature dealing with the strange, mysterious, and supernatural designed to invoke suspense and terror in the reader.” (Pickering, 2004, p. 1425) Gothic literature generally presents the same themes and motifs: love lost, hidden secrets, love and death hand in hand, beauty, youth, grotesque characters, macabre eroticism, etc. Gothic literature also explores taboo subjects such as murder, suicide and incest. “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, is representative of

Gothic Literature : The Gothic Genre

Katelyn Tiamson English Honors IV Mrs. Schroder 8 December 2016 Frankenstein Gothic literature is a style of writing that contains elements of both horror and romance. This genre allows readers to experience a mix of horror and romance intertwined. Within the gothic genre there are elements of supernatural events, beings, and gloomy day settings. This style of writing became popular in the late 18th century and early 19 century. Many give credit to it’s uprising to author Horace Walpole, who wrote

Gothic Literature Essay Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, and dread. The gothic world is dark and can contain evil, dark and mysteries. The short stories “A Rose for Emily” written by William Faulkner, “The Black Cat” written by Edgar Allen Poe, “Prey” written by Richard Matheson, “The Feather Pillow”, written by Horacio Quiroga and the novel “The Night

Gothic Elements Essay The American Romantic literary period was during the time of westward expansion. The main ideas of romantic writers included imagination, intuition, idealism, inspiration, and individuality. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the best gothic writers of the romantic era publishing, over fifty stories. The Cask of Amontillado is one of Poe's great short stories about pride and revenge. Washington Irving was another author of the romantic period who wrote gothic literature. His most

Gothic literature is an enchanting and frightening blend of horror and romance. From Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto to Shelley's Frankenstein, and Edgar Allen poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. The Gothic novel has been around for centuries, and, despite a few major changes, has maintained some of the basic elements of classic Gothic romance since its very origins. The height of Gothic literature, which was closely aligned with Romanticism, is usually considered to have been the years 1764-1840, but

The Grotesque In Gothic Literature : The Characteristics Of Gothic Literature

grotesque in gothic is usually the behavior of a man (or women,) who battle with an internal conflict and they are also, usually sick. When an individual reads gothic stories, one can sometimes miss-interpret what they have read. It is common knowledge that when we are younger we understand things differently from when we grot be adults. We can infer that if one was too read gothic literature as a child, one would find it humorous, versus if that individual was to read gothic literature as an adult

The term ‘gothic’ is mostly connected to an angst adolescent with jet black hair, heavy onyx eyeliner, and charcoal clothings, among other characteristics. However, it goes more deep than that. According to Study.com, ‘gothic literature’ refers to a style of writing that relates to horror, death, and gloom and others. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner recounts a dysfunctional woman named Emily Grierson who was born into an aristocratic family, where the townspeople believed she was scornful and

the use of gothic description to provide accounts of pleasuring horror stories. Some of the most well-known works of horror included the Arabian Nights and Ferdinand Count Fathom (pg. 591). Other known gothic stories, particularly, From the Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe, and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, also provided a sense of terror to their readers (pg. 591). In these two novels, architectural environments conveyed a sense of dread, fear, and terror by incorporating literally

Extreme Violence and Horrific Nightmares Gothic literature uses wide ranging themes and gothic elements to convey its story. Gothic literature short stories can range from romance to horror to supernatural occurrences. Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow,” Richard Matheson’s “Prey,” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” all incorporate the following gothic elements: violence, revenge, hallucinations, nightmares, and psychological issues. Horacio Quiroga's gothic romantic story “The Feather Pillow,”

Gothic Literature Essays (Examples)

Filter by keywords:(add comma between each), example essays.

Gothic Literature a Darkened Room and a

Gothic Literature A darkened room and a secret passage, a beautiful heroine in a flowing nightgown, candles that go out and doors that mysteriously open are all trademarks of the gothic literature tradition. Dark and stormy nights where a young woman is trapped in an unfamiliar place with individuals who have nefarious purposes are the norm and unfortunately for a heroine in a gothic novel, it is unlikely that she will make it out of the story unscathed. So ingrained are the icons and stereotypes of the gothic tradition that they are still found in horror or suspense to this day, as well as those which parody the style. In works of gothic literature, there are characteristics which clearly classify the novels into the genre and without these trademark criterion, the novel cannot be claimed to be part of the gothic branch of literary works. Both Ann Radcliffe's The Italian and…...

mla Works Cited: Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2000. Print. Broadwell, Elizabeth. "The Veil Image in Ann Radcliffe's The Italian." South Atlantic Bulletin. (40:4). 1975. 76-87. Print. Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. University of Adelaide, 1757. Print.

Contact in Canadian Literature

Contact in Canadian Literature: The Use of Gothic Elements in the Negotiation of Cultural Differences between Settlers and Indigenous Nations Introduction Common elements of gothic literature include mystery, fear, omens, curses, preternatural settings, gloomy atmospheres with a hint of being haunted, some dimension of the supernatural, romance, an arch-villain, nightmare situations, anti-heroes and ladies in distress (Mulvey-Roberts; Smith). Popular examples on both sides of the Atlantic include works by the Bronte sisters, works by Poe, and Shelley’s Frankenstein. The gothic was a popular genre form in the 19th century. It was romantic, vibrant, dark, brooding, frightening, exciting, and visceral. It resonated with readers because after a century of Enlightenment (hyper-emphasis on reason and naturalism), the romantic era had ushered in something desperately needed: feeling. Thus, authors of the 19th century, like Duncan Campbell Scott and Pauline Johnson, found elements of the gothic genre to be a useful way to explore and express…...

Gothic Literature in 18th Century England

Relationship of "The Old English Baron" and "Vathek" to 18th Century English Gothic Fiction The rise of Gothic fiction in English literature coincided with the advent of the Romantic Era at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century. Gothic masterpieces such as Shelley's Frankenstein, Lewis's The Monk, and Stoker's Dracula would capture the imagination by fueling it with the flames of horror, suspense, other-worldliness and mystery. These elements are significant because the Age of Enlightenment had been characterized by a cold, objective, analytical focus on nature and humankind. It had been based on the concept that reason was sufficient to explain all events in the world and in fact all creation. Yet as Shakespeare's Hamlet reminded readers, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy" (Shakespeare 1.5.167-168). Part of this interest in the Gothic was inspired by…...

Gothic Feminism in Wollstoncraft and

The lack of rights within marriage that makes women basically "property" to the man is obviously central to this story, as indicated by the way in which Maria is imprisoned. There are a variety of ways in which this most disturbing of issues is addressed in the book. Women who are married loose control over their own bodies, and are required to submit to caresses to which their soul does not consent. One woman in the madhouse is, in fact, there specifically because she could not tolerate her husband's caresses. "she had been married, against her inclination, to a rich old man,... In consequence of his treatment... she had... lost her senses." (1.39) Not only is a woman prone to institutionalized rape, but she also has no right to require the man to remain as he was before they wed. Maria declaims bitterly of how her husband deteriorates into a…...

Gothic Motifs in Christabel Samuel

The very description of the dog conjures up an image of a massive dog, wearing a studded and dangerous collar, salivating in wait for any evil attempt at entering the castle. The mastiff old did not awake, Yet she an angry moan did make! And what can ail the mastiff *****? Never till now she uttered yell Beneath the eye of Christabel" (Coleridge) Christabel fails to heed the warning of the mastiff, and so, her fate is sealed. The image of the mastiff is cruel and powerful, and yet, Geraldine's power is even stronger, for she can keep the mastiff still and keep the warning from registering with Christabel. Thus, her evil is powerful indeed, more powerful than the other gothic motifs in the poem. 8. The dead mother is yet another important motif in the poem. She adds to the tragedy of Christabel's life, and Coleridge makes it quite clear Geraldine is far more powerful…...

mla References Ashton, Rosemary. "The Life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge." University of Alberta. 1996. 15 March 2007. http://www.ualberta.ca/~dmiall/Gothic/Christabel.htm Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Christabel." University of Virginia. 1999. 15 March 2007. http://etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Christabel.html Hogle, Jerrold E. "Christabel' as Gothic: The Abjection of Instability." Manchester University Press. 2005. 15 March 2007. http://journals.mup.man.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pdfdisp//MUPpdf/GOTH/V7I1/070018.pdf

Gothic Cathedrals and Light From the End

Gothic Cathedrals and Light From the end of the 12th century for at least two centuries architecture underwent a revolution known as Gothic. Much like classical architecture, changes in building paralleled changes in culture. Gothic works tended to be tall, inspiring, and meant to withstand the ravages of time. Structural improvements were massive, and even though this era only lasted 200 years, it would have a profound effect on any building style from then on. The epitome of the style was, of course, the cathedral, which was meant to convey humanity's communication with God. The technological improvements that allowed arches, high ceilings, and massive glass works were specific to the larger than life view of the Church, and to inspire the peasantry when attending special services (Frankl, 2001). Gothic art and architecture is a Medieval movement that evolved out of omanesque art, in the mid-12th century, in Europe. It spread throughout Europe…...

mla REFERENCES Cahill, T. Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Beginnings of the Modern World. (New York: Anchor Press, 2008). Charles, V. Gothic Art. (New York: Parkstone Press, 2008). Erlande-Brandenburg, A. The Abbey Church of Saint-Denis. (Paris: Societe Internationale de Diffusion et d'Etdition: 1990). Retrieved from: http://saint-denis.monuments-nationaux.fr/ Fitchen, J. The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals. (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1990).

Gothic the Flamboyant Gothic Is

This type of fluidization announces the Renaissance and is probably an expression of the new opening that the society goes through as it comes out of the Middle Ages. A greater creative expression in literature or painting, for example, had to be matched by a similar trend in architecture. Another interesting comparison with the previous Gothic styles is the fact that, in the past, the Gothic style was used almost exclusively for religious constructions, notably churches. With the Flamboyant Gothic, numerous secular buildings, either town halls, castles or individual houses are built in this style, more appropriate for the expression of an individual home. Ornament seems to be the common denominator for most of the constructions that were created in a Flamboyant Gothic style starting with the middle of the 14th century and all the way into the 16th century. The preference for ornament over the simple construction elements has made…...

mla Bibliography 1. A history of the Gothic period of Art and Architecture. 1995. On the Internet at retrieved on December 4, 2008 http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/Architec/MiddleAgesArchitectural/GothicArchitecture/GothicArtArchitecture/GothicArtArchitecture.htm.Last 2. Flamboyant Gothic. 1910. On the Internet at retrieved on December 4, 2008 history of the Gothic period of Art and Architecture. 1995. On the Internet at http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/Architec/MiddleAgesArchitectural/GothicArchitecture/GothicArtArchitecture/GothicArtArchitecture.htm.Last retrieved on December 4, 2008 http://www.oldandsold.com/articles10/architecture-9.shtml.Last Flamboyant Gothic. 1910. On the Internet at retrieved on December 4, 2008 http://www.oldandsold.com/articles10/architecture-9.shtml.Last

Gothic Period Cultural and Construction

William of Occam formulated the principle of Occam's Razor, which held that the simplest theory that matched all the known facts was the correct one. At the University of Paris, Jean Buridan questioned the physics of Aristotle and presaged the modern scientific ideas of Isaac Newton and Galileo concerning gravity, inertia and momentum when he wrote: ...after leaving the arm of the thrower, the projectile would be moved by an impetus given to it by the thrower and would continue to be moved as long as the impetus remained stronger than the resistance, and would be of infinite duration were it not diminished and corrupted by a contrary force resisting it or by something inclining it to a contrary motion (Glick, Livesay and Wallis 107) Thomas Bradwardine and his colleagues at Oxford University also anticipated Newton and Galileo when they found that a body moving with constant velocity travels distance and time…...

Skin Shows Gothic Horror and the Technology

Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monstrosity by Judith Halberstam The Gothic Tradition Judith Halberstam discusses many different facets of the Gothic tradition in the first chapter of her book entitled Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monstrosity. For the most part, this chapter is extremely dense and fragmented. The author spends the bulk of it discussing several different aspects of the Gothic, and telling the reader about things that she "will" discuss. As such, she covers a range of topic, yet none of them are done so in an amount of depth that will help the reader to understand the significance of these points. Still, there are some basic points which she manages to make clear. She pinpoints the Gothic tradition as stemming from 18th century literature, and believes that this tradition has gone on to change media and reproduce itself within the medium of film. In…...

mla References Halberstam, J. (1995). Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monstrosity. Durham: Duke University Press.

What Kinds of Gothic Femininities Are Portrayed in the Monk and How Are They Symbolized

Portrayal of Gothic Femininities in "The Monk" Written by Matthew Gregory Lewis in 1796, "The Monk" is a classic novel that is from Gothic literature. Female figures are used as symbols in many parts of the story, and the idea "gothic femininity" can be seen several times throughout the story. The setting fits with the Gothic theme as the story's beginning takes place in a mysterious church in Madrid, and the two main characters are both women. Leonella and her niece Antonia have come to the church to hear a great priest named Ambrosio speak, and what follows becomes both a romance and a tragedy. While waiting for Ambrosio to speak the two women tell their stories to a pair of men, Don Lorenzo and Don Christoval, and this conversation starts a chain of reactions that changes many lives. Lorenzo falls in love with Antonia, but she desires the priest Ambrosia,…...

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Christabel Gothic

It is interesting, however, that Coleridge chose to describe two women in a homoerotic situation since lesbianism was practically unheard of at the time whereas male homosexuality, though illegal, was at least recognized. It's even more interesting in the face of Coleridge's history of unease with women (Grossberg 152). The two main characters in this piece are Christabel and Geraldine. Geraldine's appearance coincides with a mysterious sound that is never identified, and is but one indication of her supernatural origins. It has been suggested that Geraldine is the first appearance of a vampire in literature, though she is referred to as a witch in the text itself. She has a strongly homoerotic connection to Christabel, one of Sir Leoline's, the baron who owns the castle where the poem takes place, daughters. Christabel is enchanted by Geraldine, whether literally or figuratively, though she is terrified as well. Essentially Christabel and Geraldine…...

mla Works Cited Abrahms, M.H. (ed). "Introduction to the Gothic." Norton Anthology of English Literature. London: W.W. Norton, 2000. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Christabel." British Literature 1780-1830. Ed. Anne K. Mellor and Richard E. Matlak. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1996. 721-729.

Music Art and Literature

Music, Art, Literature Trends From impressionism to pop art, jazz to hip hop, science fiction to beat poetry, artistic, musical, and literary expressions have varied considerably between 1870 and 2005. The period between the end of the nineteenth century to the current day can be generally described as the modern and postmodern eras. The beginning of the modern era, during the final decades of the nineteenth century, coincided with the Industrial evolution. Along with fascination with modern technology and optimism for the future came simultaneous disillusionment. However, modern technological advancements have made such widespread creativity possible. Social and political trends have also influenced creative endeavors, and vice-versa. Art, music, and literature are more accessible and more possible to create than they ever were in the past. The modern era has been characterized by an overall flourishing of the expressive arts, but some trends have a more lasting significance than others. For…...

mla Rock music became more than just a musical trend; it also characterized the rise of the teenage culture, symbolized rebellion, and influenced political and social attitudes. Furthermore, rock and roll remains a viable creative endeavor today, and is also internationally popular, which is why the trend is so important. Beyond rock and roll, electronic music and hip hop are recent significant musical trends. Electronic music has been around for decades, and reached a peak with the advent of the rave. Electronic music remains a vital force in the industry, and has also impacted the development of hip hop. Hip-hop is yet another musical trend that coincides with social and race-related realities in the United States. The genre is so important because it represents American urban culture. Among the literary trends between 1870 and the present day, the most significant ones include post-colonialism, science fiction, beat poetry, and horror. Post-colonial literature such as the works of Joseph Conrad brought awareness to the problems associated with the colonialist mentality. Post-colonial fiction put a human face on the very real political, social, and economic issues of the modern world. Realism was a major literary method used by post-colonial authors, who depicted their worlds with stunning detail. With the modern fascination with technological advancements, science fiction became a highly significant literary trend to emerge during the twentieth century. Science fiction originated in the early twentieth century when Orson Welles' reading of H.G. Wells' novel the War of the Worlds shocked the nation into believing that aliens had indeed attacked the United States. Science fiction literature strongly influenced television and film, too, and is responsible for the popularity of both Star Trek and Star Wars. Related to but different from science fiction, fantasy writing also emerged during this time and gave rise to the writings of J.R.R. Tolkein, whose works recently spawned motion pictures. Another significant literary trend to emerge during the middle of the twentieth century was beat poetry and beat literature. Beat poetry was completely free verse and free form, in sharp contrast to earlier, more structured forms. Moreover, beat poetry was far more abstract than previous works. Just as modern art was becoming more abstract and expressionist, so too was literature. Another key literary trend to emerge during the past century was horror fiction. While horror derives from earlier Gothic literature as well as from science fiction, the horror genre has had a huge impact on modern literary expression. Authors like Stephen King have become immensely famous by making people afraid, and his works as well as the works of countless other horror writers have impacted the plots and themes of films and television shows.

Religion and British Literature

role of religion in the history of European society is a tumultuous one. Christianity, from its obscure beginnings in the classical age, eventually took the reins as the centerpiece of philosophical, literary, and scientific thought. It is true that religion, often, tends to justify actions that might objectively be perceived as incongruous to the established faith. It has historically been the case that when traditional forms of worship become threatened, morally questionable methods are undertaken to strengthen the order. This is certainly the case with Christianity. Since the birth of the Catholic Church in the Roman Empire, Church officials have actively attempted to make their privileged positions in society impervious to assault -- this process has progressed for centuries and, indeed, tens of centuries. For many years this single faith dominated nearly every aspect of European society and was a strong force in maintaining the status quo. However, the…...

mla Works Cited: 1. Haney, David P. "Christianity and Literature." Malibu, Winter Vol. 54, Iss. 2, 2005. 2. Mill, John Stuart. "Utilitarianism." Reason and Responsibility. New York: Wadsworth Publishing, 1999. Pages 571-77. 3. Shelley, Mary. "Frankenstein." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Seventh Edition, Volume 2. New York W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. Pages 905-1033. 4. Wilde, Oscar. Literary Criticism of Oscar Wilde. Lincoln: Bison Books, 1968. Page, 233.

Gothic Romance Symbols and Themes in Bronte's Jane Eyre

What Jane Eyre Does for MeJane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, has a unique ability to engage me and evoke strong thoughts and emotions largely thanks to its depiction of complex characters, themes and symbols. Jane Eyre is a very large and long storyso there is room in it for the author to explore reality on various levels. We see Jane as a young girl and what it is like to go through the sort of trials she has to experience being essentially an orphan without a loving mother or family. We see her at her boarding school, and then as she grows up and has to learn to fend for herself as a tutor at Mr. ochesters house. It is a story that plays with genre (gothic romance), mystery (who or what is in the attic and why is Mr. ochester so strange), and the coming-of-age drama (we see Jane…...

mla ReferencesBronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre.

Gothic and Macabre An Explication

The unusual event of resurrection is a theme particularly apparent within the stories "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Ligeia." In the latter story resurrection occurs after the Lady Rowena's corpse finally resurrects itself into the form of Lady Ligeia. In the former story "resurrection" actually occurs when the Lady Madeline, after recovering from her cataleptic state, manages to escape from her tomb. In two of Poe's stories certain unusual and grotesque events occur that are unique to those tales. The story "illiam ilson" contains a doppelganger theme, which is unique to it. In the story "The Masque of the Red Death" the uniquely violent and unusual event is the characters unknowingly making an unfortunate encounter with the personification of the Red Death disease while they are busily engaged in their festivities. Bizarre forms of death are a pervasive feature in Poe's short stories. Nowhere is it more pervasive…...

mla Works Cited Poe, Edgar a. "Ligeia." E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore. Oct. 23, 1999. Retrieved April 16, 2007: http://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/ligeiab.htm Poe, Edgar a. "The cask of Amontillado." E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore. Nov. 22, 1998. Retrieved April 16, 2007: http://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/caska.htm

How does American Gothic literature demonstrate the country’s obsession with religion and sin?

To write a good thesis about this, you have to first put together what you know about early America and its approach to religion. Obviously, the American colonies were initially established, in part, as a way for people to freely practice certain religions. That said, they were extremely restrictive, with punishments for people who did not adhere to societal norms. Many undesirable behaviors were not just considered undesirable, but labeled as sin. The most dramatic example of this could be found in the witch hysteria that overtook some of the colonies and the executions and general destruction that happened surrounding....

Could you offer some ideas for titles for my essay examining To Kill a Mockingbird?

A Comprehensive Examination of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: Exploring Themes, Characters, and Symbolism 1. The Injustice and Innocence of Mockingbirds: A Literary Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird 2. The Power of Empathy and Perspective in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird 3. The Complexities of Race, Class, and Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird: A Critical Examination 4. To Kill a Mockingbird: A Timeless Tale of Childhood, Loss, and Social Inequality 5. The Role of Symbolism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird 6. Mockingbird as Metaphor: The Destruction of Innocence and the Burden of Empathy 7. The Evolution of Scout Finch: The Journey....

Could you help me draft an essay outline about gothic wardrobe?

I. Introduction A. Hook: Have you ever wondered about the mysterious allure of gothic fashion? B. Background information: Explain what gothic fashion is and its origins. C. Thesis statement: This essay will explore the elements of a gothic wardrobe and the reasons why it has captivated individuals throughout history. II. Elements of a Gothic Wardrobe A. Dark colors: Discuss the significance of black as the predominant color in gothic fashion. B. Layering: Examine how layering allows gothic fashion enthusiasts to create a dramatic and mysterious look. C. Fabrics: Analyze the importance of materials such as velvet, lace, and leather....

Can you help me come up with some essay topics regarding gothic essay?

1. The Evolution of the Gothic Genre: From its Origins to Modern Interpretations 2. The Influence of Gothic Literature on Popular Culture 3. Gender Roles and Representations in Gothic Literature 4. The Role of the Supernatural in Gothic Fiction 5. Gothic Tropes and Stereotypes: How Do They Shape Our Understanding of the Genre? 6. The Gothic as a Response to Social and Political Realities 7. The Gothic in Film: Adaptations and Themes 8. The Psychology of Fear in Gothic Literature 9. The Subversion of Traditional Themes in Contemporary Gothic Fiction 10. Gothic Spaces and Settings: How Architecture Shapes the Narrative. 11. The Gothic Heroine: Subverting Conventional Female Archetypes in Gothic....

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

A Brief Introduction to Gothic Literature

Elements, Themes, and Examples from the Gothic Style

Study Guides
Authors & Texts
Top Picks Lists
Best Sellers
Plays & Drama
Shakespeare
Short Stories
Children's Books

Ph.D., English Language and Literature, Northern Illinois University
M.A., English, California State University–Long Beach
B.A., English, Northern Illinois University

The term Gothic originates with the architecture created by the Germanic Goth tribes that was later expanded to include most medieval architecture. Ornate, intricate, and heavy-handed, this style of architecture proved to be the ideal backdrop for both the physical and the psychological settings in a new literary genre, one that concerned itself with elaborate tales of mystery, suspense, and superstition. While there are several notable precursors, the height of the Gothic period, which was closely aligned with Romanticism , is usually considered to have been the years 1764 to about 1840, however, its influence extends to 20th-century authors such as V.C. Andrews, Iain Banks, and Anne Rice.

Plot and Examples

Gothic plotlines typically involve an unsuspecting person (or persons)—usually an innocent, naive, somewhat helpless heroine—who becomes embroiled in complex and oftentimes evil paranormal scheme. An example of this trope is young Emily St. Aubert in Anne Radcliffe’s classic Gothic 1794 novel, "The Mysteries of Udolpho," which would later inspire a parody in form of Jane Austen ’s 1817 "Northanger Abbey."

The benchmark for pure Gothic fiction is perhaps the first example of the genre, Horace Walpole’s "The Castle of Otranto" (1764). Although not a long tale in the telling, the dark, its oppressive setting combined with elements of terror and medievalism set the bar for an entirely new, thrilling form of literature.

Key Elements

Most Gothic literature contains certain key elements that include:

Atmosphere : The atmosphere in a Gothic novel is one characterized by mystery, suspense, and fear, which is usually heightened by elements of the unknown or unexplained.
Setting : The setting of a Gothic novel can often rightly be considered a character in its own right. As Gothic architecture plays an important role, many of the stories are set in a castle or large manor, which is typically abandoned or at least run-down, and far removed from civilization (so no one can hear you should you call for help). Other settings may include caves or wilderness locales, such as a moor or heath.
Clergy: Often, as in "The Monk" and "The Castle of Otranto," the clergy play important secondary roles in Gothic fare. These (mostly) men of the cloth are often portrayed as being weak and sometimes outrageously evil.
The paranormal : Gothic fiction almost always contains elements of the supernatural or paranormal, such as ghosts or vampires. In some works, these supernatural features are later explained in perfectly reasonable terms, however, in other instances, they remain completely beyond the realm of rational explanation.
Melodrama : Also called “high emotion,” melodrama is created through highly sentimental language and instances of overwrought emotion. The panic, terror, and other feelings characters experience is often expressed in a way that's overblown and exaggerated in order to make them seem out of control and at the mercy of the increasingly malevolent influences that surround them.
Omens : Typical of the genre, omens—or portents and visions—often foreshadow events to come. They can take many forms, such as dreams, spiritual visitations, or tarot card readings.
Virgin in distress : With the exception of a few novels, such as Sheridan Le Fanu’s "Carmilla" (1872), most Gothic villains are powerful males who prey on young, virginal women (think Dracula). This dynamic creates tension and appeals deeply to the reader's sense of pathos, particularly as these heroines typically tend to be orphaned, abandoned, or somehow severed from the world, without guardianship.

Modern Critiques

Modern readers and critics have begun to think of Gothic literature as referring to any story that uses an elaborate setting, combined with supernatural or super-evil forces against an innocent protagonist. The contemporary understanding is similar but has widened to include a variety of genres, such as paranormal and horror.

Selected Bibliography

In addition to "The Mysteries of Udolpho" and "The Castle of Otranto," there are a number of classic novels that those interested in Gothic literature will want to pick up. Here's a list of 10 titles that are not to be missed:

"The History of the Caliph Vathek" (1786) by William Thomas Beckford
"The Monk" (1796) by Mathew Lewis
"Frankenstein" (1818) by Mary Shelley
"Melmoth the Wanderer" (1820) by Charles Maturin
"Salathiel the Immortal" (1828) by George Croly
" The Hunchback of Notre-Dame " (1831) by Victor Hugo
"The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe
"Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood" (1847) by James Malcolm Rymer
"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson
" Dracula " (1897) by Bram Stoker
'Jane Eyre' Questions for Study and Discussion
'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' Essay and Discussion Questions
'Wuthering Heights' Overview
"Pierre Menard, Author of the 'Quixote'" Study Guide
How to Identify the Theme in a Literary Work
Edgar Allan Poe's Detailed Philosophy of Death
A Brief History of English Literature
"The Black Cat" Study Guide
'1984' Questions for Study and Discussion
'The Scarlet Letter' Questions for Discussion
'Wuthering Heights' Questions for Study and Discussion
Discussion Questions for 'A Christmas Carol'
'Frankenstein' Summary
'The Raven' Questions for Study and Discussion
'Frankenstein' Characters
'The Odyssey' Quotes Explained

Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Literary Genres / Gothic Literature

Gothic Literature Essay Examples

Exploring the depths of gothic romantic fictional narratives.

Gothic romantic fiction is a genre that is characterized by its dark and mysterious themes, often featuring supernatural elements and a brooding, atmospheric setting. In a gothic romantic fictional narrative essay, the writer crafts a story that captures the essence of this genre, immersing the...

The Main Features of the Gothic Literature Style

The gothic genre can be described as dreary and bonkers. Not so much as a comedy but so much in the form of something maniacal. Something is intrinsically gothic when it stems from a plot that is so exaggeratingly horrific that the outcome is ridiculous...

Kizumonogatari by Nisio Isin as an Example of Gothic Literature

The gothic literature style is one in which emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious and desolate. This genre had much success after the American Revolution and into the 19th century, following the use by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving. Who have created such...

Northanger Abbey as an Example of Gothic Literary Genre

“Give them pleasure – the same pleasure they have after they wake up from a nightmare,” (Alfred Hitchcock). The Gothic genre has been somewhat of fascination from the start of its time, as it can be so violent and gruesome, yet individuals read it anyways...

Elements of Gothic Genre in the Bloody Chamber and the Picture of Dorian Gray

Gothic literature engages the reader, playing with their emotions using elements of terror and horror to connect them to a particular story. Within the novels ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde and ‘The Bloody Chamber’ by Angela Carter both authors use elements of...

Female Sexuality in the Victorian Era and Gothic Literature

The few elements that make up Gothic literature, sexuality contributes to many themes of these novels. While being such a controversial topic, especially during the Victorian era, many authors continued push this element in their works. Two novels that really concentrated on the theme of...

The Impact of Gothic Literature on Creation of Horror Films

Edgar Allen Poe wrote amazing writings that included Gothic Literature with all his suspense and mysterious acts. Poe made a very big impact on Gothic Literature. Poe’s writings impacted people from his writings and inspired them to write also, even to make a film from...

Analysis of the Use of Transformations in Gothic Literature

The man, howling at the night sky, slowly reared back and roared louder, until the beast within bursted from the seams. That seems like a start to a werewolf or some old monster movie, moving on, so how does transformation scare us? Transformation plays a...

Analysis of Setting and Narrative in the Bloody Chamber

Angela Carter is known for creating the remakes of old stories but adds a sense of darkness to it. She has and writes her stories and experiences with a sense of an ending. In this story “The Bloody Chamber,” she uses setting to describe the...

Accepting Oedipus: Achsa Fielding and the Mature, Gothic Woman

Charles Brockden Brown’s Arthur Mervyn embodies the mentality of the newly formed U. S. A. , speaking to how 18th century readers – in fact, citizens, regardless of their literacy – were both repulsed yet fascinated by social concepts that were literally and figuratively revolutionary....

Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results?

Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help!