Fig 1.7
Whereas, compared to diagram 1.6, diagram 1.7 emphasizes the importance and popularity of the fantasy genre as 36% of male and females find this a thrilling and fascinating read to entertain them. However, what is interesting is that classic has 13% of people reading these books. However it is not very specific about what kind of classical books that these people are reading. This is also the case for General Fiction, which has 17% where it is not specific enough to specify what kind of genre is entertaining and applicable for readers that are interesting for them.
However, unlike item 1.6 the horror genre and the Sci-Fi genre did not seem to make it on the list which indicates that at this time there were not popular enough for readers to find interest and enjoyment in reading these types of genres. Therefore, it is evident to say that in 2010 to 2011 there were some people who favored the fantasy genre more than the horror or Sci-Fi genre. Even though Sci-Fi and Horror are elements or sub-genres of the gothic novel it is losing its popularity in the 21st century which is suggestible with the statistics showing that some people prefer other genres opposed to horror/Sci-Fi.
Although, the biggest factor that contributes gothic literature to lose its popularity is because of the sub-genre horror films that win audiences over. For instance:
Fig 1.8
Item 1.8 demonstrates that the type of horror including vampires, zombies and werewolves have the highest percentage of 10% than any other category. This is important because for someone people they like horror when the movies involve 18-20th century characters which have been written been some of the greatest writers. Therefore the ‘monsters’ or villains are still as ...
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... subtle and not-so-subtle depictions of society and the truth that lurks in that society of that time. However, when compared to the 21st century, no form of reading is ever determined ‘dangerous’, arguably, for the young to read. As a civilized society we accept different forms of reading whether it is dark or an especially happy ending we have developed an open mind to consider whatever kind of literature to read. For those who are not interested in literature are encouraged to read the novels that the films have depicted. Either way, gothic literature is still immensely popular whether it is depicted in film, TV, music etc. there will always be a fascination with the art, architecture or history of gothic literature or the ‘gothic’ in general – children, teenagers, adults are fascinated with gothic literature in the different variations that appeals to them.
Gothic literature, such as The Night Circus, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, and “Masque of the Red Death”, are known for incorporating gothic elements such as the supernatural, death, and fascination with the past.
Gothic literature has greatly influenced today’s horror and suspense genres. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many short stories, most of which were filled with dark elements and a deep awareness for the capacity for evil. The Fall of the House of Usher is a key example of gothic literature through the use of grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events. All of these elements come together and express dark impulses and emotion.
Tibbetts, John C. The Gothic Imagination: Conversations on Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction in the Media. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print.
The Gothic is one of the most well known genres in literature, not for the reason that it has been around for centuries, but because of the psychological impact that comes along with it. Gothic literature is one of the few that deals with as stated, the “awful obscurity that haunted eighteenth century rationality and morality (Botting).” However, what is not known is most authors who write Gothic literature may feel like a large portion of science fiction and interest in the futurism, but many pieces also stem from their own personal lives. Oscar Wilde, writer of The Picture of Dorian Gray, is one notable author who holds subtle boundaries between his personal life and his works.
Many of the great Romantic authors wrote gothic literature at some point in their literary careers and some even created their literary legacies, perhaps unintentionally, with their tales of horror and suspense. One of the most notable authors during the Romantic period that is well known today for creating one of the greatest literary ...
Film scholars around the world agree that all genres of film are part of the “genre cycle”. This cycle contains four different stages that a specific genre goes through. These stages are: primitive, classic, revisionist, and parody. Each stage that the genre goes through brings something different to that genre’s meaning and what the audience expects. I believe that looking at the horror genre will be the most beneficial since it has clearly gone through each stage.
According to figure 1.4 this explores how enjoyable the selected people have enjoyed reading the novels that they have come across. The responses range from ages like 21 to 63 who have read the ins and outs of these books and have come up with their own interpretation about the novels that some consider ‘Classic Gothic Lit’ and others consider not good like the short percentage of people who said that Hill’s The Woman in Black is not an enjoyable read as well as, The Monk. However, the largest percentage that people thought was an enjoyable read was Stoker’s Dracula alongside Shelley’s Frankenstein which are both considered such classic Gothic Literature whether or not people enjoy reading or not.
The term ‘Gothic’ conjures a range of possible meanings, definitions and associations. It explicitly denotes certain historical and cultural phenomena. Gothicism was part of the Romantic Movement that started in the eighteenth century and lasted about three decades into the nineteenth century. For this essay, the definition of Gothic that is applicable is: An 18th century literary style characterized by gloom and the supernatural. In the Gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a wide range of issues are explored. Frankenstein represents an entirely new vision of the female Gothic, along with many other traditional themes such as religion, science, colonialism and myth.
Gothic literature was developed during the eighteenth and nineteenth century of the Gothic era when war and controversy was too common. It received its name after the Gothic architecture that was becoming a popular trend in the construction of buildings. As the buildings of daunting castles and labyrinths began, so did the beginning foundation of Gothic literature. The construction of these buildings will later become an obsession with Gothic authors. For about 300 years before the Renaissance period, the construction of these castles and labyrinths continued, not only in England, but also in Gothic stories (Landau 2014). Many wars and controversies, such as the Industrial Revolution and Revolutionary War, were happening at this time, causing the Gothic literature to thrive (“Gothic Literature” 2011). People were looking for an escape from the real world and the thrill that Gothic literature offered was exactly what they needed. Gothic literature focuses on the horrors and the dark sides to the human brain, such as in Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. Gothic literature today, as well as in the past, has been able to separate itself apart from other types of literature with its unique literary devices used to create fear and terror within the reader.
Gothic genre is very popular among our society, but although it is common many people do not know it. In fact, many movies, shows, and books are gothic while we do not even know. Many people think gothic literature contains people wearing dark and scary clothes, with dark thick eyeliner, and vampires, and demons. The truth is, there is a lot more to gothic literature than you think. For example, Beauty and the Beast, Frankenstein, the orphanage, and even don't breathe, all of these are films and books that are not always thought to be gothic.
Gothic imagery and themes include castles, coffins, monsters and strange lands and pose the background of the classic Gothic novel. The Gothic element is synonymous with the horror and uncanny- a feeling rather than form, in which transgression is the central topic (Wisker 7). The vampire is a figure that transgresses society’s limits to form the central dynamic of the Gothic. “We enjoy seeing the limit transgressed- it horrifies us and reinforces our sense of boundaries and normalcy” (Halberstam 13). Assuming that Bram Stoker’s Dracula sets the archetype of the vampire, it is clear that modern vampires have demonstrated a decrease in the Gothic horror despite similarities in the Gothic imagery
...e the horror genre might not have become as popular as it is now. Poe thought that he was just writing to express his thoughts and feelings, but what he did not realize that his works would change American Literature forever.
Word by word, gothic literature is bound to be an immaculate read. Examining this genre for what it is could be essential to understanding it. “Gothic” is relating to the extinct East Germanic language, people of which known as the Goths. “Literature” is defined as a written work, usually with lasting “artistic merit.” Together, gothic literature combines the use of horror, death, and sometimes romance. Edgar Allan Poe, often honored with being called the king of horror and gothic poetry, published “The Fall of House Usher” in September of 1839. This story, along with many other works produced by Poe, is a classic in gothic literature. In paragraph nine in this story, one of our main characters by the name of Roderick Usher,
Romantic literature, as Kathy Prendergast further claims, highlighted things like splendor, greatness, vividness, expressiveness, intense feelings of passion, and stunning beauty. The Romantic literary genre favored “parts” over “whole” and “content” over “form”. The writer argues that though both the Romantic literary genre and the Gothic art mode were medieval in nature, they came to clash with what was called classical conventions. That’s why, preoccupations with such things as the supernatural, the awful, the dreadful, the repulsive and the grotesque were the exclusive focus of the nineteenth century Gothic novel. While some critics perceived the Gothic as a sub-genre of Romanticism, some others saw it as a genre in its own right (Prendergast).
There is one known very influential writing style called Gothic Literature. It is not only considered to involve the horror or gothic element but is combined with romance, superstition, women in distress, omens, portents, vision and supernatural events to name a few (Beesly). The history and beginning of this era is not well known. From a few writers came this writing style that has impacted the world. A famous artists known for this type of writing is a man named Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote many short stories and poems that include horror, gothic, and romance just mentioned.