Well, I suppose we should get right to it. Gothic Literature (or more specifically, the gothic romance) was first introduced to the world in the year 1764. At that time a man by the name of Horace Walpole wrote a little "ditty" he titled The Castle of Otranto which most literary experts seem to agree is the Gothic pioneer. At the time, there were mixed reactions, to say the least. To quote one pundit: "...it presented, at first, a topic for argument and inflammatory rhetoric (Alfred Potter, from Gothic Horror p128 - Clive Bloom)." Despite (or maybe because of) its imperfect beginnings, however, Gothic literature came to be a venerable, albeit controversial genre with a mysterious appeal. Following in Walpole's wake were a number of famous authors ranging from Radcliffe and Jackson to the ever-popular Edgar Allen Poe, all of whom brought their own little twists to the dark romance. In fact, with so many points of view, an exact definition of gothic literature becomes difficult to nail down. So if there is no clear definition, one might ask (and justifiably) "What the heck is Gothic literature?" To which one parrots: "Generally speaking, Gothic literature delves into the macabre nature of humanity in its quest to satiate mankind's intrinsic desire to plumb the depths of terror" (from the opening lines of a short sketch by T. McDonald and James Flynn). But that doesn't really say much. In fact, with subtle differences, that could very well be a definition of my tenure at school. So again, what is gothic literature? Well, Jacqueline Howard (among others) claims that Gothic literature typically contains seven features/descriptors. 1) The appearance of th... ... middle of paper ... ...ith the sublimely terrifying image of being buried alive. With very very little exposition at the outset, we have a strong sense of mystery. The ironic villain and the irascible condemned make for appealing characters. The killer is an evil aristocrat and the ending is ambiguous. Poe's writing is a study of the science of Gothic literature. Incidentally, one of the things Poe was known for was his scientific Gothic literature. Although, if we were to discuss that, we would have to oust Poe in favour Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. If Poe is the quintessential goth, then Shelley is the quintessential scientific goth although many people relate them closely. In any case, I think my time here is up. I must say that I've learned a valuable lesson and am a morally better person than when I began this paper... or AM I?
The setting is gothic litereature is commonly located in a Victorian-styled environment, with dull shades of black and white pointed architecture. Some of the place described in the Gothic writing are old, abdondoned house, castles, or
Gothic Literature was a natural progression from romanticism, which had existed in the 18th Century. Initially, such a ‘unique’ style of literature was met with a somewhat mixed response; although it was greeted with enthusiasm from members of the public, literary critics were much more dubious and sceptical.
Goth is a term that originally referred to a northern Germanic tribe who ransacked southern Europe in the fourth century A.D. Because the Goth was associated with the fall of Rome and its classical culture, the term Gothic was applied with a negative meaning of medieval or barbaric. In the eighteenth century, Gothic novels drew upon the conventions of the medieval romances which tell stories of knights battling with magic and monsters, and Gothic story often introduced existence of supernatural elements and a protagonist's immersion into a dark, horrific realm. The style of Gothic literature tends to be extreme, seemingly uncontrolled, and intended to invoke a strong emotional response which might be awe, pity, guilt, horror, or fear. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the journals wrote by the narrator continuously conveys to readers that her emotion and mind is seriously influenced by the wallpaper which drives her insane in the end. On other hand, "A Rose for Emily" is a story that full of pity and fear; the town people pity Emily for loss of her father and for being a spinster; Emily herself fears the separation with her lover, Homer Barron, and ends up killing him in ord...
Punter David, ‘The Literature of Terror’, in A History of Gothic Fictions from 1765 to the Present Day, The Modern Gothic. Harlow, eds. (UK: Pearson Education, 1996)
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,
It has it unique elements such as being Southern based (characters or place), then we have characters with these righteous attitudes, and then it would not be Gothic without a tragedy. Now in Wikipedia we have Southern Gothic literature being defined as “relying
Gothic as a literary term, most often brings to mind a type of novel – as well as a group of writers for a long time considered marginal - written between the second half of the eighteenth century and first half of the nineteenth. The contemporary use of the term Gothic retains an even larger number of meanings today. Expanding from architecture and the media, the term makes its way to many artistic contexts as well. Though Gothic has been known to deeply manifest itself in horror context, whether dealing with themes reminding us of the of 18th century Gothic fiction, or with the modern psychic horrors reflecting the fears and tensions of our contemporary world, what it functions mainly is to underline and bind two very different characteristics: the boundary between good and evil are drawn up early in such texts creating a basic binary opposition, only to put forth the idea of these boundaries always not being clearly defined.
Throughout history, several intellectual and cultural movements have shaped the way that humanity thinks and, subsequently, the formation of our modern society as a whole. Perhaps one of the most remarkable of these movements is simply known as Gothicism. An offshoot of the movement known as Romanticism, the emergence of Gothicism introduced unconventional literary tropes for its time and it introduced many legendary novelists, poets, and storytellers whose works continue to inspire modern authors today.
Throughout the years, Gothic literature has developed to be a mirror representation of what the beliefs and thoughts of the time were. The Gothic has a tendency to express beliefs towards the socioeconomic, political and religious situations and grievances of the time. Many texts express this, some including Edgar Allen Poe’s The House of Usher and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to then allow for the general public – at least those who were literate – to, subconsciously, understand the environment around them without being too direct. This gave the writers of the time a new channel, through this ge...
The term 'gothic' has many different forms. The most important and original form is architecture during the medieval period. It starts out with the great cathedral, Saint-Denis, of Paris. Then the Westminster Abbey of London was built. These are characterized by their pointed arches and flying buttresses. Gothicism also came in the form of art. Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry, by the Limburg brothers, showed elegance through statements in the best known way of gothic art. This popular style of art is called manuscript illuminations. Manuscript illuminations are text followed by decoration, usually gold. During the mid-18th century, literature took a new step having the first gothic novel, "The Castle of Otranto," first published in 1764. This novel was combined with a horror and mystery genre (Martindale).
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.
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.
...als these events within their novels. Sometimes leaving the reader scared, frightened or mysterious. Southern Gothic literature is a group of words bonded together to set a mood, message, plot, etc. Overall Southern Gothic Literature can be interesting and creepy at the same time, its style has been practiced for many years by southern writers which are located in the American South. Its popular writings have grew from generation to generation and is now a world wide genre.
The death of the convict brings suspicion as he fell on his neck. Watson and Holmes mistake this man for Sir Charles. As they look closer they see that it is the convict in his clothes. Mystery is introduced when Stapleton appeared at the crime scene. This adds a sense of a sense of mystery.
Gothic fiction appears as a specific response to the Age of Reason’s order. During the late eighteenth-century, several different kinds of new fiction arose to challenge the Augustan tradition; leading the way was the Gothic novel. An interest in those things, which cannot be understood, for example religion and the soul, results in an overwhelming expansion of what is accepted as art in the literary world.