The Monkey's Paw 'And Demon Lover'

996 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Short story analysis essay

Gothic Literature Essay : Second Rough Draft Characters can make or break a story and different types of characters can add different elements to a story. In most stories certain types of characters play a bigger role than others, such as damsels in distress in Gothic literature. “The Monkey’s Paw” is about a family who encounters a dangerous talisman that leads to nothing but turmoil. “Demon Lover” is about a woman who returns to her abandoned home and as she is leaving town, gets kidnapped by her demonic lover. “Ghost Story” is about a young woman who is taking care of two young siblings that eventually drive her insane due to their supernatural abilities to swap appearances. Specific types of characters are prominent in the form of Damsels in distress in “The Monkey's Paw” , “Demon Lover” and “Ghost Story” W. W. Jacobs uses a damsel in distress in the story “The Monkey’s Paw” to …show more content…

Brigid in “ Ghost Story” is struggling throughout the story to decide if she is insane or not because she is seeing things such as twins changing color and hair . Eventually it gets to the point where she goes to the priest when the narrator writes “ Poor Brigid!She knew the priest thought she was going strange, and the children were so loud in their protest and so genuinely upset she began to wonder herself.”( 264-265, Deane). This shows Brigid ( a female character) facing the problem of having to question her sanity as well as other people around her questioning her sanity because she is seeing things such as gender switching twins which eventually leads her to becoming insane . The use of a damsel in distress gives the author a character with which he can develop . In this case it is Brigid who he develops into insane Brigid. Without putting her around these spooky twins she could not be in distress and develop into the final estranged character the author wanted to

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Decay In The Hound Of The Baskervilles

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hound of the Baskervilles, a novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, gives off the feeling of eeriness and spookiness. These characteristics fit into many different types of writing. But, Gothic literature is a prime genre for this novel because of the atmosphere of decay; the mysterious, sin, crime, guilt, and secrets of the novel; and, lastly, the woman with a threatening atmosphere. All of these points refer to The Hound of the Baskervilles as one example of Gothic literature.

    Read More

  • Comparing Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher and Taylor’s Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Various authors develop their stories using gothic themes and characterizations of this type to lay the foundation for their desired reader response. Although Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and Peter Taylor’s “Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time” are two completely different narratives, both of these stories share a commonality of gothic text representations. The stories take slightly different paths, with Poe’s signifying traditional gothic literature and Taylor approaching his story in a more contemporary manner.

    Read More

  • The Devil And Tom Walker Gothic Elements

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Black Cat And The Landlady: Key Elements Of Gothic Literature

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    Key Elements of Gothic Literature Jasmine Giles People enjoy reading gothic literature due to its heart rate exciting nature. Without having to engage with any real danger, it is common for the reader to feel anxiety and impaitence when reading gothic fiction. In order for the reader to feel these emotions, the author uses certain elements, such as a gloomy setting and old-fashioned dialoge. In the stories “The Black Cat” and “The Tell Tale Heart”, by elgar allen poe, and “The Landlady”, by Roland Dahl, there are many similarites that remanticize the idea of horror and mystery. Some elements, however, bring out the disbolical horror of gothic literature: the setting, characterization, and the motif of suspense.

    Read More

  • The Gothic Tradition in Stoker's Dracula and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray

    2369 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gothic writing is a style of literature that relies upon the evocation of moods, feelings and imagery for impact. This style of writing was developed during an age of great scientific discovery – such literature marked a reaction against the prevailing ‘Age of Enlightenment’. Many Gothic authors opposed the new-found faith and enthusiasm placed in these discoveries, believing that they restricted freedom of imagination. Consequently, Gothic writers inhabited areas where no answers are provided – exploiting people’s fears and offering answers that are in stark contrast to the otherwise scientific explanations.

    Read More

  • Kathy Prendergast 'Introduction To The Gothic Tradition'

    1523 Words  | 4 Pages

    In what follows, my research paper will rely on an article by Kathy Prendergast entitled “Introduction to The Gothic Tradition”. The significance of this article resides in helping to recapitulate the various features of the Gothic tradition. In this article the authoress argues that in order to overturn the Enlightenment and realistic literary mores, many of the eighteenth century novelists had recourse to traditional Romantic conventions in their works of fiction, like the Arthurian legendary tales (Prendergast).

    Read More

  • Examples Of Barbarity In Frankenstein

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    Written in 1818, the latter stages of the Gothic literature movement, at face value this novel embodies all the key characteristics of the Gothic genre. It features the supernatural, ghosts and an atmosphere of horror and mystery. However a closer reading of the novel presents a multifaceted tale that explores

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Fall Of The House Of Usher And House Taken Over

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • What Is The Seclusion In The Strange Case Of Dr. Jeyll And Mr. Hyde

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    This section shows how characters are emotionally isolated which is an element of gothic literature. Not only do the people around the protagonist choose to isolate themselves, but he partakes in it too, as he judges them for their own lack of social behavior. The fact that there is a great amount of opportunity to do so also reinforces how far they have brought their minds into seclusion.

    Read More

  • Carmilla and Dracula

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion to this essay, having examined these 19th century gothic texts, it is fair to say that normative gender behaviour and sexuality pervades them. This element gives the reader a deep insight into the culture context of the time in which these stories are situated. It enables the reader to delve into the darker sides of humanity at that time, that they would not have been able to do otherwise.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Maltese Falcon

    1607 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ch character. Although Effie took on a female role, she possessed many masculine characteristics which allowed it possible for her to get along with the men in the film. The other women in the film took on the classic role of the female characters as helpless, seductive, or conniving. The male characters took on the customary roles as the ones who were strict and cautious, while others sought only for lust and money. Some of the male characters were able to control their feelings and did not allow their emotions to come in the way of their moral decisions while some couldn?t restrain themselves from the lustful feelings they had inside. Sam said to Brigid, ?If they hang you, I will always remember you...you never played square with me for the half hour to the stretch that I?ve known you.? Even though Sam had feelings for Brigid, he was still going to turn her in for the murder she had committed. He was not going to allow his desires for her come between his morals and his profession. Through this many things were accomplished such as portraying the genre of detectives, the genre of female and male figures, and the roles that the characters which led up to the ending of the story.

    Read More

  • What Are The Elements Of Southern Gothic Literature

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Now we have examined three stories written by two well distinguished authors known for their Southern Gothic Literature and found many similarities in each story. Each story has its form of the grotesque we have Miss Emily, the Misfit, the Grandmother, and Marley Pointer and let’s not leave out Helga. The characters of each story has some form of cringe inducing quality, meaning some kind of attitude about themselves that gets under ones skin. Then as we can see from the stories they all are Southern based each story is in a Southern setting. And the final thing we look for in Southern Gothic literature is tragedy which all three stories possessed.

    Read More

  • Literary Devices of Gothic Literature

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    The blending of terror and romance in Gothic Literature was used in a unique combination to attract and entice the reader into the story. The terror in the literature helps the reader explore their imagination and form their own picture setting of what is happening. Using romance in the story also keeps the reader's attention because of the unknown and the curiosity of what happens next. The Gothic writing became popular after the Romantic period because readers were still a...

    Read More

  • Gothic Theme in Chapter 5 of Frankenstein

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Prequel To The Monkey's Paw

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monkey’s Paw Prequel There was once an old fakir who lived in India. He created something that was called “the monkey’s paw.” The monkey’s paw could grant three wishes. The old fakir saw a man walking by who was just staring at the ground looking at the dirt.. The old fakir said “Would you like to buy this monkey’s paw?

    Read More

More about The Monkey's Paw 'And Demon Lover'

Open Document