The Night Circus Research Paper

The selection I chose to read was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Within the book were many themes of gothic literature that can relate to other various short stories. The book The Night Circus incorporates many darker themes such as violence, alter egos, and death. One of the first themes that is experienced is the idea that violence will often take control and change people. For instance in “The black cat” by Edgar Allan Poe the quote “I suffered myself to intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her my personal violence”(Poe). This quote explains that the narrator experienced waves violent feelings and the need carry out these malevolent mannerisms gradually grew stronger. Eventually the narrator went corrupt and in turn hurt the people and family closest to him. Like wise in the quote “Hector takes the doves and swiftly twists its neck, ignoring his daughter’s cry of protest”(Morgenstern). His daughter is mortified at the fact that he snapped a bird’s neck without even thinking twice. As the book continues Hector purposefully breaks his daughter’s wrist without any pity or guilt for the act he committed. In both passages they commit an act of violence but do not care that it is wrong or unjust. To continue, another major elements is the use of alter

Death is such a common them it is found in most stories. For example in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” the quote “And darkness and decay and the red death held illimitable power over all”(Poe) talks about the unknowing power that deaths holds over all of us. We can not avoid death because it is everywhere. Likewise in The Night Circus there are several cases of death such as Hector’s,“…better known as Prospero the Enchanter entertainer and stage magician of great renown, died of heart failure in his home on the fifteenth of March”(Morgenstern). This selection shows that even the most talented of people cannot avoid the