Gothic Literature

329 Words1 Page

The term gothic was originally used to describe both type of Art and

Architecture. Gothic novels were given a genre of their own primarily

because of their emotional extremes and their dark themes.

Gothic Literature

=================

The gothic novel is a literary genre which is said to have been

created in 1764 when Horace Walpole wrote his novel ‘The Castle of

Otranto’. The main features of gothic novels included terror, mystery,

the supernatural, doom, death, curses and madness.

The term ‘gothic’ was originally used to describe both type of Art and

Architecture. Gothic novels were given a genre of their own primarily

because of their emotional extremes and their dark themes and because

it’s most natural settings were things like castles and monasteries

which were part of the typical gothic architecture. Some of the first

gothic novels included ‘The Castle of Otranto’ and ‘Byronic Hero’.

By about 1840, the gothic genre had played itself out and this was

partly due to writers who were developing the genre into the horror

fiction that it later morphed into. The gothic genre did, however,

have a long lasting effect and it led to a Victorian craze for ghost

stories and it also had an influence on Charles Dickens who read

gothic novels when he was younger and he later put the gothic

melodrama and gloomy atmosphere into his own books.

By the 1880’s, the gothic novel was revived and many authors of the

time such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Machen and Oscar Wilde all

wrote gothic works. Also, it was about this time that the most famous

Show More
Related

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

    2369 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Queer Dionysian Satan

    1418 Words  | 3 Pages

    Works Cited Abrams, M.H. "Gothic Novel." A Glossary of Literary Terms. 9th ed. Boston:

    Read More

  • What Are The Elements Of Southern Gothic Literature

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    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

  • Literary Devices of Gothic Literature

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Gothic Period

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Gothic Period in the twelfth century influenced the creation of Gothic Revival Architecture in the nineteenth century. Gothic architecture began in France in 1140. Some of the first buildings made using this style are the Basilica of Saint Denis and the Cathedral of Sens. (Gothic Architecture By Paul Frank) This style of architecture started losing popularity in the early sixteenth century, but did not die out completely during this time period. Gothic architecture was still predominantly in cathedrals and churches. The rise of Romanticism began in the eighteenth century–leading to an awareness and increased interest of the Middle Ages, specifically interest in church architecture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture) Thus, Gothic Revival Architecture was created. When admirers of neo-Gothic styles wanted to revive medieval Gothic architecture, Gothic Revival Architecture was created—along with many sub styles, such as Polychrome Brick Gothic and Carpenter Gothic in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

    Read More

  • The Gothic Age

    1879 Words  | 4 Pages

    design any and everything in this era from bridges to city walls and castles to

    Read More

  • Gothic Setting In Dracula

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Gothic name developed because the novel's setting had been usually in Gothic architecture such as castles. In Dracula when Jonathan arrives to the ruined castle of Count Dracula, Jonathan describes the castle. It had detailed carving that “had been much worn by time and weather” (Stoker 16). These descriptions help the reader picture something old and mysterious. Castles often hold a lot of history which help give that eerie tone that no one knows what

    Read More

  • The Influence of Gothic Literature on Gothic Music

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gothic encompasses many genres of expression. Gothic artists speak out through the forms of literature, architecture, film, sculptures, paintings, and music. Many times, one genre of Gothic inspires another, creating fusing parallels between the two. In this way, each genre of Gothic rises to a more universal level, coalescing into the much broader understanding of Gothic. Gothic writers, such as Mary Shelley, influence Gothic music, as one sees in stylistic devices including diction, setting, and tone.

    Read More

  • The Gothic Novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Older Gothic literature was in castles and deserted buildings. Modern Gothic novels were written in more populated areas. Another text that can be classed as ‘Gothic’ is the novel ‘Frankenstein’. The reason for it being a ‘Gothic’ novel is the way it has a mutant character. Frankenstein is a mutant and is made by a crazy scientist ‘I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein and the Gothic Genre

    2205 Words  | 5 Pages

    The period of the gothic novel, in which the key gothic texts were produced, is commonly considered to be roughly between 1760 and 1820. A period that extended from what is accepted as the first gothic novel, Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otranto ( 1764 ), to Charles Maturins Melmoth the Wanderer ( 1820 ) and included the first edition of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein in 1818. In general, the gothic novel has been associated with a rebellion against constraining neoclassical aesthetic ideals of order and unity, in order to recover a suppressed primitive and barbaric imaginative freedom ( Kilgour, 1995, p3 ). It is also often considered to be a premature ( and thus somewhat crude ) manifestation of the emerging values of Romanticism. Although the gothic genre is somewhat shadowy and difficult to define it can be seen as having a number of characteristics or conventions which can be observed in Frankenstein including stereotypical settings, characters and plots, an interest in the sublime, the production of excessive emotion in the reader ( particularly that of terror and horror), an emphasis on suspense, the notion of the double and the presence of the supernatural. (Kilgour, 1995; Botting, 1996 ; Byron, 1998 : p71 )

    Read More

  • Gothic Horror Story

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    I peered around through the rain, desperately searching for some shelter, I was drowning out here. The trouble was, I wasn’t in the best part of town, and in fact it was more than a little dodgy. I know this is my home turf but even I had to be careful. At least I seemed to be the only one out here on such an awful night. The rain was so powerfully loud I couldn’t hear should anyone try and creep up on me. I also couldn’t see very far with the rain so heavy and of course there were no street lights, they’d been broken long ago. The one place I knew I could safely enter was the church, so I dashed.

    Read More

  • American Gothic Essay

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gothic writing was usually written in mysterious and ominous tine. Most Gothic novels were filled with death and terror. The authors of Gothic novels most commonly filled their books with omens and foreshadows, showing the dark side of mankind.

    Read More

  • Southern Gothic Literature

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Gothic Literature and the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Gothic Literature

Open Document