Gothic And Gothic Art

Gothic And Gothic Art
Introduction 'Gothic Art' is the name given to define artworks made in Europe between the 12th and
15th centuries. Contrasting the "Gothic" that is understood today as dark, black or ripped fishnets,
the original Gothic actually refers to "Liquid light of Heaven" where light comes into people's live.
A letter to Pope Leo X during c. 1518 from Raphael first marked the use of Gothic to describe
artworks made between 12th and 15th centuries, and is further popularize by an Italian artist and
writer by the name of Giorgio Vasari. Art produced between Romanesque and Renaissance period
are described as Gothic art. Medieval art refers to art produced between 5th and 15th centuries,
Gothic Art existed during the late Medieval period appearing after Early ... Show more content on
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Soda glass were commonly used during medieval period which explains the shade of blue presence
in most of the stained glass windows produced at that time. In addition, a technique developed
during the 15th century known as flashing where thin layer of glass are superimposition onto
another coloured or uncoloured glass sheet. The images within the stained glass can be clearly seen
through light and it helps to engage the feeling of being closer to God as Heaven is believed to be
bright. Stained glass also helps to enhance the setting of the church. Image 4 : Flying Buttress When
Abbot Suger reconstruct the nave to be higher, architect had to find ways to support the building.
Flying buttress portrayed above is often associated with the architecture of a Gothic Church. Flying
buttress is constructed above the buttress as the lower buttress supports the lateral force of the vault.
The flying buttress is built to take on the wind–loading on roofs and redirect them towards the
ground. Pinnacles are capped at the end of the flying buttress to reduce the lateral thrust produced by
the flyer. Image 5 : Pointed Arch
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Gothic Sculpture And Gothic Art
The Gothic Sculpture had not been only a design of art but an exceptionally influential period
formulated with its own intricate history. The word is utilized to spell it out buildings and items
whose varieties are based after a variety of characteristics from the 12th to the end of the 15th
century. Gothic style was a development of the Romanesque yet it was Renaissance humanists who
first used it as a disparaging term to spell it out what they noticed as the barbaric structures. With
Gothic sculpture being seen through a wide variety of perspectives it is regarded as very difficult to
appropriately specify what Gothic means in postmodern contemporary society today. It provided a
fresh concentration for the representation of dynamics and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
There is merely a different feeling in the Gothic architecture gives and overwhelming feeling of
mysticism, the prominent philosophical and religious activity. The Gothic period was the right time
of advancements in architecture like the pointed arch, the rib vault, and the flying buttress. Also,
stained goblet windows were a lovely way expressing their beliefs within an architectural way.
The Romanesque period was an age group of new and experimental structures. One advancement in
construction was the shift to all–stone structure that replaced the timber ceilings that caused many
churches to burn down. One experimental architectural style was the utilization of rock barrel and
groin vaults in the first Romanesque chapel. The stone vaulting allow architects build on a more
substantial scale than before. The Gothic style surfaced out of architectural design of the
Romanesque cathedrals.
The directed arch was their first technology that removed the uncomfortable look of disproportional
arches at the attributes of the Romanesque cathedrals. The directed arch also aimed the weight of the
vault downward to help support the substantial ceilings. The next advancement of the Gothic
architects solved problems of the Romanesque period. The Romanesque cathedrals possessed thick
surfaces that gave the sensation of confinement, and their substantial arches seemed unwell
proportioned with their small home

The Themes Of Gothic Writing Methods In Gothic Literature
The Gothic writers method
Many gothic writers compose their stories with a hidden meaning or lesson within the piece. They
base their work upon what they notice in the world or what they are feeling in the depths of their
heart. However, if there was one word to describe the tone many of these writers use when writing
gothic literature– it would be 'negative'. These writers seem to focus on the main themes of horror,
death, and sometimes romance. For example, in gothic works such as "Prey", "A Rose for Emily",
and "The Black Cat" each writer focuses on the weaknesses and faults of a character to show each of
the characters loss of innocence and personal experience of bizarre occurrences.
The authors of these gothic works develop their characters in a faultless fashion. The characters
seem to be portrayed as simple people who live like the rest of us. That is until a fateful event in the
story causes them to lose their sanity and pureness. In "Prey" by Richard Matheson, the main
character Alicia is a normal woman who begins to be chased and tortured by a cursed Voodoo doll.
She eventually destroyed the doll by "fl[inging] the doll" inside an oven to burn it to smoke
(Matheson 8). In Matheson's writing, Alicia had to perform acts that she had never thought she
would ever have to do. Alicia loses her humanity due to this supernatural object. Alicia finally loses
her innocence when the doll takes over her body and mind to want to kill just like the doll did.
Alicia then calls

Postmodersm In Gothic
In his seminal study Gothic, Botting compares Gothic literature in the eighteenth, nineteenth and
twentieth centuries with respect to their different ways of addressing terror and horror. He notes that
the novel of terror dominated the eighteenth–century gothic writings for its transgressive efficacies.
Female Gothic writers examine the terrors of patriarchal oppression while verbalizing the heroine's
anxiety about her entrapment into the confines of domesticity. In other words, the gothic heroine is
plunged into a state of terror stimulated by her own imagination yet, reflected her social reality.
Although the heroine engaged herself in a subversive journey to flee the terrors of the social order,
the gothic genre at that period espoused a restoration and revitalization of the normalised order
through the exorcism of the threatening and vicious characters, as Botting writes: "[V]illains are
punished; heroines well married" (Gothic 10).
The nineteenth–century female gothic witnessed a shift towards the ... Show more content on
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Firstly, while investigating it practicality, postmodernism revisits the belief in objective reality. It
cuts with the consistent oneness and uniformity of Truth/Reality which is stripped of its hierarchical
stance, giving much leeway for the proliferation of multiples realities and the plurality of new
stories, new texts and new fictional worlds constructed by the characters. These nascent narratives
uncover the laden discourse behind the creation of history which is constructed on the exclusion of
the peripherized and inclusion of the dominant for the sake of homogeneity. Postmodernism thus,
while interrogating the tenability of objectivity, divulges the unreliability of authentic
representations. Accordingly, as the centre no longer holds, Reality is relativized Truth is

Gothic Elements In Gothic Literature
Natalie Earl
Mrs. Kanney
Honors ELA 9
3 October, 2017
Uses of Gothic Literature in Short Stories
The style of Gothic Literature was invented around 1764. The Gothic style writing is composed of at
least one or more of the essential gothic elements. Edgar Allen Poe is a famous author of many
mysterious and dark literary works. Most of his stories are said to likely be inspired by personal
horrors. Nathaniel Hawthorne, famous author of The Scarlet Letters uses a similar style based
around dark romanticism often with moral messages and deep psychological complexity. Edgar
Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories, 'The Cask of Amontillado' and 'The Minister's Black
Veil' both demonstrate different, and some of the same elements of gothic literature.
'The Cask of Amontillado' conveys a deep rooting in gothic literature. Poe makes use of a medieval
setting and overwrought emotion to solidify this particular style of writing. The narrator, Montresor,
delineates his descent with Fortunato into the vaults: "I passed down a long and winding staircase...
we stood together on damp ground of the catacombs" (Poe 3). An element often prominent in gothic
literature is the usage of a castle with secrets passages and/or dark, hidden or otherwise ominous
staircases. The Cask of Amontillado's descriptions of the catacombs, vaults and staircase gives the
reader the same kind of eerie feeling. Additionally, Fortunato displays high emotion near the end of
the story. When he realizes his

Gothic Literature Developing in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, gothic elements have
appeared in many pieces of literature. They consist of stories of misery, mystery, consequences, and
the supernatural to invoke a feeling of horror and darkness. Stories like Victor Hugo's The
Hunchback of Notre Dame, become defining pieces in this style's formation. Many authors were
inspired by this movement to create a prolific number of new gothic stories: William Faulkner's A
Rose for Emily, Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker, Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat,
Richard Matheson's Prey, and Horacio Quiroga's The Feather Pillow. The employed the symbolic
descriptions of an eerie setting as parallels to characters' situations and stories. Through these dark
plots, many characters lose parts of themselves, especially their innocence, depicting humanity's
capabilities of evil and change. Settings and places of the pieces serve to represent a character and
the situations they have or will come across. In the Devil and Tom Walker, Tom and his wife lived in
a "forlorn–looking house that stood alone and had an air of starvation" (Irving 322). All the
meanwhile, he and his wife held a hostile and aggressive relationship with each other; hiding
possessions from each other and constantly fighting for the neighbors to hear. Their house was their
relationship. It stood alone and forlorn as the husband and wife pushed each other away. The house
was starved as they starved one

Gothic Elements Of Gothic
The Gothic genre is a product of the Romantic era and is believed to have started with Horace
Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto' in the late eighteenth century; the popularity of the genre
continued throughout the nineteenth century and still has influence in modern times, as evident in
Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' and the film adaptation of 'The Turn of the Screw': Jack Clayton's
1961 'The Innocents'. Gothic literature and cinema are famously known for their staple elements
present in almost every text. Some of the most notable features of these texts are the supernatural,
isolation, and women in distress. These elements are, arguably, what makes Gothic fiction so
unique. In particular, these details create an overall suspenseful and otherworldly atmosphere, they
also aid the story to reach its climax. Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' and Clayton's 'The Innocents' are examples
of these Gothic features working together to create an enigmatic and theatrical story. 'Jane Eyre'
follows the story of an orphan governess who, by fate, becomes romantically entangled with a
wealthy gentleman who has dark secrets. Similarly, 'The Innocents' also observes the narrative of a
plain governess who is employed to take care of strange children who live in a grand house full of
mystery and concealment.
The most famous element of Gothic fiction is the supernatural. When thinking about the Gothic
genre, many are familiar with the occult–driven storylines of Stoker's 'Dracula' and Shelley's

Gothic Conventions
Poets like Keats use gothic conventions in order to curdle the blood of the reader. Gothic writers aim
to scare the reader with subject material that deals with death, gloomy settings, and horror. Writer
Eve Kosofsky Sedwick explains the different types of conventions that writers use in gothic poetry
so it stands out. Keats' poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci provides perfect examples of those gothic
conventions such as tales within tales and sleeplike states that a character goes through. Keats also
uses a gloomy setting and uses characters often seen in gothic works like an enchantress as well.
Keats uses these conventions in "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" to leave the reader wondering at the
end like the knight about what events have transpired. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This convention is used by Keats to show the reader what events happened that led to the ailment of
the knight. The knight describes how he met the enchantress and when they kissed she lulled the
knight to sleep. During this dream like state the knight encounters other victims of the enchantress
including other death–pale knights, princes, and warriors. All of these victims cry "La Belle Dame
sans Merci hath thee in thrall." La Belle Dame sans Merci, which is also the title of the poem,
translates to "the beautiful lady without mercy." This translation alone should invoke alarm to the
reader because it shows that the lady doesn't care who she kills because she has no mercy. This
enchantress captures a convention by Sedwick, which is a character with a piercing glance that is
going to imprison and murders an unsuspecting character. Although it is usually a male tyrant, in La
Belle Dame Sans Merci, Keats uses a female in which I believe is to show the reader that woman
can be evil too, which is horrific to think about. The title in itself is also a gothic convention
according to Sedwick because the reader can predict its contents with unnerving certainty. The form
or diction of Keats' poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci, could be best described as a ballad, which is a
poem that narrates a tale in short stanzas. An unidentified character that finds the ailing knight
speaks the

Gothic Elements In Gothic
Gothic Elements in Northanger "Horrid" Novels
The scope of this chapter is to introduce selected Gothic novels in order to analyse Gothic elements.
The Mysteries of Udolpho is presented first, since it is an exemplary novel regarded as a model of
Female Gothic literature. Furthermore, four Northanger novels are compared to this model analysis
to show whether it is possible to label them as copies of Radcliffe. The analysis focuses on several
elements: setting, nature, supernatural, suspense and characters.
2.1 The Mysteries of Udolpho
Ann Radcliffe published The Mysteries of Udolpho in 1794. Emily St. Aubert, a young girl from
formerly wealthy family, loses her mother and accompanies her father on a trip around France.
There she meets Valancourt who immediately wins her sympathies. Soon after, Emily's father dies
and she has to live with his sister, Madame Cheron. However, her aunt is under the influence of
Montoni, whom she eventually marries, and he spoils the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Radcliffe's contribution is described in chapter 1 and since she influenced all of the authors of the
Northanger novels, including Jane Austen herself, the analysis of The Mysteries of Udolpho is
presented to show a model of contemporary Gothic fiction and serves as a ground for demonstrating
the Gothic elements in the "horrid" novels. Radcliffe set the novel in 1584 in the catholic Europe,
the characters travel between Italy and France. There are detailed descriptions of nature, especially
in the first half of the book, as Emily travels accompanied by her father and later by Madame
Cheron and Montoni. However, the extensive descriptions may cause inattention. Consequently, the
marvellous nature often inspires Emily to compose a

Gothic elements are used exquisitely and meticulously in gothic–era short stories to portray the type
of mood the author is portraying to the reader. Examples of this are exemplified in: "The Devil and
Tom Walker" by: Washington Irving, "The Feather Pillow" by: Horacio Quiroga, "A Rose for
Emily" by: William Faulkner, "The Black Cat" by: Edgar Allan Poe, "Prey" by: Richard Matheson,
and "The Raven" by: Edgar Allan Poe. These stories, specifically, are significant because they utilize
ambiguity and entrapment, both primary elements commonly used in this type of literature. Authors
use core gothic elements, especially the ones listed above, because the feeling the author is
attempting to strike into the reader, is a feeling that he has ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The "one room in that region above the stairs which no one had seen for forty years" is about to be
explored after Emily dies and the whole town is anxious. The secrecy Emily has kept on that room
creates a mysterious mood for the reader who wants to know what exactly is up there. When the
anonymous narrator of "The Raven" by: Edgar Allan Poe, is talking about his wife, he mentions her
as "nameless here forevermore" in the beginning, the only time he mentions her in the entire story,
never explaining her demise. In creating this ambiguity early in the story, the reader subconsciously
creates the question in their mind about the abstract nature of the death of his significant other for
the rest of the story. Poe's development of this gloomy, abstract mood makes the reader
uncomfortable as many situations in real life may seem very irregular and suspicious due to the lack
of information. The synthesis of the gloomy mood and ambiguity of the situation creates the shutters
down the spine of the reader just as the past two stories have. Knowledge generates a powerful
advantage for human beings in situations therefore, the lack thereof, cultivates just the opposite.
Gothic authors use ambiguity to enthrall the reader into the text and keep them on the edges of their
seats thirsting for more.
Loss of control of a situation and especially the idea of being trapped and having

Extreme Violence and Horrific Nightmares Gothic literature uses wide ranging themes and gothic
elements to convey its story. Gothic literature short stories can range from romance to horror to
supernatural occurrences. Horacio Quiroga's "The Feather Pillow," Richard Matheson's "Prey," and
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" all incorporate the following gothic elements: violence, revenge,
hallucinations, nightmares, and psychological issues.
Horacio Quiroga's gothic romantic story "The Feather Pillow," and other works such as Richard
Matheson's "Prey" and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" all encompass the reoccurring theme of
psychological issues. In "The Feather Pillow," Quiroga illustrates the balance between life and death
and a healthy versus tainted relationship. Alicia is mentally and physically destroyed by her
marriage to Jordan. When Alicia is bedridden with an incurable disease, the nightmares and
hallucinations slowly begin. One night while she was sleeping she was suddenly awoke and "her
staring she was suddenly transfixed. After a while she opens her mouth to scream and her nostrils
and lips were headed with sweat" (Quiroga 1). This continued to happen to Alicia. The parasite was
sucking the life out of her. After being sick for some time, "Alicia began to hallucinate. The visions
were confused and floating to start with and then came to ground level" (Quiroga 1). The
psychological issues and hallucinations suddenly became worse. In Richard Matheson's gothic

Gothic Elements Of Gothic Literature
the use of gothic description to provide accounts of pleasuring horror stories. Some of the most
well–known works of horror included the Arabian Nights and Ferdinand Count Fathom (pg. 591).
Other known gothic stories, particularly, From the Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe, and The
Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, also provided a sense of terror to their readers (pg. 591). In
these two novels, architectural environments conveyed a sense of dread, fear, and terror by
incorporating literally elements that invoked frightening and horrifying sensations, which gave these
stories, a horrific pleasure that its readers desired. One of the most notable literally elements used in
the two poems was the use of gloomy scenery to set an ominous atmosphere that contributed to the
poem's sense of horror. For example, in the Castle of Otranto, Lord Manfred announced to Isabella
he desired her hand in marriage and then proceeded to pursue her. At that same instance, it was
written, "when the moon, which was now up and gleamed in at the opposite casement, presented to
his slight the plumes of the fatal helmet, which rose to the height of the windows, waving backwards
and forwards in a tempestuous manner, and accompanied with a hollow and rustling sound"
(Walpole 587). This description illustrated Manfred's character to appear more horrifying and evil,
which built onto the amount of fear that was being experienced. Similarly, in, The Romance of the
Forest, after Adeline

Gothic Conventions
Gothic literature has an incredibly vast and important history. It is based off of gothic architecture
and became a genre in literature in the late 1700s. This genre was created by the rejection of
predictability and this sent writers to the "murky past", The Middle Ages, to write about
(Snodgrass). Overall, this time period provided substantial inspiration for gothic literature because it
was highly contrasting with its prominent improvements and horrible crimes. Later on, in the 18th
century, gothic literature evolved from being about the Middle Ages to current problems with
contemporary culture and social problems of the specific time era. Each time period and each
different place in the world had different subjects that gothic literature ... Show more content on
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This genre is so appealing to use for movies since it has such a strong sense of morbidness,
suspense, horror, and overall creepiness. In essence, all of these the emotions and gut instincts are
what make these movies so appealing to an audience and make these conventions so popular. In the
long run, many movies are recreated or based on popular gothic stories. Horror and romantic movies
are the most influenced by gothic literature with mystery and action movies being very closely
influenced as well. With how well gothic conventions have blended into modern it becomes almost
impossible to see where the influence of gothic literatures begins and ends. On the whole, these
movies are influenced by gothic conventions such as: dissolution of the family structure, mental
breakdowns, elements of the supernatural, dark and foreboding nature, and hundreds more. All in
all, this very clearly shows how important gothic literature is to contemporary culture, even though
it is becoming more difficult to distinguish what is gothic

Gothic Elements : Gothic Elements
ii. Gothic Elements
Inexplicable Events « "It was at that moment that the stage was suddenly plunged in darkness. It
happened so quickly that the spectators hardly had time to utter a sound of stupefaction, for the gas
at once lit up the stage again. But Christine Daae was no longer there!" » – p. 141 This passage
portrays one of many peculiar events that happen throughout the novel: crashing glass chandeliers,
the disappearance of Christine Daae, and the sudden hanging of the stagehand, just to name a few.
The explanations for these events are mentioned at the end of the story, but until then, it sets the
atmosphere of mystery and suspense throughout the book.
Woman Threatened by a Powerful, Impulsive, Tyrannical Male « "'I felt sure that I had fallen into
the hands of a madman. I ran round my little apartment, looking for a way of escape which I could
not find. I upbraided myself for my absurd superstition, which had caused me to fall into the trap. I
felt inclined to laugh and to cry at the same time.'" »
– Christine, p. 123
This passage describes Christine's feelings towards Erik, which is fear of what he might choose to
do. He is obsessed with her and keeps her imprisoned, and also possesses a very unstable
personality. It's shown when he kneels at Christine's feet, claiming his respect and admiration of her,
but also when he kidnaps her twice and forces her to marry him or blow up the entire opera theatre.
There's no way she can escape either, whether

The Southern Gothic Is A Subgenre Of Gothic Fiction. The
The Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction. The Southern Gothic is best defined as a story
filled with irony, characters who fit the grotesque factor, social issues, violence, southern settings,
decay, outsiders, Civil War, and even slavery and race. Throughout Modern Southern Fiction, these
factors which create the Southern Gothic can be found in almost every literary work. In the novel by
Dorothy Allison titled Bastard Out of Carolina which was published in 1922, nearly every factor that
plays a role in the Southern Gothic can be found within, specifically the southern setting, social
settings, outsiders, the grotesque, and violence. In Bastard Out of Carolina, the setting in which the
characters reside in is a small town of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
None of them are quite the same, in actuality, they are all quite different from one another, but the
one thing that makes them not outsiders to one another is the idea that all Boatwrights look the
same, that is, not all do, which causes there to be some type of "outsider" feel to some in the family.
The Boatwrights are looked down upon and it stems from the fact that nobody in the town likes
them. There is a grandmother who curses and chews snuff, there are two crazy aunts who dive into
the theory of witchcraft, there is an aunt who ran off with the carnival, there are uncles who are
beating up men left and right, there is Bone's mother who becomes pregnant at fourteen, and there is
even Bone and a cousin of hers who are quiet and that differentiates them from the rest of the
family. One can argue that Bone's mother, Anney, while unlike the other Boatwrights, meaning that
she is not wild and not running off to beat up whoever gets in her way, is the biggest outsider in the
town and causes the most abject social issues. Due to falling pregnant at the age of fourteen, Anney
was instantly looked down upon. The town saw those who gave birth to bastards as being the worst
of anything, therefore when Anney had to go downtown every year to sign the paperwork for Bone,
those who were in the courthouse looked down upon her, but she did not let that phase her. She was
a Boatwright and she was going to hold her

Gothic Writings : The Themes Of Gothic Literature
Many gothic writers compose their stories with a hidden meaning or lesson within the piece. They
base their work upon what they notice in the world or what they are feeling in the depths of their
heart. However, if there was one word to describe the tone many of these writers use when writing
gothic literature– it would be 'negative'. These writers seem to focus on the main themes of horror,
death, and sometimes romance. For example, in gothic works such as "Prey", "A Rose for Emily",
and "The Black Cat" each writer focuses on the weaknesses and faults of a character to show each of
the characters loss of innocence and personal experience of bizarre occurrences.
The authors of these gothic works develop their characters in a faultless fashion. The characters
seem to be portrayed as simple people who live like the rest of us. That is until a fateful event in the
story causes them to lose their sanity and pureness. In "Prey" by Richard Matheson, the main
character Alicia is a normal woman who begins to be chased and tortured by a cursed Voodoo doll.
She eventually destroyed the doll by "fl[inging] the doll" inside an oven to burn it to smoke
(Matheson 8). In Matheson's writing, Alicia had to perform acts that she had never thought she
would ever have to do. Alicia loses her humanity due to this supernatural object. Alicia finally loses
her innocence when the doll takes over her body and mind to want to kill just like the doll did.
Alicia then calls her mom and says, "I'm

Photography and The Gothic
The photographs taken by Terry Evans in the collection "Heartland" show a range of perspectives of
the Midwest prairie. "Heartland" displays characteristics of the traditional Gothic through the
combination of wide landscapes and dilapidated factories. Photos from three collections portray the
transition of the untouched landscape to an overgrown and gothic scene. The first photos of the
gothic transition come from the "Prairie Images of Ground and Sky" collection. The collection
shows untouched nature that gives a feeling of the sublime. It shows wide green expanses, bathed in
warm light, that shows a raw beauty and goodness created by nature. This feeling of the sublime is a
major aspect of the gothic due to its ability to provide ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This feeling is better reflected in the "Matfield Green" collection that depicts the green expanse that
is similar to the "Prairie Images of Ground and Sky" collection but also includes things such as
railroads and power lines that show that the area is populated. This collection adds an aspect of the
isolated landscape and fear of isolation because there is a sparse dotting of humans across the large
expanse that gives the viewer the knowledge that there are inhabitants around, but not seen or
directly noticed. The element of isolation in nature is demonstrated in The Mysteries of Udolpho
and The Turn of the Screw by Udolpho and the House at Bly through their setting in isolated
landscapes with weak tethers to the rest of civilization. The idea of overcoming this isolation is also
present in the novels. Emily in The Mysteries of Udolpho escapes the isolation to safety. The
Governess in The Turn of the Screw hopes to do the same by connection with the Man from Harley
Street but is not as lucky. The effect of the isolated landscape with an unknown element causes the
reader and viewer to become suspicious of their surroundings and uneasy with the sublime
landscape due to the possibility that something evil is residing within it and give a more traditional
gothic feel. The third collection that completes a gothic picture of the Midwest shows the ruins of
the prairie. "Steel Work –

Gothic Imagery
The descriptions in Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher" are visual and can
easily be adapted from words into mental images. Poe employs gothic imagery throughout the entire
story using the narrators descriptions. He incorporates many examples of vivid descriptions but, he
also in detail gives the reader background information. In the opening paragraphs of the story, Poe
communicates to the audience of the Usher family's history, " that his very ancient family had been
noted,"(7). Their importance to their community is because of their passion towards the arts. The
story focuses on a narrator reuniting with his boyhood friend, Usher, at his mansion due to the crisis
of his dying sister, Madeline. The narrator provides companionship ... Show more content on
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It makes the reader picture the house in nothing but sorrow and dullness, feeding into the common
elements of gothic literature. It is very difficult to incorporate the sense of smell into a story but Poe
does this well,"which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn–a
pestilent and mystic vapor, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden–hued"(10). As shown
above Poe integrates the five senses through the narrators representation of the house. In like
manner, Poe uses detailed information to delineate foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is used
constantly throughout this story. It is even used in the title "The Fall of the House of Usher", due to
the crumbling of the house at the end of the story. Imagery can play a helping hand in intensifying
foreshadowing. If one can exacerbate the visualization an event or setting using detailed descriptions
it will be far more easier for them to recall how events from the beginning of a story relate to events
at the end. In this case imagery and foreshadowing go hand in hand in creating a true gothic
literature piece. When using the theme

Gothic Literature : The Gothic Genre
Katelyn Tiamson
English Honors IV
Mrs. Schroder
8 December 2016
Frankenstein
Gothic literature is a style of writing that contains elements of both horror and romance. This genre
allows readers to experience a mix of horror and romance intertwined. Within the gothic genre there
are elements of supernatural events, beings, and gloomy day settings. This style of writing became
popular in the late 18th century and early 19 century. Many give credit to it's uprising to author
Horace Walpole, who wrote The Castle of Otranto (1764). His book contains all the elements that
constitute the gothic genre. Frankenstein fits perfectly into the gothic category because the gloomy
and mysterious setting is placed where most readers think of it as ... Show more content on
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This hints to the reader that Victor is in a graveyard and has little regard for human life when he
calls the once living food for the worms.
Gothic literature has a strong presence of the supernatural world and with that comes mystery.
Supernatural can be defined by events that science and nature cannot explain, these event are
considered magical or otherworldly. Within this work of literature Victor Frankenstein raises the
dead to create a monster. Shelly makes this a mystery to the readers because she never goes into
detail on the science of how to create this being. "So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of
Frankenstein–more, far more will I achieve treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a
new way, explore unknown powers and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation" (
Shelly 46). This quote lets the reader sees how Frankenstein has an interest in a supernatural world
and will stop at nothing to create his monster even if it means venturing into the unknown of
science. In order for Victor to achieve his desire of bringing someone back from the dead, Shelly lets
the reader knows this creature was made by using many different body parts from different people,
"I collected bones from charnel houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets
of the human frame" (55 Shelly). This scene is especially gruesome because it gives the

Gothic can be defined as "literature dealing with the strange, mysterious, and supernatural designed
to invoke suspense and terror in the reader." (Pickering, 2004, p. 1425) Gothic literature generally
presents the same themes and motifs: love lost, hidden secrets, love and death hand in hand, beauty,
youth, grotesque characters, macabre eroticism, etc. Gothic literature also explores taboo subjects
such as murder, suicide and incest. "A Rose for Emily", by William Faulkner, is representative of the
Southern Gothic stories since the themes of love lost, death, and murder are present in it. There are
many elements that hint at the Gothic nature of the story: Emily's description, her house, the poison
she bought, and finally the ending. Emily, the protagonist, used to be the perfect young and rich lady
living with her father, but now she is an old woman living alone in her crumbling house. However,
the inhabitants of the city she where she lives respect her. Throughout the story, the author describes
her as being weird and lonely. "She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water,
and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of
coal pressed into a lump of dough." She is described as a living death. This description creates
suspense for the readers. Then, later on in the story, Emily denies her father's death and refuses to let
people come in her house to get the body. "She told them that her father

Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and
melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, and dread.
The gothic world is dark and can contain evil, dark and mysteries. The short stories "A Rose for
Emily" written by William Faulkner, "The Black Cat" written by Edgar Allen Poe, "Prey" written by
Richard Matheson, "The Feather Pillow", written by Horacio Quiroga and the novel "The Night
Circus" written by Erin Morgenstern all represent several gothic elements. Isolation or entrapment is
a gothic element that is found in "The Night Circus", "A Rose for Emily" and "The Feather Pillow ".
Violence or revenge is a gothic element that is well represented by the short stories "The Black Cat",
"Prey" and the novel "The Night Circus". The narrators use these types of gothic elements to prove
that if you stay away from people around you or force others to isolate themselves from the world
and act evil towards others, it will lead to your own catastrophe.
In the short story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, Miss Emily stays locked in her house
guarding a morbid secret. That happened after her dad dies and her boyfriend skips town. One
example of isolation foreshadowing Emily's own desolation. The narrator expresses her loneliness
as "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly
saw her at an" (Faulkner/ ). The main character also suffers

The term 'gothic' is mostly connected to an angst adolescent with jet black hair, heavy onyx eyeliner,
and charcoal clothings, among other characteristics. However, it goes more deep than that.
According to Study.com, 'gothic literature' refers to a style of writing that relates to horror, death,
and gloom and others. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner recounts a dysfunctional woman
named Emily Grierson who was born into an aristocratic family, where the townspeople believed
she was scornful and a chore they held. When her father passed away, Emily slowly and surely
became mentally sick. In the end, it is revealed that she killed Homer Garner, her homosexual
partner. Faulkner's 1930 classic is a prime example of this genre due to the elements it includes such
as the elements of decay, the isolation of the protagonist and damsel in distress, and the high
emotions that are exerted by the main character. One of the elements of gothic literature is the
element of decay, both in their building structure and family structure. In the second paragraph of
Chapter 1, the setting is described ("It was a big, squarish frame that had once been white, decorated
with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on
what had once been our most select street. But garages and cotton gins had encroached and
obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood, only Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its
stubborn and coquettish decay

Gothic Comparison
Gothic Comparison Gothic literature is often composed of various types of mysterious and dark
elements. The writer usually adds these different elements to express a more eerie and complex
story to the reader to comprehend the underlying components within the story. A famous gothic
writer who is known for using these elements brilliantly in his work is Edgar Allen Poe. He is
known for his many works of cryptic and enigmatic stories. Edgar Allen Poe's stories are considered
old classics of gothic literature and his works are classified as American Romanticism Gothic.
Another well–known gothic writer is Joyce Carol Oates. Her works are classified as American
Contemporary Gothic because of her modern day take on old–fashioned gothic literature and putting
the elements of gothic literature to stories with a more modern reality.
Both writers have very famous works that are quite well–known among the public. For example,
one of Poe's more famous works is "The Fall of the House of Usher" and one of Oates' more famous
work is "Where is Here?". Both stories have some differences between them due to the writing style
of each respective writer and the different sub–genres of gothic literature that each story is in. In
Poe's story, the setting of the story is the dreary mansion that is described as very bleak and
melancholy with decaying trees, which gives off a sense of dismay and creepiness right from the
start. While Poe's story shows the elements of gothic literature through the

Gothic Elements Of Monsters In Gothic Literature
Gothic Literature has many different elements that create it. One of them is the Gothic element of
monsters. Monsters can appear in many different shapes and sizes throughout different literature
pieces, but they all create a sense of fear and dreariness. The aftermath of the story is different for
each monster. Some can be very dire while others can be stagnant. Monsters can all have different
motives like having the unquenchable thirst for blood. Therefore, the Gothic element of monsters is
prevalent inside of Gothic literature. Monsters might hide their true nature and disguise themselves
among humans. Then the monster will trick others into signing away their soul. The monster inside
of The Devil and Tom Walker is like this. He seems like a strange man try to strike a deal with Tom,
but in reality he is the devil and takes Tom's soul for the price of buried treasure. Tom's greedy wife
tries to take the treasure, but is killed and Tom finds "a heart and liver..." (Irving 328) wrapped
inside a checked apron. When Tom takes the treasure the Devil does not return until Tom states that
"The devil take [him] if [he] had made a farthing!" (Irving 331) the devil then returns to take Tom to
the depths of hell for all eternity. This ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this short story the main character has a dilemma she becomes sick and starts to rest in her bed.
The longer she lays in bed the worse she seems to become until she had succumbed. The women's
husband is looking over the bed she had rested in and tries to pick up the pillow, but notices that the
pillow is extremely heavy. He then takes the pillow to a nearby table and rips it open, and "[a]t the
bottom of the pillowcase, among the feathers, slowly moving its hairly legs, was a monstrous, living
vicious ball" (Quiroga 2). The monster had suck the women dry of all of her blood, causing her
death and truly revealing the true

Gothic Elements Essay The American Romantic literary period was during the time of westward
expansion. The main ideas of romantic writers included imagination, intuition, idealism, inspiration,
and individuality. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the best gothic writers of the romantic era publishing,
over fifty stories. The Cask of Amontillado is one of Poe's great short stories about pride and
revenge. Washington Irving was another author of the romantic period who wrote gothic literature.
His most famous work was probably The Devil and Tom Walker which is a story about greed and
decisions. The Cask of Amontillado and The Devil and Tom Walker are by two different prominent
authors, but are very similar in their gothic elements. The Cask of Amontillado and The Devil and
Tom Walker had some very similar themes that were commonly found in gothic writing. The shared
themes between these two stories are revenge and pride. In The Cask of Amontillado the narrator
wants revenge because someone insulted his family name. "I learned that he had laughed at my
proud name"(Poe). He is driven to kill because of the pride he has in his family name. While in The
Devil and Tom Walker the husband and wife are both always trying to get revenge on each other and
all the people get revenge on Tom when he dies and all their contracts are burnt up. Tom is also so
prideful in his job and money that he doesn't realize that he has sold his soul to the devil. The gothic
themes found in these

Gothic Elements : The Elements Of Gothic Literature
Gothic literature is a deliciously terrifying blend of horror and romance. From Walpole's Castle of
Otranto to Shelley's Frankenstein and Stoker's infamous Dracula, as well as Edgar Allen poe's The
Tell–Tale Heart, the Gothic novel has been around for centuries, and, despite a few major changes,
has maintained some of the basic elements of classic Gothic romance since its very origins. The
height of Gothic literature, which was closely aligned with Romanticism, is usually considered to
have been the years 1764–1840, but its influence extends to the present day. Gothic literature was
focused on elements of death, decay and both physical and psychological terror. These elements
were often portrayed by setting, characterization, form, and recurring motifs. The Gothic style also
suggests a belief in the supernatural and thus many gothic texts contain an air of mystery and
intrigue. Another key aspect in any gothic text is 'evil'. During the emergence of the Gothic literary
movement, it is perhaps not surprising that the period was characterised by widespread terror,
namely from the French Revolution. Subsequently, the genre became very popular among writers as
it enabled them to express their sympathy and concern over such political movements. The presence
of the quintessential elements of gothic horror consequently helped to make the genre so alluring to
both readers and authors. 'The Castle of Otranto', written by Horace Walpole in 1764, is widely
considered to be the first

Gothic And Gothic Literature : Wuthering Heights
Essential Question: How are elements of a Gothic tradition present in Wuthering Heights?
Gothic literature includes elements of style that is usually portrayed in tales and deals with horror,
despair, the grotesque, and mysteries. In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, there are
many elements of gothic literature that is found throughout the book. The term gothic is very broad
in literature, and gothic can mean many different things from characteristics of people, feelings and
reactions of a specific setting, mood, actions that happen being people, and so much more. All of
this thrived in the 19th century. Gothic is categorized by an emphasis on the dark, gloomy, and
mysterious. Ideas such as magic, hidden passages, wind, ghosts, and other supernatural elements,
love, etc were all elements in the Gothic movement during the 19th century. Specifically, the
descriptions of the settings, both outside and inside, in the novel, the actions of the main
protagonists in the novel, and the love between Catherine and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights all
add on to this idea of a gothic literature or tradition.
The description of the setting of Wuthering Heights is described so thoroughly, which emphasizes
the gothic tradition in this book. It is 1801 and Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange,
writes in his diary that he has rented a house in the Yorkshire countryside, or New England. After he
arrived there, he visits his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. Heathcliff lives

Gothic Literature : The Southern Gothic Fiction
Authors use morbidly dark and eccentric characters combined with southern charm and the ever–
present gender divide to tell stories that represent a writing style known as southern gothic literature.
"Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place
exclusively in the American South. Elements of a Gothic treatment of the South were apparent in the
19th century, ante– and post–bellum, in the grotesques of Henry Clay Lewis and the de–idealized
visions of Mark Twain.[3] The genre came together, however, only in the 20th century, when Dark
Romanticism, Southern humour, and the new Naturalism merged into a new and powerful form of
social critique." (Wikipedia) Almost all stories told in the southern gothic genre have blemished
characters that act in strange and weird manners, often told with dark, deadly humor. Set in the
south, story lines are always ominous and disastrous focusing on poverty, estrangement, illegal
activity and/or brutality. These writings are fraught with gender bias and typically centered on
common southern themes such as the downfall of the southern upper class and the futility of the
southern plantation. Southern gothic style attempts to uncover social issues specific to the south
with the use of ghoulish and ironic events, disturbing and damaged characters, and grotesque themes
ultimately revealing a less than desirable culture. Perverted countryside settings became the norm,
with southern gothic writings

Gothic Literature : The Characteristics Of Gothic Fiction
Gothic literature is the literature of love and terror. This genre of fiction is considered the new
literary movement. It has many characteristics that distinguish it amongst all available genres in the
English literature. The most significant characteristic of both, old, and new Gothic literatures is the
existence of the plot. One can argue that without the plot, Gothic literature would make no sense.
Horace Walpole was the first Gothic writer who invented the Gothic story. His first novel, The
Castle of Otranto, was plotted from the beginning until the end. It is fair enough to say that Walpole
indeed did set the standard for all of the Gothic writers who followed him. The Castle of Otranto had
the scenery, the old castle, the protagonists along with the other characters; the romance, the lust, the
mystery, the crimes, and all of them took place in a perfect setting that would bring terror the reader.
In Walpole's case, his whole story was stimulated by a dream that presented a real complication of
paranormal phenomena in his mind. Hence, the plot was very significant to present his obscure
vision of the non–rational and the unreasonable events in this story. Framing his narrative was
necessary for it to succeed, and the only way to achieve that was through plotting. The Castle of
Otranto was structured properly in terms of the rules of melodrama. There was nothing unnecessary
in its details, and everything flowed smoothly. What was fascinating in the story was that

Gothic Elements: Common Elements In A Gothic Novel
Horace Walpole and Samuel Taylor Coleridge Common elements in a gothic novel Before going
into the two stories and the gothic elements in those novels it would be wise to mention some
common elements that are found in gothic novels. These are: – Gloomy, decaying setting (haunted
houses or castles with secret passages/trapdoors) – Supernatural beings – Curses or prophecies –
Damsels in distress – Heroes – Romance – Intense emotions – Suspense and mystery Gothic novels
rose to popularity because for the English the late 18th and 19th centuries were a time of great
discovery and exploration in the fields of science, religion, and industry. The people both revered
and questioned the existence of god and the novels produced in this time allowed the people to
explore these ideas. Gothic novels ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The novel states in its summary that it "tells the story of Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family."
Assuming that Manfred is the protagonist of this story the setting would presumably take place in
and near his homestead. Also, by looking at the title itself the reader can tell that a castle will most
likely be involved. We later, throughout the story, find out that the entire plot revolves around the
castle and who the rightful owner is of said castle. 2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense The
story "The Castle of Otranto" created a sense of mystery and suspense when a gigantic helmet
unexpectingly falls from overhead killing Conrad, the lord of the castle's only heir. This is when
tension begins to build up within the story causing the next elements of a gothic novel to come into
play. Next to that there's also a lot of suspense over an ancient prophecy which nobody seems to
understand (we learn later in the story that Manfred actually does) and a curse, which is a result of
this prophecy, that has befallen Manfred and his family. 3. An ancient

The Gothic Literary Movement In Gothic Literature
Gothic literature was a literary movement that focused on death, decay and both physical and
psychological terror. Gothic style also suggests a belief in the supernatural and thus many gothic
texts contain an air of mystery and intrigue. The genre was originally thought to be a response to the
Age of Reason, which was a radical notion held by Thomas Paine that criticised religion and
challenged the legitimacy of the bible. Another key aspect in any gothic text is 'evil'. Such inclusion
of these evil figures consequently helped to make visible the political view of the text..During the
emergence of the gothic literary movement, it is perhaps unsurprising that the period was
characterised by widespread terror; namely from the French Revolution. Subsequently, the genre
became very popular amongst writers as it enabled them to express their sympathy and concern over
such political movements.The presence of the quintessential elements of gothic horror consequently
helped to make the genre so alluring to both readers and authors. The Castle of Otranto, written by
Horace Walpole in 1764, is widely considered to be the first gothic romance. Walpole's intention
was to combine aspects of the Medieval romance and the modern novel. Indeed, Walpole noted that
it was "an attempt to blend the two kinds of romance, the ancient and the modern. In the former all
was imagination and improbability: in the latter, nature is always intended to be, and sometimes has
been, copied with success...".

Gothic Literature : Gothic Writing
Southern style gothic literature, which is a smaller genre of Gothic writing as a whole, is particular
to the South. This style of literature has similar aspects to Gothic lit. It concentrates on subject
matter like afterlife, absurdity, and paranormal while having numerous cryptic, unusual, brutal, and
distorted aspects. These aspects are used as tools "to explore social issues and reveal the cultural
character of the American South (Wikipedia)."
Authors of Southern Gothic style literature use imperfect characters to amplify the stories they
write, and to display more profound focal points of distasteful southern traits. The characters are
normally different from others in their society based on their psychological, physical, and or
communal disabilities. Nonetheless not all the prospects of the characters are amiss "it is more often
the case that a mixture of good and bad is found in most of the characters (McFLY)" The writers of
these stories give the main character a few good attributes; this lends itself to the reader finding
compassion and perspective for the character. Some Southern gothic authors are William Faulkner,
who wrote "A Rose for Emily", and Flannery O 'Conner, who wrote "Good Country People" and "A
Good Man is Hard to Find".
William Faulkner 's "A Rose for Emily" is an example of Southern Gothic literature. It covers many
prospects of Southern Gothic style writing, like an old unlit home, afterlife, unidentified, freaky
events, and Miss.

The Gothic Genre
The Gothic genre has been embraced by our society. It can be found in movies, books, and other
entertainment such as The Woman in Black and Batman: The Dark Knight. Through books, movies,
and other gothic examples, we can see how the gothic genre has changed from just being original in
style to being truly suspenseful by increasing the complexity of the suspense and adding focus on
the characters and their struggles. 19th Century gothic literature falls within the category of
romantic literature, but it was a reaction to the strictness and the formality of the other forms of
romantic literature. (De Vore, Domenic and Kwan) There are three important elements of gothic
literature that particularly set it apart. Those three elements are the Setting, Characters, and Plot. The
Setting is probably the single most important element of gothic literature. It is important to the story
because it sets the mood for mystery and horror. The story is usually set in a castle or a creepy old
house, with winding staircases, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It has an uneasy feeling of locals who are not real friendly to outsiders, especially when it comes to
anything to do with Mrs. Drablow and Eel Marsh house. Eel Marsh house is a perfect illustration of
the setting in a gothic novel because of its name and because it is a creepy old house that is
somehow alluring to the Arthur. Along with this, the house just happens to be located in the middle
of a marsh, and is accessible by a causeway that is only passable at certain times of the day because
during high tide, it is washed over by the marsh. Also, there are ruins near the house with the
Drablow graveyard in it, and this is where Arthur first really sees the woman in black up close. This
book certainly fulfills the gothic novel setting with it's odd local town, and an old creepy house next
to a graveyard that is in a marsh that is unreachable at certain times of the

Gothic Literature Essay
Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and
melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, and dread.
The gothic world is dark and can contain evil, dark and mysteries. The short stories "A Rose for
Emily" written by William Faulkner, "The Black Cat" written by Edgar Allen Poe, "Prey" written by
Richard Matheson, "The Feather Pillow", written by Horacio Quiroga and the novel "The Night
Circus" written by Erin Morgenstern all represent several gothic elements. Isolation or entrapment is
a gothic element that is found in "The Night Circus", "A Rose for Emily" and "The Feather Pillow ".
Violence or revenge is a gothic element that is well represented by the short stories "The Black Cat",
"Prey" and the novel "The Night Circus". The narrators use these types of gothic elements to prove
that if you stay away from people around you or force others to isolate themselves from the world
and act evil towards others, it will lead to your own catastrophe.
In the short story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, Miss Emily stays locked in her house
guarding a morbid secret. That happened after her dad dies and her boyfriend skips town. One
example of isolation foreshadowing Emily's own desolation. The narrator expresses her loneliness
as "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly
saw her at an" (Faulkner/ ). The main

The Gothic Genre Of Gothic Novels
Gothic genre in the late 18th century was founded by Horace Walpole's. He published The Castle of
Otranto, in 1764, and has been commonly recognized as the first Gothic novel. In this case, the term
Gothic referred to the novel's medieval setting in a castle in Italy, and many of the Gothic novels
that followed would similarly be set in castles from the distant past, often in European countries still
dominated (from an English point of view) by the Catholic Church (www.saylor.org). As the genre
advanced, Gothic expanded to include all kinds of writings that contained mysteries, from time to
time supernatural events; extreme emotions, especially elements of terror; complex plots with
heroines imprisoned in ancient castles or abbeys with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
So much indeed was he fascinated by the voice, that a most painful curiosity was excited as to her
countenance, which he fancied must express all the sensibility of character that the modulation of
her tones indicated " (Radcliffe 7).
At the start of the book, Ann Radcliffe shows us that attractiveness and charm completes an
important role throughout the novel. However, it will not be an exposed awareness, Radcliffe
insinuates the component of trickery joined with the characters part of their social order. Vivaldi is
infatuated by a beautiful girl's sweetness of her voice and the grace of her person, the girl, being
Ellena. In his eyes she is flawless and innocent, he can't stop himself from falling in love with her.
At this point, sex and beauty transpire into being the masterminds of deception and destruction.
Vivaldi gets close to Ellena by following her and her elderly companion in the hope of catching a
glimpse of her features. However, Ellena steps back further hiding behind her veil. Therefore,
creating a space of conspiracy which causes Ellena to be more desirable to Vivaldi. The veil is the
first item that is pronounced in the novel, with someone not knowing what gothic tropes are, this
clearly points out the tone of the book. Vivaldi's interest in Ellena signifies the pursuing of
mysteries, of what beauty hides behind the veil. Therefore, the veil is submersed with sexual desire.
The statement previously mentioned is

The Themes Of Gothic Elements In Gothic Literature
Gothic Elements Gothic literature became prevalent in the late 18th century, but the most popular
gothic works were produced in the mid 19th century. This style of writing focuses on gloomy,
supernatural, and unsettling themes. Examples of these themes would be an eerie setting or location,
and the theme of isolation, abandonment, or entrapment. Notable works that incorporate these
themes include Williams Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily", Washington Irving's " The Devil and Tom
Walker", and Richard Matheson's "Prey". These authors use an eerie setting or location in their
stories to foreshadow negative or evil events to come. Additionally, the authors use the theme of
isolation, abandonment, or entrapment to create suspense for the reader as they feel cut off from
reality. The gothic theme of incorporating an eerie setting or location is used to foreshadow evil
events to come and make the reader feel uneasy. An eerie setting is used in William Faulkner's "The
Devil and Tom Walker" when Tom Walker travels through a gloomy swamp. Tom Walker travels
through the "melancholy" swamp when "his staff struck against something hard. He raked it out of
the vegetable mold and lo! A cloven skull, with an Indian tomahawk buried deep in it, lay before
him" (Irving 323). Swamps are often associated with danger and mystery as they are difficult to
navigate and often contain deadly creatures or diseases. The skull adds to this sense of danger and
death in the area because it shows the potential fate of any who enter the swamp. Another work that
utilizes an eerie location is William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." Miss Emily's house "was left,
lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps–an
eyesore among eyesores" (Faulkner 1). In gothic literature, a decaying or dilapidated house is most
often a sign of the physical or mental decay of the owner. This eerie location conveys to the reader
the poor condition of Miss Emily before her death and possibly her unstable mental condition. A
third work that utilizes an eerie setting is Richard Matheson's "Prey". When Amelia comes home, it
was "almost dark when [she] came back into the living room" (Matheson 2). Matheson mentions the
darkness and

Female Gothic As A Literary Era Of Gothic Literature
The term gothic serves as the ideal backdrop for a literary era of suspense, mystery, and terror. A
haunted mansion bursting with secrets, a naïve helpless heroine, and the male hero that saves the
day are all quintessentially gothic. When Ellen Moers first coined the term "Female Gothic" in her
1976 book, Literary Women, she defined it as "the work that women writers have done in the
literary mode that, since the eighteenth century have been termed Gothic" (Moers). Her argument
that Female Gothic literature is a code for women's fear of domestic entrapment, especially within
their own bodies as was mainly experienced in childbirth and motherhood, was quite influential.
Anne Williams, in her book The Art of Darkness: A Poetics of Gothic, argues that Female Gothic
can be further dissected to include its intention to criticize the patriarchy while educating and
socializing its female readers with an affirmation of absolute independence and strength. The
Female Gothic is often pursued and haunted by a villainous patriarchal figure, but finds salvation on
her own accord and more importantly, within herself. Another element of Female gothic is madness
and monstrosity as an explanation for why the female would deviate from the conventional norm.
"Gerald's Game," an adaptation of a Stephen King novel by the same title, can be analyzed from the
Female Gothic lens, suggesting that the gothic literature mechanisms can also be applied to
contemporary tales of female strength and

Gothic Conventions
Through the use of common themes incorporated into gothic literature, Edgar Allen Poe and Anne
Rice create universal appeal to their readers. Anne Rice's Interview With A Vampire and Edgar Allan
Poe's The Raven and Dream Within A Dream all create paradoxes whether within the characters self
or in society. Interview With A Vampire uses gothic conventions as subversion into the deeper ideas
of humanity within the supernatural. Edgar Allen Poe's poems discover the insanity of psychological
terror subverted through gothic description and setting. Therefore through subverting gothic
conventions into gothic texts, Anne Rice and Edgar Allan Poe create an enduring universal appeal to
the reader.
Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven subverts gothic conventions ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Poe uses darkness as intrinsic to humanity to explore the more unknown terror of living in a false
reality. As Poe distorts the world around the protagonist of the poem, the reader absorbs the blurred
lines of reality surrounding him. By using a false reality, Poe displays a side of terror that is only
confronted in our dreams and unconscious mindset. This can be seen through the character
describing his dream 'of a surf tormented shore, and I hold within my hand grains of the golden
sand– how few! Yet how they creep through my fingers to the deep.' Through the relation to
grasping something physical, Poe deconstructs the realness of the dream fading away by
personifying it to the sand slipping through his fingers. Another common gothic convention seen
throughout the poem is strong moral closure. Through the poem, the protagonist questions every
action of his visual impairment relating to what he is seeing as a wonderful dream or an inescapable
nightmare. This can be seen in the final couplet of the poem 'is all that we see or seem but a dream
within a dream?' Although this does not identify as strong moral closure, the reader can
acknowledge the protagonists struggle with coming to a decision of what he is seeing is illusion or
reality. Poe uses this couplet, and the second stanza, to bring a muddled type of closure to the
bewildered

The Grotesque In Gothic Literature : The Characteristics...
The grotesque in gothic is usually the behavior of a man (or women,) who battle with an internal
conflict and they are also, usually sick. When an individual reads gothic stories, one can sometimes
miss–interpret what they have read. It is common knowledge that when we are younger we
understand things differently from when we grot be adults. We can infer that if one was too read
gothic literature as a child, one would find it humorous, versus if that individual was to read gothic
literature as an adult. As an adult you might not find the text humorous, but rather disturbing.
Naturally, the gothic literature is disturbing because it showcase's the darker sides of humans; one
reads the conflicts the characters are having and one is likely to ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
There are thousands of gothic literatures that follow this theme.
To come to terms with the extent of how gothic writers impacted psychology, one should know the
history behind psychology. The first American psychology laboratory was opened in 1883; the first
American gothic novel titled "Wieland," was published in 1798, eighty–five years before the
laboratory opened. Somnambulism was discovered in the early 1900s; somnambulism is the fact or
habit of walking about and performing other actions while asleep; sleep–walking. ("Somnambulism,
n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, June 2017, www.oed.com/view/Entry/184510. Accessed
16 November 2017.) A man by the name of, Sigmund Freud spoke about sleepwalking to the Vienna
Psychoanalytic Society in 1907; Charles Brown published his short story "Somnambulism. A
fragment" in 1805, one hundred and two years before Sigmund Freud formally addressed the mental
illness. In 1887 the mental illness, schizophrenia was discovered by, Dr. Emilie Kraepelin; however,
the mental illness was not named until 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Blueler. Edgard Allen Poe
published his short story "A Tell–Tale Heart" in 1843; "A Tell–Tale Heart" was narrated by a
schizophrenic man.
A key person in the gothic genre is Edgard Allen Poe. Edgard Allen Poe wrote numerous stories
about a conflicted person(s). The

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