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1. Elements of
Gothic Literature

2. Famous Gothic Writers

3. Famous Gothic Writers

4. Famous Gothic Writers

5. Famous Gothic Writers

6. Famous Gothic Writers

7. Gothic Literature
Gothic fiction is a genre or mode of
literature that combines fiction, horror, and
Romanticism.

8. Influences in Art

9. Influences in Art

10. Influences in Art

11. Influences in Art

12. Influences in Art

13. Influences in Art

14. 5 Characteristics of the
Gothic Genre

15. The Supernatural
 Elements of
superstition
 Ghosts, vampires,
etc.
 Unexplained sounds,
sights, occurrences
 Eerie atmosphere
 Mysterious tone adds
to building of tension

16. Emotions and Passions
 Emotion over rationality
 Spells of hysteria, lust,
and anxiety
 Frequent crying and
screaming
 Detailed sensory
description revealing
characters’ passions
 Characters experience

17. Broken Families
 Families are often
broken, incestuous, or
murderous
 Women subject to
lustful wrongdoings
 Male characters are
tyrannical
 Women depicted as
damsels in distress
 Family unit confining,
from which characters
must escape

18. Eerie, Mysterious Setting
 Claustrophobic, dark
venues such as an old
castle, mansion, or
abbey
 Places of fear and
dread that portray the
world as deteriorating
 Desperate, dark ruined
scenery
 Surrounding area is
dismal and rotting,
often adding a haunting
flavor of impending
doom

19. Distinctive Characters
 Characters are lonely,
isolated, and
oppressed
 Presence of a
tyrannical villain
 Action revolves
around an unrequited
love, or illicit love
affair
 A vendetta or
vengeance is a

20. Motifs of Gothic Literature
• Wind, especially howling
• Doors grating on rusty
hinges
• Footsteps approaching
• Gusts of wind blowing out
lights
• Characters trapped in a
room
• Baying of dogs (or
wolves)
• Thunder and/or lightning
• Rain
• Sighs, moans, howls
• Clanking chains
• Lights in abandoned
rooms
• Gusts of wind blowing out
lights
• Doors suddenly slamming
shut
• Crazed laughter
• Screaming or crying

21. Close your eyes. Take a listen…

22. Write a gothic short story that has
these elements:
• Set in a large old house or graveyard
• An unexplainable, scary event happened in the house or
graveyard
• A ghost, vampire, or werewolf
• Unexplained phenomenon, such as doors slamming shut
or lights turning on/off by themselves
• Highly emotional characters who cry and scream
• Gothic symbols, such as a staircase, shadows, or a full
moon.

23. ©Kimberly Dana
Kimberly Dana is an award-winning teacher and
author.
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