The narrator explains his experience, “With the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.” (Poe 397) This is the first effect Poe creates for the narrator. He is explaining that while looking up at the mansion, the gloom that spread through his spirit was too extreme to bear. The mental effect he feels from viewing the house undoubtedly makes him uneasy and concerned with what is about to come. The description he gave of the house is an obvious sign that the visit he was about to encounter with Roderick Usher was not going to be the most pleasant or comfortable one. The narrator says, “I looked upon the scene before me, upon the mere house, upon the bleak walls, upon the vacant eyelike windows, with an utter depression of soul.” (Poe 397) From the characteristics the narrator gave of the house, he would ultimately feel depressed because there was no signs of life.
Heather Harris English III Mr. Reeves 31 March 2011 Roderick and His House Edgar Allan Poe is the master of the macabre. His stories are well-remembered for the images of darkness and death they all contain. As a romantic writer, Poe focuses on the emotion and the imagination of dismal situations. In his short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” Edgar Allan Poe personifies the dark decaying “Usher” house as a manifestation of the deteriorating mental, physical, and emotional state of Roderick himself. The story begins with a striking example of personification as the narrator comes upon the “Usher” house.
Literature and Image: The Colors and Setting in The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination. - Howard Phillips Lovecraft The Fall of the House of Usher is possibly the most famous tales of Edgar Allan Poe. First published in 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, is part of the set of tales of horror and gothic in which Poe is well known. The work possesses a set of characteristics typical of gothic literary genre: a haunted mansion, a landscape dark and a mysterious illness. These Gothic elements are easily identifiable, however, much of the work that inspires horror, lies in the color palette and the way the scene is presented to us.
He uses words like ‘grotesque’ to portray the gargoyles on the wall and uses ‘villainous’ to describe the ornaments that are around the living room. By describing the design of Wuthering Heights as scary and suspicious, Bronte makes the reader tense and unsettled. Mr. Lockwood’s remark stating that Heathcliff will, “Love and hate, equally undercover,” brings to light Heathcliff as a passionate lover but an equally passionate hater. Not only are his emotions zealous, Heathcliff will put on a façade to conceal his true passion. Lockwood is curious about Heathcliff, as well as the reader, questions about him are emerging, and Bronte used this to build up his mysterious character.
The witches in 'Macbeth' are undeniably gothic in nature and clearly display gothic elements. The setting in which they appear in is typical of the gothic genre and so is the language. The heavy use of paradoxical language suggests mystery and intrigue tied up with the setting clearly creates a gothic scene. On the other hand many suggest the witches are simply a figment of Macbeths imagination indicating that the play is in fact a psychological drama, however it would be impossible to ignore the suggestion of supernatural suggestion being used on Macbeth that eventually leads him to kill King Dunkan. The witches are surrounded by an aura of mystery and magic from the opening in which the stage direction “Thunder and lightning” points to pathetic fallacy, typical of the gothic genre and reflects the danger of the witches.
In Gothic literature, the setting often plays an important role in the development of the plot and characters of the story. It is commonly characterized by having an atmosphere filled with suspense, terror, darkness and mystery. The setting is not only characterized by the physical location, but also by the social or psychological state of the characters. The personalities of the characters are usually strange or fearful, and this if reflected in the atmosphere of the story. One popular technique writers of Gothic fiction use to create such an atmosphere is to have story told through a madman or madwoman’s perspective.
The title “The Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” creates a foreboding at the start of the story. This leads the reader to believe that the main character Tom Benecke will die, which turns out to be a red herring. The reader then experiences a sense of suspense when Tom’s paper flies out the window, and lands on an “ornamental ledge a lard below the window.” The reader already knows what this paper means to Tom, and therefore they know that Tom will go out onto the ledge to retrieve this paper. When Tom eventually goes out onto the ledge he finds it is only about the width the length of his shoe, and there is only a small space about half inch deep for his fingers to grip onto. He has to press himself against the wall to ensure that he won’t fall.
Watson struggles throughout, deciding on what he believes to be true about the legend. He expresses both superstition, the lack of knowledge, and intellect, the knowledge of understanding. Every person has a chance to chose what they put their faith in, but it's how they act on their beliefs that defines them. At the start of Doyle's novel, Sir Charles Baskerville, the latest inhabitant of Baskerville Hall, is recently killed by a supernatural hound that has haunted his family. The curse is told of a "hell-hound" that would kill each member of the Baskerville family line along a moor at night.
Fears and uncertainties have always played a part in everyday life. They are inescapable, all consuming and despite the changing times, universal. The Gothic genre is a style of literature which is intended to invoke a sense of terror while examining the dark side of nature. But the way Gothic literature commands its impact is through confronting society with its deepest uncertainties and perceived social threats. Therefore, the Gothic cannot exist or be valued without the sublime and contextual fears as they are universally understood conditions.
Overtime, the novel has become synonymous with gothic literature. “Frankenstein revolutionized the genres of gothic literature … and horror stories” (Mazzeno). Frankenstein exemplifies powerful Gothic elements such as: environment and weather reflecting emotions, a sense of mystery and suspense, supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events, and an unreliable narrator. One of the most iconic and crucial elements of gothic writing in Frankenstein is the way in which Victor’s environment reflects the dark and lonely emotions he experiences throughout his tragic journey. The use of this literary technique first shows when Victor becomes enthralled in his attempt to create a living being.