Washington Irving is identified with the gothic with his “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, however the gothic mode can also be identified in his story, “Rip Van Winkle”. To begin, both will be compared with their use of the Gothic Mode. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing set the mold for most gothic literature to follow. From “The Raven” to “The Tell-Tale Heart” his writing sets the reader on edge and fills them with unease. “Its style tends to be ornate, unnatural” (Carter 134).
Dracula is a story about Romance and Gothic, it was written by Bram Stoker in 1897 when rationalism was a belief. Gothic was popular in the late 18th to 19th century and it creates a sense of excitement and anguish for the reader. It is a tool used by Bram Stoker in Dracula to convey the fears, thoughts and beliefs of the people of the Victorian era, by using elements of darkness, supernatural and mixture of romance, which provokes extreme emotions; especially during the 19th century when science and technology were prominent. The term gothic was originally used to describe both type of Art and Architecture, it’s an idea of feeling small around big sceneries and a feeling of isolation. Gothic novels were given a genre of their own primarily because of their emotional extremes and their dark themes.
Whilst the attraction of luxuriating in the dark side of the human condition is undeniably strong in Gothic texts it must also be acknowledged that Gothic texts provide considerable insights into humanity. Discuss the above with reference to one prose core text and one related text of your own choosing. Gothic texts encompass the ability to convey the fear that underpins the human psyche in many contexts, with particular relevance to societal concerns and anxieties. Although concerns vary throughout different time periods, those confronted within texts often consist of universal themes and ideas that can be translated through different generations. Brahm Stoker’s “Dracula” highlights concerns prevalent within the Victorian era, shown through characters, symbols and themes throughout the novel.
The novel includes many motifs from the gothic genre and cleverly combines this with the romantic themes and plot to produce a novel very different to others when it was first published. One motif that Bronte uses is the use of fire and ice, especially in imagery. The use of this motif also helps the reader to understand more about the way that Jane is feeling. Bronte’s use of the fire and ice shows Jane’s struggle to find her place in society as a strong independent woman. The fire is Jane’s passion and independence while the ice is representing the forces that try to crush her spirit, and make her conform to the expectations of society.
Page 1 Gothic Themes of Frankenstein JacquelynWilliams-Eid English Literature Tue-Thu 10:30-11:45 Page 2 Mary Shelley is a British writer who is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein was written in the eighteen hundreds and is now one of the most best known novels of the time period. When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein she used a gothic theme throughout the novel. The term gothic refers to a genre or elements that came about in the eighteenth century. In a gothic novel there are elements of horror, mystery and suspense.
This reversal of gender stereotypes and gothic conventions is used often in Carter’s work. In the Bloody chamber, it seems that although she has adapted gothic conventions into a modern way, presenting females as the more powerful characters than men, she also retains some of these typical roles in some of her stories. The lady of the house of love would be an immediate example of how Carter creates a role reversal that differs from the typically valued places in gender. Carter creates the role of the ‘Femme Fatal’, with this dangerous woman that lives in the castle. This representation of the woman as powerful differs from the original expectation in a gothic novel, as the woman would usually be portrayed as weak, and in need of saving.
4 Analysis of Grotesque elements in Frankenstein It will be proven in further parts of this analysis that Frankenstein or, Modern Prometheus is a novel full of grotesque elements, such as alienation, monstrosity, terror or caricature. Mary Shelley quoted herself in “Author´s Introduction to the standard novels edition” in the third edition of her novel from 1831, that she wanted to write a story “which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror – one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beating of the heart” (Shelley, 1831, p. 7). Also, as Robert C. Evans claims, breathing life into a dead body is grotesque almost by definition. 4.1 Genesis of Frankenstein Frankenstein or, the Modern Prometheus is one of the best British gothic novels ever written. It was first published in London in 1818 and in that time the author remained anonymous.
• Feminist critics are especially interested in issues concerning women’s culture. Also, they insist on the autobiographical side of the story, especially on the centrality of the act of giving birth. • An intertextual reading of the novel reveals echoes of several romantic poems, of various authors. It is a well-established notion that references to other texts add to the meaning of the work in question. In other words, if you consider ‘The Rime’ as a hypotext (= underlying text) to Frankenstein, your understanding of the novel may be enriched thanks to suggestion from Coleridge’s
The Picture of Dorian Gray came at a time when the golden age of Gothic Fiction was already well passed. However the novel is seen as a revival of the gothic genre. It also redefined the elements of a gothic novel. It lacked the lovelorn heroine/hero that novels like The Mysteries of Udolpho (Anne Radcliffe) and Dracula (Bram Stoker) thrived on. The only love that is epitomized in the novel is that of the self, which proved to be perhaps its most gothic aspect.
Both books have similar writing style as gloomy, but foreshadowing and dystopia bring about the effectiveness of gothic literature in both books. Firstly, the story’s title “The Fall of the House of Usher” has a symbolic meaning to itself. “The House of Usher” refers not only to the house, but to the family as well, the Usher bloodline. The title refers not only to the literal fall of the physical house, but the symbolic fall of the Usher family. There are many events which lead to the true meaning of the title, the author uses foreshadowing to enlighten the meaning.