However, upon further reading, the reader may begin to wonder about the narrator’s reliability. The use of theatrical language in the prologue also contribute to suspense and tension heightening the novel’s intension for a gothic motif, showing the reader what to expect when they pursue the story further. The Gothic genre is known for building the atmosphere, and setting the tone and mood of a story from the start. In ‘The Turn of the Screw’, Henry James starts off the novel in this typical Gothic tradition, by preparing the reader, in the prologue, to what will be a very frightening tale. ‘The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as on Christmas Eve in an old house a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to note it as the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child.’ However the simple, gothic reading of the prologue cannot prepare the reader for the future events; this is due to the fact that its purpose is to leave the reader in the unknown.
With his tale of corrupt patriarchy filled with mystery, romance, and tragedy, Horace Walpole bridged the gap between the wantonly romantic and the excessively realistic (Scott 11); filling the space with dark settings, stark characters and tangled narratives. It was the sum of all these parts that became the formula that is still followed today by writers of the genre. This essay will outline various elements of the typical gothic novel, and the way in which they are associated with excess in the themes, characterisation, and style of writing. In doing so, the differences in the techniques used in Walpole’s novel Castle of Otranto, and M.R James’s short story Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad, will be identified and discussed. The primary objective of Gothic novelists is to rouse the reader into eliciting emotional responses such as shock or fear (Hume 284).
Inside a killer's mind “You can’t use logic on human behavior.” (Jeff Lindsay, Darkly dreaming Dexter). The short story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of disturbing events, foul play, and revenge. What's so disturbing is the lengths Montressor goes to gain his 'revenge'. How we get such insight is through the wonderful written first person view of Poe. Point of view can be so crucial to a story.
It ends in the same setting. Secondly, the theme. One major theme in the short story, “Twins”, written by Eric Wright is mystery. The story is very mysterious. The way the author wrote this short story is that so the readers would have to
Jennings use of foreshadowing helps readers unveil a deep understanding of Robin’s dark thoughts through literary techniques, “My high spirits dissolve like salt in water,” The use of red herrings throughout the novel help represent the use of significant and powerful themes through the use of the thriller conventions. Throughout this novel Paul Jennings use of short stories through the first person narration of Robin, reveals to readers the dark thoughts that continuously surface into Robins mind. Each story reflects upon the problems and obsessions that Robin is experiencing, showing the need to confront the darkness within him, before it completely dominates his mind. "I
Gothic Characteristics of Edgar Allan Poe’s ”The Black Cat” In this short essay I intend to collect the most important Gothic features of Poe’s short story, The Black Cat. However, the definition of the literary Gothic is not at all unified. Hence, I would like to discuss first the possible determinations which we can use in analyzing The Black Cat. The Gothic fiction is often defined by its stock devices and its use of a particular atmosphere for essentially psychological purposes. It attempts to immerse the reader in an extraordinary world in which ordinary standards and moral judgments become meaningless and good and evil are seen as inextricably intertwined.
The setting is very important in the elaboration of this specific fictional text. The time and space we are dealing with are much relevant for creating the perfect background for a heroine like Jane to live in. Culturally speaking, Gothic novels were in evidence at the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It involved a lot of stereotypes, fantastic elements, and melodrama. Yet, although some critics define Jane Eyre as a Gothic piece of literature, it is true that it ruptured several aspects to create something quite new, including characterization points that will be discussed further.
Essay: Comparing Setting, detectives, suspects and stories Intro: The two stories I will be contrasting and comparing in my essay are called ‘The man with the twisted lip ‘by Conan Doyle and ‘The case of the dubious daddy’ by McCall Smith. The Man with the twisted lip fits the detective genres because as this story develops and unfolds the truth, new characters are introduced e.g. Boone which is linked to some way to the mystery. Also because the Author drops clues that might help the reader unravel the truth. In The story of ‘The case of the dubious daddy’ fits the detective genre because the main characters in it have reasons and intensions which are revealed through dialogue.
How, and with what intended effect on the reader, is the theme of VILLAINY presented by Poe and Chandler in your chosen extracts? Compare literary, linguistic and contextual aspects of each writer’s approach to the set theme. Murder is the villainous act committed in both the Tell Tale Heart and The Big Sleep extracts. The motives surrounding each, the perpetrator of the crime and also the linked themes differ immensely. The Poe extract prepares us for the deed and allows us an insight into the workings of the villains mind through the use of a first person account of his thinking and actions.
Poe as a Dark Romantic Edgar Allan Poe is viewed as one of the most known American writers. He is also classified as one of the few Romantic authors who became known in the United States. However, some suggest that his style derives more from the Gothic, whereas other point that he clearly satirises the Transcendentalist movement. Others still, perceive Poe as a writer that managed to cross the border of Romanticism and see in his works a significant example of the Dark Romanticism genre. In his stories, Poe clearly uses a variety of themes and literary devices that let us observe him as a Dark Romantic, rather than a Romantic.