(Seriously, the list goes on and on.) The popularity of these shows reveal this generation’s fascination with the same elements made popular by Gothic literature. Many of your students have likely seen shows like “The Vampire Diaries,” “American Horror Story,” “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” “Teen Wolf,” and more. Who’s more dramatic and emotionally distressed than your teenage students? Why, the characters in Gothic literature, of course!ĭespite originating in the late 18th century, Gothic literature continues to captivate modern day audiences.
This can be done through the use of isolated settings and the supernatural, but writers can also create this motif through the use of unreliable narrators, such as in The Tell-Tale Heart.Gothic novels tend to create a feeling of uncertainty, by making the characters and the reader question what they believe and what is real.This links to the characters of the aristocrat and the innocent victim and can be shown through characters being physically or metaphorically trapped. Many Gothic stories are about what happens when those with power misuse their power, or when those who are powerless try to fight back.To help them explore this, Gothic writers use motifs of change, like changing between the past and the modern day in Celia Rees’ Blood Sinister. Gothic stories often explore the consequences of change.Just like many Gothic stories are set in isolated locations, the motif of strange places puts characters somewhere strange and mysterious. There are some common motifs which are used in many Gothic stories. These characters can be very interesting, as the reader isn’t sure whether they are good or bad.For example Dr Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.They can’t be considered the hero of the story because of this, but they are still the main character.Some Gothic stories include a main character who does some things that the reader knows are wrong or bad.This character might be protected by their innocence, though they will probably be in great danger. Later Gothic stories included young men in this role also.In early Gothic stories, this character was often a young girl, like Emily in The Mysteries of Udolpho.This character might be evil and is definitely scary.Įxamples include the creature in Frankenstein and the Other Mother in Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.One is example is Count Dracula from the novel Dracula. They might be mysterious and misunderstood or evil and dangerous.This character is often rich, usually old and almost always isolated.These settings, themes and characters combine to create creepy worlds and nasty narratives that send a shiver down the reader’s spine.Ĭharacters in Gothic stories often fit a particular type. Or sometimes it’s humans that seem to have something different about them, they might have special senses or abilities.
#Victorian gothic literature full
They are full of strange and often supernatural characters like ghosts, vampires and werewolves. Gothic literature often contrasts different types of characters: victims and predators, good and evil. These themes and impending bad fortune are often hinted at in the gothic novels through ominous warnings or symbolic omens, such as a full moon or a raven.
Typical gothic themes are the supernatural, science, revenge, religion, breaking societal norms and the battle between good and evil. This all adds to the sense of mystery and danger. But where there are also plenty of secrets with underground passages and hidden doors. Writers typically set their stories in abandoned or isolated locations like crumbling castles, windswept moors, places of decay and death. Night time settings appeal to reader’s instinctive fear of the dark - and under the cover of darkness things often aren’t quite as they seem. Expect wind, rain and thunderstorms and things that go bump in the night. There aren’t many tropical beaches in gothic fiction. So could you survive the dark world of a gothic novel?įirst up, you’ll need to wrap up warm. But there were stories with Gothic elements before and there have been plenty since. The gothic genre was really popular during the 1800s with Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and Dracula. Gothic literature evokes an atmosphere of mystery, fear or terror.
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