Thus, Gothic architecture plays an important role in Gothic literature. The setting of many of the Gothic stories is either a castle or large manor.
This castle or large manor is usually abandoned or at least run-down. Whereas, in some Gothic novels it is far removed from civilization so that no one can hear you when you call for help.
Other settings in Gothic fiction may include caves or wilderness locales. For instance, a moor or heath. Gothic novels mostly feature beastly and burdened protagonists. The main characters initially appear as a nice, decent person, but must ultimately face a monster within them.
Jekyll and Mr. Gothic fiction explores the madness within each human being as we often witness characters who represent the best and the worst versions of humanity. In addition, the protagonists in Gothic literature are aristocratic, solitary, sophisticated, moody, cynical from outside, but nursing a guilty secret inside.
This type of conflicted male figures exist everywhere in Gothic fiction. Both these protagonists are tormented by their guilty pasts. Thus, in Gothic literature, the past always haunts the present. In Gothic novels, the female protagonists are often damsels in distress. That is, they are victims and need to be rescued. Throughout the Gothic story, they face events that leave them frightened, screaming, panting and fainting.
Moreover, these female protagonists are also virtuous heroines who are either imprisoned in an abandoned castle or pursued by a beast or an aristocratic lord. Throughout the course of the story they are running, screaming, sobbing or terrifying.
Some examples of damsels in distress from early Gothic fiction are:. They are also defined by their biological roles. But the most interesting thing here is particularly the transition between these typecasts.
It is the breaking of the female characters out of their stereotypes which provides Gothic writers to create obscurity and suspense within a plot. Thus, in Gothic literature we see female characters in two main roles: either victim or the predator. The first one is fragile and vulnerable; while the latter is dangerous yet powerfully attractive. The antagonists in Gothic fiction are mainly ghosts, monsters, demons, vampires, zombies, witches, werewolves etc.
Romance in Gothic literature has always been a central element, but what that means exactly has shifted over time. Basically in Gothic fiction, romance is tragic or bittersweet. Also, general Romanticism levels are through the roof, almost nearing melodrama. This is because romantic love often played a significant role in these stories, particularly in the form of the hero either wooing a beautiful maiden or rescuing a damsel in distress.
Thus, early Gothic novels were an imitation of these medieval elements. He has to marry another girl and mourn the loss of his true love for years. The atmosphere in Gothic fiction is characterized by suspense, mystery and terror. It is further heightened by the unknown, unexplained or uncanny elements. Besides, there are a lot of mysterious happenings in The Castle of Otranto that arouse suspense among the readers.
For instance, the appearance of a giant helmet, the giant sword, the skeletal hermit, and the giants. The book contains several mysterious and ghostly elements as well as unanswerable questions that heighten suspense. Gothic fiction is highly melodramatic since emotions run high in Gothicism, reflecting a heightened sense of drama. We often find women swooning in Gothic novels and men raging due to some unseen inner torments.
Gothic novels also feature murders, kidnappings, people going mad, and women holding knives. They are stories of conflicts that are heightened with music. The Castle of Otranto is a medieval tale of terror, incest, and murder mixed with a fair amount of melodrama and humor.
Another key element of Gothicism in literature is the grotesque. Almost similar to the uncanny, the grotesque in Gothic fiction results from the striking combination of the familiar and the unfamiliar, or more likely the distorted familiar. Hyde is an obvious example in this regard. Moreover, the characters in Gothic novels are also considered grotesque if they induce both disgust and empathy. On the contrary, a character who inspires merely disgust is simply a villain or a monster.
Among the examples of the grotesque characters include: physically distorted and mentally deficient characters, with cringe-worthy social traits. Weather conditions like storms, fog, rain, wind, full moons, and clouds also play an important role in arousing the sense of the grotesque. Exoticism is the quality of seeming unusual or interesting, usually because of associations with a distant country. Since Gothic fiction flourished during the height of British imperialism, both fear of and fascination with foreign cultures seeped into the genre.
Both terror and horror are key elements of Gothicism in literature. However there is an obvious distinction between them: horror evokes physical emotion i. Terror in Gothicism results from dreadful suspense and veils a ghastly unknown.
Whereas, horror stems out of generating revulsion. Terror persuades the reader to advance cautiously and with anticipation. While horror yearns for the sudden, crude, blatantly comic, and for the grotesque. Read More Elements of Gothic Literature 6. Major Characteristics of Gothicism in Literature There is a difference between the characteristics and elements of Gothic literature. While explaining Gothic literature, when we talk about the elements of Gothic novels, we specifically mean the basic things that need to be understood before anything else can be taught.
Whereas, the characteristics of Gothic fiction means how these elements are incorporated and dealt with in the Gothic novels. Gothic Literature or Gothic fiction contains four major elements:.
From these major characteristics branch-off many other Gothic features. Some of the most prominent characteristics of Gothic literature are discussed below:. The plot of the Gothic novel or story consists of mysterious happenings and suspense.
For example, the disappearance of characters or things is a very common feature of Gothicism in literature. Besides, the unknown parentage of the protagonist, the hidden secrets and unexplained manifestations in the Gothic fiction are utilized to invoke suspense among the readers. The existence of supernatural elements such as ghosts, vampires, zombies, giants, and monsters is another key characteristic of Gothic fiction.
For instance, in Gothic novels, we see the walking giants and inanimate objects such as an armor suit or a statue or portrait coming to life.
The presence of enchanted houses, haunted mansions, gloomy old castles, isolated monasteries and ruined ancient buildings displaying the intricate Gothic architecture is another key feature of Gothicism in literature. These buildings also contain secret passages or hidden staircases. All these elements, undoubtedly, give the story a mysterious and horror touch.
The atmosphere of bleakness, thrill, death, and decay has a key role in Gothic fiction. The dark and dismal themes are aptly utilized by the Gothic writers to enhance the bleak atmosphere. In addition, the characters in the story are constantly facing terror of the unknown. We find them, for instance, struggling to evade their death at the hands of some supernatural being or a barbarous aristocrat. This key feature, in fact, has a tendency to invoke thrill among the readers.
Another key characteristic of the Gothic novels is hereditary curses and prophecies. We find the protagonist of the story struggling with an ancient hereditary curse or suffering as a result of an old prophecy. Furthermore, the prophecies, omens and visions in the Gothic novel serve the purpose of foreshadowing technique. That is, they tell the reader what is going to happen next in the story.
The characters in Gothic novels mostly suffer from psychological trauma and mental disorders. For instance, in the Gothic novels we find conflicted male figures with guilty secrets and past. Besides, they are having nightmares or frightening visions which foreshadow upcoming tragedy. While, in many cases, its causes are different. Another key element of Gothicism in literature is awful weather and frightening tone. Such as, the stormy night, harsh weather, lightning and thunder—all contribute to the Gothic nature of the story.
Moreover, the creaking sound of the door, the monstrous laughter of the unknown, and the sound of footsteps make the tone of the story even more frightening. The tone of Gothic fiction involves highly emotional states: dread, terror, anger, obsession, vengeance, anxiety, etc. However, the mood of Gothic literature is foreboding, melancholy, and an atmosphere of terror, suspense, and mystery.
Themes refer to ideas that are recurrent or pervade a work of literature or art. They are the underlying meaning of a story. Themes give us an idea of what the writer is trying to convey through the story. Some major themes used by the writers of Gothicism in literature are:. Motifs are a literary technique in which writers repeatedly use such elements or ideas that have a symbolic significance to a literary work. A motif may be a recurring image, a repeated word, a color, a phrase, or a topic expressed in language.
Some motifs that are characteristic of the Gothicism in literature are:. Literary Conventions refer to the features of a literary work that define its genre. Moreover, these literary conventions can be aspects of:. Some literary conventions that are characteristics of Gothicism in literature are:. Gothicism in literature has never been truly about pure, distilled horror—there is always a submerged meaning, something actually lurking below the subtext but not a monster in the fantastical sense.
Similar to historical fiction, the Gothic distances readers from their current cultural context. If the past is a foreign country, the Gothic is an alien planet. For centuries, Gothicism in literature has been employed to explore social, cultural and political issues deemed taboo, uncomfortable, or too radical for their historical moment.
It actually interrogates the aristocracy, the perils of religious fervor and concepts of nationality from a safe, allegorical distance. Although ridiculed, and associated with female hysteria or female writers in its heyday, Gothicism in literature is a highly seditious vehicle for the interrogation and dissemination of un-conventional ideologies, non-conformist criticisms of society, and alternative ways of existing.
Through its sublime landscapes, romantic architecture, preternatural monsters, and many, many damsels in distress, Gothicism in literature exposes the truly horrifying things. Some famous Gothic novels and their writers are listed below:. Search for: 'Gothic novel' in Oxford Reference ». All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single entry from a reference work in OR for personal use for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.
Oxford Reference. Publications Pages Publications Pages. Recently viewed 0 Save Search. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Subscriber sign in You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Username Please enter your Username. Password Please enter your Password. Forgot password? Search this Guide. Gothic Literature Guide: What is the Gothic? A research guide for Gothic literature.
The Gothic The Gothic Novel is thought to have emerged in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, inspired by the architectural style of the same name. The Castle of Otranto , Horace Walpole The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe Examples of Gothic Literature The following are examples of Gothic Novels available in the library's catalog:.
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