Gothic Literature

andEdgar Allan

Poe

The Gothic Tradition

Began in EuropeBegan in Europe First Gothic Work: First Gothic Work:

– 1765 1765 The Castle of OtrantoThe Castle of Otranto – – Horace WalpoleHorace Walpole

Two Early Works:Two Early Works:– Mary Shelly’s Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein,

or The Modern Prometheus or The Modern Prometheus (1818)(1818)

– Bram Stoker’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula Dracula (1897)(1897)

Frankenstein’s

Monster

Gothic Architectur

e

The Gothic tradition The Gothic tradition was also reflected in was also reflected in

architecture: architecture: vaulted ceilings, vaulted ceilings, arches, stained arches, stained glass windows, glass windows,

gargoylesgargoyles

Notre Dame

The Gothic

Literary Connection to Literary Connection to Gothic ArchitectureGothic Architecture

"gothic" came to describe a certain "gothic" came to describe a certain type of novel, so named because type of novel, so named because all these novels seem to take place all these novels seem to take place in Gothic-styled architecture -- in Gothic-styled architecture -- mainly castles, mansions, and, of mainly castles, mansions, and, of course, abbeys ("Gothic..."). course, abbeys ("Gothic...").

Characteristics of Gothic Fiction

MysteryMysteryHorrorHorrorThe The

GrotesqueGrotesqueViolenceViolenceThe The

SupernaturalSupernatural

Gothic ConventionsGothic Conventions

MurderMurder DeathDeath SuicideSuicide GhostsGhosts DemonDemonss

Gloomy Gloomy settingssettings

Family Family secretsecretss

DungeoDungeonsns

CursesCurses TortureTorture

VampireVampiress

SpiritsSpirits CastlesCastles TombsTombs Terror Terror

A few more gothic A few more gothic conventionsconventions

Damsel in distress (frequently faints Damsel in distress (frequently faints in horror)in horror)

Secret corridors, passageways, or Secret corridors, passageways, or roomsrooms

Ancestral cursesAncestral curses Ruined castles with graveyards Ruined castles with graveyards

nearbynearby Priests and monksPriests and monks Sleep, dream, death-like statesSleep, dream, death-like states

Metonymy of gloom and Metonymy of gloom and terrorterror

The metonymy of gloom and horror.The metonymy of gloom and horror. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphorMetonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in , in

which something (like rain) is used to which something (like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). stand for something else (like sorrow). For example, the film industry likes to For example, the film industry likes to use metonymy as a quick shorthand, so use metonymy as a quick shorthand, so we often notice that it is raining in we often notice that it is raining in funeral scenes. funeral scenes.

Note the following metonymies that Note the following metonymies that suggest mystery, danger, or the suggest mystery, danger, or the

supernaturalsupernatural

wind, especially howlingwind, especially howling sighs, moans, howls, eerie sighs, moans, howls, eerie soundssounds

rain, especially blowingrain, especially blowing clanking chainsclanking chains

doors grating on rusty doors grating on rusty hingeshinges

gusts of wind blowing out gusts of wind blowing out lightslights

footsteps approachingfootsteps approaching doors suddenly slamming doors suddenly slamming shutshut

lights in abandoned roomslights in abandoned rooms crazed laughtercrazed laughter

characters trapped in a characters trapped in a roomroom

baying of distant dogs (or baying of distant dogs (or wolves?)wolves?)

ruins of buildingsruins of buildings thunder and lightningthunder and lightning

Importance of SettingImportance of Setting

The setting is greatly influential in Gothic The setting is greatly influential in Gothic novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere of novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere of horror and dread, but also portrays the horror and dread, but also portrays the deterioration of its world. The decaying, ruined deterioration of its world. The decaying, ruined scenery implies that at one time there was a scenery implies that at one time there was a thriving world. At one time the abbey, castle, thriving world. At one time the abbey, castle, or landscape was something treasured and or landscape was something treasured and appreciated. Now, all that lasts is the decaying appreciated. Now, all that lasts is the decaying shell of a once thriving dwelling.shell of a once thriving dwelling.

Archetypal CharactersArchetypal Characters

The Gothic hero becomes a sort of The Gothic hero becomes a sort of archetype as we find that there is a archetype as we find that there is a pattern to his characterization. There is pattern to his characterization. There is always the always the protagonistprotagonist, usually isolated , usually isolated either voluntarily or involuntarily. Then either voluntarily or involuntarily. Then there is the there is the villainvillain, who is the epitome , who is the epitome of evil, either by his (usually a man) of evil, either by his (usually a man) own fall from grace, or by some implicit own fall from grace, or by some implicit malevolence. The malevolence. The WandererWanderer, found in , found in many Gothic tales, is the epitome of many Gothic tales, is the epitome of isolation as he wanders the earth in isolation as he wanders the earth in perpetual exile, usually a form of divine perpetual exile, usually a form of divine punishment.punishment.

Basic Plot Structure for a Basic Plot Structure for a Gothic NovelGothic Novel

Action in the Gothic novel tends to take Action in the Gothic novel tends to take place at night, or at least in a place at night, or at least in a claustrophobic, sunless environment. claustrophobic, sunless environment.

ascent (up a mountain high staircase); ascent (up a mountain high staircase); descent (into a dungeon, cave, underground descent (into a dungeon, cave, underground

chambers or labyrinth) or falling off a chambers or labyrinth) or falling off a precipice; secret passage; hidden doors; precipice; secret passage; hidden doors;

the pursued maiden and the threat or the pursued maiden and the threat or abduction;abduction;

physical decay, skulls, cemeteries, and other physical decay, skulls, cemeteries, and other images of death; ghosts; revenge; family images of death; ghosts; revenge; family curse; blood and gore; torture; the curse; blood and gore; torture; the DoppelgangerDoppelganger (evil twin or double); demonic (evil twin or double); demonic possession; masking/shape-changing; black possession; masking/shape-changing; black magic; madness. magic; madness.

Gothic WritersGothic Writers

Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe Anne RiceAnne Rice Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates Stephen KingStephen King Stephenie MeyerStephenie Meyer

– Twilight SeriesTwilight Series

Edgar Allan Poe His biography is often His biography is often

distorteddistorted His life was filled with His life was filled with

personal tragedy and personal tragedy and professional failureprofessional failure

Poe drank to escape this Poe drank to escape this failure but had a low failure but had a low tolerance for alcoholtolerance for alcohol

Numerous women whom Numerous women whom he loved died, most from he loved died, most from tuberculosistuberculosis

His true love, his wife His true love, his wife Virginia died from Virginia died from tuberculosis; Poe watched tuberculosis; Poe watched her slowly die for five her slowly die for five yearsyears

The death of a The death of a beautiful woman beautiful woman was a common was a common topic of his works topic of his works because he had because he had experienced such experienced such loss himself, loss himself, including his including his stepmother, his stepmother, his childhood love, and childhood love, and his wifehis wife

Poe’s professional life was full of Poe’s professional life was full of failurefailure

His greatest success was “The His greatest success was “The Raven,” which brought him fame, but Raven,” which brought him fame, but earned him only $14.00earned him only $14.00

Poe wrote many short stories simply Poe wrote many short stories simply for the money; ironically he is most for the money; ironically he is most famous for these storiesfamous for these stories

He saw himself as a poet, but could He saw himself as a poet, but could not make a living from writing poetrynot make a living from writing poetry

He is the most important American He is the most important American poet before Walt Whitmanpoet before Walt Whitman

Poe was also an important literary Poe was also an important literary critic (he was known as the critic (he was known as the “tomahawk man” for his often brutal “tomahawk man” for his often brutal criticism)criticism)

He is credited with the invention of He is credited with the invention of the detective story (these stories the detective story (these stories provided Poe with the order & logic provided Poe with the order & logic that was lacking in his own life)that was lacking in his own life)

Poe

Poe can be Poe can be considered the father considered the father of the modern horror of the modern horror

story, influencing story, influencing writers such as writers such as

Stephen King and Stephen King and Anne RiceAnne Rice

Poe explored the Poe explored the dark and often dark and often irrational side of the irrational side of the human mind human mind (Hawthorne explored (Hawthorne explored the dark side of the the dark side of the human heart)human heart)

His stories often are His stories often are filled with a sense of filled with a sense of anxiety & have a anxiety & have a dreamlike qualitydreamlike quality

Master of the Short StoryMaster of the Short Story Along with Nathaniel Hawthorne, Poe Along with Nathaniel Hawthorne, Poe

perfected the modern short storyperfected the modern short story Poe stressed a single dominant effect Poe stressed a single dominant effect

in his short storiesin his short stories

The Premature

Burial

Poe

After the death of his After the death of his wife, Poe went insane, wife, Poe went insane, desperately trying to find desperately trying to find someone to take her someone to take her placeplace

His death remains a His death remains a mystery; his final words mystery; his final words were, “God help my poor were, “God help my poor soul.”soul.”

Poe saw women as angelic Poe saw women as angelic figures: “Women have been figures: “Women have been angels of mercy to me.”angels of mercy to me.”

Poe’s characters are often Poe’s characters are often tortured by guilttortured by guilt

Poe’s stories are quite Poe’s stories are quite modern in their modern in their psychoanalytical psychoanalytical componentscomponents

Like many of his Like many of his characters, Poe was caught characters, Poe was caught betweenbetween

Rationality & irrationalityRationality & irrationality Order & chaosOrder & chaos

““The Tell-Tale Heart”The Tell-Tale Heart”

““TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I

heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.how calmly I can tell you the whole story.““

FOR the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence. Yet, mad am I

not --and very surely do I not dream. But to-morrow I die, and to-day I

would unburthen my soul.

“The Black Cat”