Characteristics of Gothic Literature

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Characteristics of Gothic Literature
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Gothic Architecture

• First Gothic Cathedral build in 1144
• Gargoyles (originally for religious buildings)
• Vaulted ceilings
• Structural ribbing (skeletal)
• Stained glass

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Application to literature

• Came from Germany in the late 1700s - early
  1800s
• Popular among female writers
• Became best sellers!
• Mixture of realistic and supernatural

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The Voyage of Life - Childhood Thomas Cole
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The Voyage of Life - Youth Thomas Cole
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The Voyage of Life - Manhood Thomas Cole
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The Voyage of Life - Old Age Thomas Cole
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Gothic Literature

• Gothic Literature was the predecessor of modern
  horror movies in both theme and style.
• Gothic Literature put a spin on the Romantic idea
  of nature worship and nature imagery.
• Gothic writers gave nature the power of
  destruction.

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• Most of the world is realistic
• BUT
• There is something that is mysterious and
  unnatural. It is usually destructive.

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Characteristics

• Dark, mysterious, evil tone
• Dark castles, palaces, chambers, haunted mansions
• Isolated setting
• All come together to emphasize the sense of evil

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Archetypal Characters

• There is always the protagonist, usually isolated
  either voluntarily or involuntarily.
• Then there is the villain, who is the epitome of
  evil, either by his (usually a man) own fall from
  grace, or by some implicit malevolence.
• The wanderer is the epitome of isolation as he
  wanders the earth in perpetual exile, usually a
  form of divine punishment.

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More characteristics

• Mysterious disappearances and reappearances
• Supernatural or paranormal occurrences

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Characteristics -- contd.

• Religion, usually Christianity or at least
  spirituality, is confronted.
• A gothic double is used in which a character
  who seems to be good is linked with another who
  is evil

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This is ALMOST gothic, but not quite. Why?