Shirin Khazamipour, Ainaz Lotfi, Elahe Karimi, Nastaran Arasteh Course: Novel 1 Instructor: Mr. Mohsen Hanif Date: January 2012
Gothic Literature Gothic is a genre of fiction, its characteristics are mystery, ruin, decay, death, chaos and supernatural horror, and it is often set in a medieval setting such as a dark castle. This genre puts passion and irrational thought ahead of reason and rationality. The gothic genre was developed in the 18th and early 19th centuries in response to the Enlightenment movement which controlled the political, spiritual, historical and sociological ideas of that time. The followers of the Enlightenment movement gave more value to reason and human knowledge rather than feelings and human emotions. The writers of this movement found their inspiration in the conventional period of Greece and Rome; they rejected The Middle ages and deemed them “Barbaric”. Gothic literature was an uprising against the strict rationality of the enlightenment era and the writers of this genre found their inspiration and models in the medieval period.
The first gothic novel, “The Castle of Otranto” was written by Horace Walpole. This writer built his literary work around several key elements. He made good use of the growing fascination of the masses with all things related to the medieval era, as a result the basic structure and frame for his novel was provided by medieval romance. Also, he got inspiration from the graveyard school of poetry (that flourished in the mid-18th century) and its poet’s fascination and devotion to death, decay, graveyards and the state of human mortality; which provided a suitable literary framework for the Gothic genre of literature. Walpole’s novel was very popular; it presented most of the typical conventions of the Gothic genre of literature, such as an elaborate and complex plot; archetypical and conventional characters; concealed underground passageways; deserted and gloomy castles; and paranormal occurrences that provoked the feelings of horror and anxiety in the reader.
“The Castle of Otranto” was soon followed by William Beckford’s “Vathek”, Ann Radcliff’s “The Mysteries of Udolpho” and “The Italian”, Matthew Lewis’s
“The Monk”, Charles Brockden Brown’s “Wieland”, Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein”, and Charles Robert Maturin’s “Melmoth the Wanderer”.
Characteristics of Gothic Literature: Setting: Setting is the principal literary device of Gothic literature. Gothic novels are largely set in desolate and bare landscapes and in large and often ruined fortresses. The story and the interactions of the characters usually come to pass and unravel in and around an old and gloomy castle, which at times seems to be abandoned and at other times occupied. The old castle typically has many secret passageways, trap doors, secret chambers, murky or hidden stairwells, and possibly ruined and crumbling sections. It is in some cases in close proximity or attached to caves, which lend their own haunting essence to the story with their murky tunnel ways, sense of claustrophobia and mystery. In Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto the castle itself plays a major role; it gives the story unity and animation. Therefore, besides the plot and the characters, the setting also provides suspense in the stories. Most of the Gothic novels are set in European backdrops but some others have foreign locations. The writers chose
remote settings to infuse their works with the fear of unknown and mysterious manifestations.
Diction: Diction is the order and choice words that the author selects to write his or her literary work in. the range of words may vary from casual and familiar to official and ceremonial. The constant use of the appropriate vocabulary set creates the gothic atmosphere. Using the right words continues the dark and deeply moving sense and mood that defines Gothic Literature. In Gothic novels the language is archaic and formal in dialogues and channels of communication . Even though the word choices are not truthful and precise representations of medieval people and their dialect, the diction separates and removes the novel from the present-day reality of life. Here are some of the words that help make up the vocabulary of the gothic in “The Castle of Otranto”: Enchantment, raving, goblins, tremendous, preternatural, shaded, prodigy, apprehensive, prophecy, secret, sorcerer, melancholy, impetuosity, precipitately, spectre, anguish, spirits, wrathfully, strangeness, talisman, and dismal…
Narrative: Narrative in Gothic literature is the description of an individual or a sequence of events that may be real or fictional and conceived. It is characterized by complex and complicated narrative structures. There are usually plots within plots. In Gothic novels there are different incidents and the writer usually provides little or no modification or explanation for them. Each episode seems to have little to do with the episodes immediately before and after it. Gothic novels have an extremely complicated narrative. In “Melmoth the Wanderer” by Maturin, there are storylines inside storylines. The effect of a structure like this is that, it changes the chronological and spatial progress and the unraveling of the story and as a result gives the overall work of literature a surreal and dreamlike quality.
Mood:
The mood of a literary work is the emotional attitude with which the writer handles the subject matter, diction, setting and narrative. It is essential to Gothic literature and is often an atmosphere of mystery and suspense and a mood of fear, anxiety, terror, and horror which invokes on the reader a feeling of threat and a fear that is heightened by the element of the unknown. Terror comes from suspense. The character experiences terror because they predict an awful event, while horror leads to repulsion when the event actually happens. The sense of suspense is brought to the novel by the dark and dreary settings, mistaken identity and a sense of claustrophobia that is created by coffins, prisons, dark halls, passages, and gloomy interior spaces. In Gothic Novels the characters and reader experience these feelings of terror and horror to the fullest. Often to heighten these sensations, the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as an unknown circumstance, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event. Gothic novels are often compared to nightmares due to the similarity of the circumstances. In a nightmare the dreamer finds that he is trying to escape a monster who is trying to harm him, that is also the case in Gothic novels to some extent.
Appearance and Reality:
In Gothic Literature the difference between appearance and reality is not always obvious. Radcliffe gives logical explanations for events that have supernatural causes in her novels. So differentiation between what is real and what is apparent is possible. On the other hand Lewis doesn’t separate appearance and reality. His novels have an ambiguity which gives them a dreamlike atmosphere. A dream appears to be real until the dreamer wakes up and he is not sure what is real and what is not. Poe creates an untrustworthy storyteller, who seems to be sane at first but as the story progresses appears to be insane.
Confinement: Confinement is the sense of claustrophobia in Gothic novels, which often happens when the heroin is entrapped in some creepy castle. And as she tries to find the way out she finds herself in a hidden underground passageway. Almost all of 18th and 19th century Gothic novels contain some elements of confinement.
Justice and Injustice: Justice and Injustice seem lacking in Gothic novels but guilt and payment for sins replace them. In Walpole’s “The Castle of Otranto” Conrad’s ancestor comes back
from the grave to make sure that Otranto goes to the right heir (this is a sin). This, causes Conrad’s demise. In this way a wrong is set right and he is punished for his ancestor’s sin. In Gothic novels justice must prevail; even if it causes harm.
Ancient prophecies: Customarily an ancient prophesy is connected with the backdrop (castle) or its inhabitants (either former or present). This revelation is usually vague, partial and confusing. In more diluted modern illustrations, this may come to merely a legend that is foretold in a part of the story.
Omens, signs and visions: In most Gothic novels a character in the storyline usually has a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon is seen as a sign of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may symbolize his death (omen). Or a character may see something like a shadowy figure stabbing another shadowy figure and think that he dreamt it (vision).
Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events: In Gothic novels, often dramatic and amazing events occur, such as walking ghosts or speaking trees, and sometimes lifeless objects (such as a suit of armor or painting) come to life. Sometimes these events are eventually given a natural reason while in other cases the events are truly supernatural.
High or even overwrought emotion: The storyline may be exceedingly emotional, and the characters often overcome by grief, rage, shock, and especially terror. Some characters may suffer from raw nerves and feelings of imminent doom. This leads to frequent panic, Panting, sobbing, screaming and emotional speeches.
A Damsel in distress, threatened by a cruel villain: In Gothic Novels, to gain the sympathy of the reader, the female character often faces troubles that leave her fainting, petrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. The central figure of the novel is often a lonely, pensive, and troubled heroine. Her miseries are often emphasized, because she is abandoned and has no protector and a male character has the power, as king, lord, father, or guardian, to demand that
she do something intolerable. She may be commanded to commit a crime or marry someone she does not love (at times the powerful male himself).
Elements of Romance: In addition to the usual gothic elements, many Gothic novels have elements of romance as well. These elements are:
Powerful love: There is sometimes a deep and moving love which is often sudden and many times, the first that the character has felt with this overwhelming power. These powerful and sincere emotions create a life or death pledge and commitment between the character and his beloved.
Uncertainty of reciprocation:
The character in often in doubt as to his beloved’s feelings towards him; “What is my beloved thinking?” and “Is my love returned or not?” He wonders to himself . In some cases the poor lover suffers in vain, and in other occasions the love may be returned.
Tension and Separation: There is often tension between true love and a father's control, disapproval, or choice. Most often, the father of the beloved disapproves of the man she loves and this may result in obstacles that separates the lovers. In some cases of separation one of the lovers may be banished, arrested, forced to flee, locked in a dungeon, or may even disappear with or without an explanation. (an explanation may be given by the person opposing the lovers' being together that later turns out to be false.)
Rival lovers and threatened love: One of the lovers (or even both) can have more than one person competing for their affection.in the case of the female character there may be an evil man who has lustful intentions and desires he may scheme to win her hand therefore threatening
the survival of the pure and virtuous love between the main character and the female.
Movement Variations: The Gothic and Film, Detective Fiction
The Gothic and Film: Translated into modern cinematography, the setting might be in an old house or mansion--or even a new house--where unusual camera angles, sustained close ups during movement, and dimness in light or obscurities create the same sense of claustrophobia and confinement. One of the best film adaptations of a gothic novel is “The Shining”.
In “The Shining” a massive, secluded, old hotel that turns out to be haunted, is featured as the backdrop of the story. Supernatural events and pursuits happen through the maze like corridors of the hotel as the story unravels. This great movie, released in 1980, is based on a novel of the same name by Stephen King and is directed by Stanley Kubrick .It stars Jack Nicholson as the central character of the story, who is a writer that is unable to sell his work and is forced to take a job as the grounds keeper of an old hotel in the middle of nowhere, just to be able to feed his family. The story begins when the family (Nicholson and his wife and sun) move to the desolate hotel in the middle of winter. At first everything seems fine, but soon the father starts to have hallucinations, is haunted by ghosts and tries to kill his wife and sun. Nicholson’s depiction of the central character , is both extreme and terrifying, as are many of the best lead characters in many Gothic Novels. This film features many of the distinguishing elements of the Gothic genre of literature and the Gothic novel.
Detective Fiction:
This genre of fiction is generally thought to have begun in 1841, with the publication of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “the murders at the rue morgue”. Poe’s story depicted an unconventional and weird detective named “Dupin” who reappeared in two other stories. Other authors of detective fiction are: Dashiell Hammett, Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and Dorothy Sayers. But the most prominently known is Arthur Conan Doyle. Canon Doyle’s fictional detective “Sherlock Holmes” was the main character in over fifty short stories and four novels between 1887 and 1927. The 1943 Sherlock Holmes film “Sherlock Holmes Faces Death”, which is a classic Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce film, contains these elements of the Gothic genre of literature: Setting: The setting is in a huge mansion with several floors, including a basement and a concealed and secret cellar under it, which is Dark and drafty as well as being Ominous.
Atmosphere of Mystery: the story is a multiple murder mystery in which everyone is a suspect, the movie also has cryptic notes, many hidden passageways
and there is the presence of the blowing wind and the lightning, signs banging into the wall and a few characters being trapped in various ways, all these elements give a sense of additional horror. Ancient Prophecy: There is the presence of the Musgrave Ritual in the plot of the movie, which is an Obscure, compelling and ancient myth. Omens and signs: The crow at the tavern, the intrusive lightning strike and the taunting notes from the butler are all omens and indications in the plot of the movie. Supernatural or inexplicable events: How the victims die in the movie is strange and inexplicable. And the lightning which seems to strike at just the right time is strange in a way. Overwrought emotion: The central female character in the movie screams and panics in some of the scenes. Woman in distress who is threatened by a male: this aspect is toned down in this movie, but the murderer has intentions and schemes for the heroine.
Works Cited
Brown, Charles Brockden. Wieland: or, the Transformation, an American Tale. NY, Hard Press Edition. 2006. Print. Galens, David, ed. Literary Movements for Students, Second Edition, Volume 1. Gale Group.2002. Print. Lewis, Matthew. The Monk: A Romance. London, Penguin Group, Penguin Books Ltd. 1998. Print. Maturin, Charles Robert. Melmoth the Wanderer. London, Penguin Group, Penguin Books Ltd. 2000. Print. Radcliff, Ann. The Italian: Oxeord’s World Classics. USA, Oxford University Press. 2008. Print. Radcliff, Ann. The Mysteries of Udolpho. London, Penguin Group, Penguin Books Ltd. 2001. Print. Walpole, Horace , William Beckford, Matthew Lewis, and Mary Shelly. Four Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; The Monk; Frankenstein: Worlds Classics. USA, Oxford University Press Inc. 1994. Print. The Shining. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duval, and Danny Lloyd. Warner Bros. 1980. Film. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death. Dir. Roy William Neill. Perf. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce. Universal Studios. 1943. Film. http://www.bookrags.com http://www.virtualsalt.com http://www.dictionary.reference.com http://www.cai.ucdavis.edu
