What are the conventions of gothic literature?
Elements and Conventions of Gothic Literature
- Dark, Abandoned, Decaying Settings.
- Romanticized Past.
- Plot conventions.
- Horror.
- Supernatural Beings.
- Explorations of Romance and Sexuality.
- Anti-Heroes.
- Heavy Reliance on Symbolism.
Why is Gothic literature called Gothic?
Called Gothic because its imaginative impulse was drawn from medieval buildings and ruins, such novels commonly used such settings as castles or monasteries equipped with subterranean passages, dark battlements, hidden panels, and trapdoors.
Who is the father of Gothic literature?
Edgar Allan Poe
The name Edgar Allan Poe conjures images of madmen, murderers and mysterious women who return from the dead. Most famous for his narrative works such as The Raven and the Tell Tale Heart, Poe has been described as the father of Gothic literature.
What are three characteristics of a protagonist in Gothic literature?
Key features seem to be:
- Some degree of tragic stature.
- Of high social rank.
- Somehow foreshadowed by doom.
- A tendency to be influenced by past events.
- Sharply contrasting qualities within the character.
- The possession of considerable powers.
- A striking physical presence.
- A strongly sexual element.
What are the 4 elements of gothic literature?
Gothic elements include the following:
- Setting in a castle.
- An atmosphere of mystery and suspense.
- An ancient prophecy is connected with the castle or its inhabitants (either former or present).
- Omens, portents, visions.
- Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events.
- High, even overwrought emotion.
- Women in distress.
What are the conventions of the Gothic genre?
Gothic literature is one of many common literary genres and can have multiple conventions within various aspects.
Who are the main characters in Gothic literature?
Gothic works often include a woman who suffers at the expense of a villain. They carry feelings of sadness, oppression, and loneliness, and many were depicted as virginal in early Gothic pieces. The damsel’s character is often held captive in a castle, terrorized by a nobleman, and rendered powerless.
What are the most important elements of Gothic literature?
Anything that is beyond scientific understanding lends way to mystery, and Gothic atmospheres leverage this principle. Many Gothic works contain scenes, events and objects such as burials, flickering candles, evil potions, and other frightful concepts.
How is the setting used in a Gothic novel?
The setting will be used to create an ” atmosphere of horror and dread” (“The Gothic Novel”). To create the horrific atmosphere, the setting will portray the world in a “decaying” state by using images of darkness, coldness, and even images of bones, tombstones, or other elements of a cemetery.