Fear : The Power Of Fear In Gothic Literature

Fear is in the core of every person. It is the defense mechanism that keeps us from danger. It is an unpleasant emotion internally warning us that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause us pain. In gothic literature fear is a topic that the genre is soaked in. It is one of the main elements. Authors use literary devices to make a reader feel, think, and react in a certain way. Mary Shelley and Ann Radcliffe are both prominent gothic writers, with the works Frankenstein and The Mysteries of Udolpho respectively. They are both works that are thought of as key reads in the genre and both have a pervasive theme of fear throughout. The two women portray these very well using literary devices. Both authors explore fear as a theme. Mary Shelley’s novel

Gothic literature is a style of writing that contains elements of both horror and romance. This genre allows readers to experience a mix of horror and romance intertwined. Within the gothic genre there are elements of supernatural events, beings, and gloomy day settings. This style of writing became popular in the late 18th century and early 19 century. Many give credit to it’s uprising to author Horace Walpole, who wrote The Castle of Otranto (1764). His book contains all the elements that constitute the gothic genre. Frankenstein fits perfectly into the gothic category because the gloomy and mysterious setting is placed where most readers think of it as

Modern society thrives on the adrenaline rush from the being scar. Not just scares, but terrified to the point that fear takes on new meaning, invoking thoughts that were never deemed possible. Despite the popularity of facing these fears, it is not a new pastime as many would believe. Horror and Gothic tradition had its beginnings in the early medieval period that dominated Europe in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but it was American author Edgar Allen Poe of the nineteenth century that made Gothic tradition. A popular literary genre. Poe's troubled, short life had great influence on his writing, which is distinguished by specific, unique characteristics, and has in turn

To begin, “The term Gothic fiction refers to a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death and gloom, as well as romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and very high emotion. These emotions can include fear and suspense.”. (Greaver, 1). This specific style of writing began in the late seventeen hundreds. Gothic fiction was created in order to keep a narrower set of viewers or readers more intrigued and interested. “The term Gothic actually originated as a term belittling the architecture and art of the period, which was dark, decaying, and dismal. The settings were often old, dilapidated buildings or houses in gloomy, lifeless, fear inducing landscapes.” (Greaver, 1). Gothic literature is often explained as an illusion that is unexplainable. “Gothic fiction hovers between the uncanny and the marvelous, offering little

People develop multiple reasons to why they like to receive these odd and fear emotions, which now in society we call insanity. In the “Why We Crave Horror Movies” by Stephen King, whose main argument is that we watch horror movies to satisfy our curiosity. In the “How Tabloid Train Wrecks Reinventing Gothic Literature” by Carina Chocano, whose main argument is to prove how gothic literature is very similar to gossip; for example, gossiping makes people turn into ghosts, unnatural. It’s tempting to see Gothic tales as escapism, but these stories will sum up during times of trouble. Fascination with fear or Gothic stories satisfies some emotional need of individuals and of society by making people feed on their inner childhood that is inconstantly needed of satisfaction. People can do that by watching horror movies or reading tabloids and that is why they enjoy scaring themselves.

Gothic stories contain supernatural occurrences to incite an imminent feeling of darkness, and mystery. Using supernatural themes helps the reader become entrapped in the story, causing the reader to crave more of the story. For example, in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat in the short story Poe integrates the theme of supernatural by creating a dark and ominous

Gothic literature is a style of writing dating back to 1764, some of the most important elements of this writing style are of an eerie setting and mental decay, stories that made great use of these elements are: “The Raven”, “Black Cat”, “The House of Usher”, and “The Devil and Tom Walker”. The authors use the gothic element of eerie setting so that they can enhance the mood of the story and of mental decay to highlight what the conflict in the characters’ lives is causing.

Gothic literature uses wide ranging themes and gothic elements to convey its story. Gothic literature short stories can range from romance to horror to supernatural occurrences. Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow,” Richard Matheson’s “Prey,” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” all incorporate the following gothic elements: violence, revenge, hallucinations, nightmares, and psychological issues.

Gothic literature contains many thematic elements such as horror, death, and even at times romanticism. This type of literature incorporates various different elements, in order to evoke the emotions of terror. There are many authors who are extremely talented and are still remembered and read in classrooms today. These are authors like Edgar Allan Poe, best known for his mysterious poems and short stories, Richard Matheson and Horacio Quiroga, who have all incorporated psychological problems and violence themes in their short stories in order to fascinate the readers and add suspense to the story. These three gothic authors correlate the themes of violence and the psychological/ mental issues in order to depict anticipation and terror

In Bowen’s article, he discusses the different gothic motifs that make up gothic literature such as power and restraint, clashing time periods, strange places, terror versus horror, and a world of doubt. “Edward Scissorhands” has always been considered a strange film while We Have Always Lived in a Castle has always been considered a gothic novel. According to Bowen’s list of gothic motifs, “Edward Scissorhands” would be considered more gothic than the novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle because it fits more of the gothic conventions.

An important feature of gothic is the horror and terror seen within the text. The two were differentiated by Anne Radcliffe who suggests that terror relies on subtle suggestion which results in the creation of tension and fear, whilst horror is direct and explicit and causes instant fear. A good example of terror is an example of the pathetic fallacy used at the start of chapter 5, during the creation of the monster. It is described as a ‘dreary night of November’ and that the ‘rain pattered dismally against the panes’. This slowly builds tension and helps portray a sense of foreboding. Examples of horror include the ‘yellow eye’ of the monster as it infers decay and the ‘grave worms crawling in the folds of the flannel’ in Victor’s dream about his mother. These features of gothic would have been especially effective on a Victorian audience, as they were not often confronted with this sort of imagery, whereas it can be argued overexposure has caused modern audiences to be less sensitive, or desensitized, to this kind of content.

Different works of gothic literature share similar gothic elements such as ambiguity, death, and nightmares. Each element contributes a different tone to the stories that bring the reader into the work. Every story contains a different element that come together to bring out the same feelings.

Gothic literature has a different way of captivating the reader. Page by Page, gothic themes are present that create mystery and evoke suspense. The Night Circus, a novel by Eric Morgenstern, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, by Washington Irving, and “The Oval Portrait”, by Edgar Allan Poe share two important themes: eerie setting and isolation. All the stories connect through a lesson that passion can become harmful.

The Gothic genre delves into the depths of humanity, where the presence of the horrible and the macabre represent ‘the dark side’ of human nature.  Indeed, according to M. H. Abrams, Gothic novelists invited “fiction to the realm of the irrational and of the perverse impulses and nightmarish terrors that lie beneath the orderly surface of the civilized mind” (111).  In such works, unnatural desires and forbidden excesses that are buried and secret in the functioning self, become the monsters lurching around in Gothic lore.   Eve Sedgwick expands upon these themes by identifying how the fictional self is “massively blocked off from something to which it ought normally

Gothic Literature is a style of literature popularized during the late 18th century and the early 19th century with the publication of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This style usually portrays fantastic tales dealing with the horror, despair, the grotesque and other “dark” subjects. Characteristics of gothic literature includes the presence of victims and their victimizers who usually hold immense powers along with their evil purpose. The setting of this kind of literature generally takes place within impenetrable walls, whether physical or mental. This setting creates a sense of hopeless isolation within the victim. The summarization of the characters and situation creates an atmosphere pervaded by a sense of mystery, darkness, oppressiveness, fear, and doom.