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Gothic Elements In Short Stories

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Gothic Elements in Short Stories The use of Gothic literature appears in a sector of shortened stories. These stories all share similar themes within the stories. The two shared themes throughout the short stories I have chosen are revenge and grotesqueness. Most of these stories were written in the same time range which is a similarity of why their following themes could have been influenced. Revenge is recognized by a credible amount of humans. Revenge is a form of justice, it makes others feel good about oneself for something that has badly affected them. In “The Devil” revenge is depicted by Tom walker's wife in the story, the author describes in detail the wives idea which she had stolen from her husband, Tom Walker, “ At length she determined to drive the bargain on her own account, and if she succeeded, to keep all the gain to herself’(Irving 327). Tom was offered his soul to be given to the devil in exchange for loads of money, deciding maybe that was not the smartest idea he has had his wife thought different, and decided on her own that, that is what she must do. In “The Prey” by James Matheson, the main character purchased a doll as a gift, it being “the one who kills” ends up attempting to slaughter her, giving her many scratches and horrific battle wounds. Toward the end of the story whenever she is pursuing to end the toy dolls excursion, she finally catches him with her suitcase, “she slammed the lid, and threw the suitcase flat” (Matheson 2), this is her way

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