Matthew Gregory Lewis Research Paper

“Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” are qualities of Gothic Literature. In “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” both start at a point of not happiness but clam and mystery. “Lamb to the Slaughter” quickly turns from that tranquilized mood into depressing and doubtful when Mary kills her husband. Then in “The Cask of the Amontillado” even when that grim mood was not enough, it had to be more depressing when Montresor gets Fortunato drunk and later kills him. Thus, both “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” has bites and pieces of Gothic literature. “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Cask of Amontillado” both have twisted and gloomy thoughts, and actions.

Who was C.S. Lewis? What was he known for? Why was C.S. Lewis known as “Jack"?What did Lewis think about the Bible? Was he a fundamentalist? These questions and so many more have been, and are currently being asked today. Humans as a species tend to be drawn to the professional legacy of a man or women of great stature and or power. What if instead of that one dove in to the more personal aspect of said humans legacy? One would see the childhood that shaped this icon, or the beliefs and values that they held. Only when you investigate these treasures will one be able to fully appreciate and admire the accomplishments that a great human has achieved.

Stress is defined as a response to the demand placed on you. Stress is a natural reaction when the brain recognizes a threat. When the threat is seen, your body secrete the hormones that activate the "fight or flight" response. This battle or flight response is not limited to perceiving the threat, but in less severe situations, it is triggered when we encounter unexpected events. Psychiatrist Richard S. Lazarus is best stressed as "a condition or feeling felt by a person when he sees that the demands go beyond the personal and social resources that the individual can mobilize." For most people, stress is a negative

Religion has existed for a significant portion of human history and continues to do so; however, even a single religion’s history, traditions, and popularity have not always been constant. On an individual level, religion can also play a huge role in a person’s life, although that may not always be a purely voluntary choice. Defense mechanisms may have to be utilized if a person wants to live as they please or else they will be forced to confront the jarring inconsistencies in their beliefs. Jerrold E. Hogle contemplates that these fluctuations in a culture’s (specifically the middle class, since they are a large audience of gothic media) value system over time, how they conflict, and how they are violently dealt with constitutes the essence of the Gothic in his piece, “Introduction: modernity and the proliferation of the Gothic”. His broader musings provide a window of insight into Margaret Atwood's story, "Lusus Naturae", in which the characters' Catholic morals appear at odds with their self-interests. Those Catholic morals include purity, kindness, and selflessness, whereas self-interests include greed, selfishness, vanity, and dishonesty. Hogle relevantly comments on how the “vestiges of ancient Catholicism had become symbols of mostly emptied out meanings” (5). And so Hogle’s analysis of the Gothic and Atwood's gothic story work together to illustrate the efforts of harmonizing two antithetical ideals, leading to the weaponizing of Catholic symbols against the very

Edgar Allan Poe can be considered a Gothic writer because his work exhibits several key traits of Gothic artwork. The Gothic romance of the early 17th century began as an artistic movement against the Enlightenment and, as a result, is characterized by its focus on the exact opposite of everything the Enlightenment stood for; such as death, decay, and reversal of the natural order. In exploring Poe as a Gothic writer this discussion will focus on his use of madness and the irrational in "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", as well as the failure of reason in "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Cask of Amontillado".

In the history of literature, there have always been different themes and genres of writing. But few have been as different or unique as that of the “gothic” literature. Of all the gothic authors of history, few writing has captured the mind and plunged it into the depths of fear as that of Edgar Allen Poe. Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” is a story that shows us how deadly being prideful can be. Themes of dishonour, revenge and questionable justice all come together in this story. In this essay, I will discuss how the setting, irony and the lack of certain details all contribute to the gothic theme and the spine-tingling effect of the story.

The eccentric romantic gothic genre and the surrounding supernatural presence lurks around crowds of chapters. The contrastive saint Helen Burns used as a reverence to the good aspect and purity of christianity.

Gothicism, a style of writing that developed from Romanticism, is evident today in many literary mediums such as novels and movies, but it had its origins centuries earlier with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto in 1765 (Melani, 2002). The gothic novel was written to thrill and terrify readers with eerie settings and supernatural events. This genre would come to influence one of America’s most iconic authors and the father of the American short story: Edgar Allen Poe. The influence of the Gothic tradition in the works of Edgar Allen Poe, especially in “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado” is evident through his use of eerie settings, horror/terror, development of the main character, and common themes seen throughout his work.

The gothic genre often gives the ideas of darkness, gore, mystery and trepidation. Gothic literature first appeared in the 1720’s, the most common eerie yet beautiful themes used are death and decay, insanity and internal chaos, as well as the supernatural. Gothic writers often attempt to unmask the dark and horrific side of human nature, the irrational and destructive desires of men. However, Edgar Allen Poe’s literary creations stray away from the conventional and traditional concept of Gothic. The essential spirit of Romanticism which focuses greatly on characters’ passion and inner struggles can also be found in Poe’s macabre tales. Unlike other Gothic writers, Poe does not focus on the sheer terror nor lustful romance like the famous and

Edgar Allan Poe is arguably one of America’s most famed authors of American gothic literature. His text more than most authors exemplifies true gothic horror. His stories often tend to relate to very dark themes that make the reader feel very uncomfortable. It deals with themes of death, very extreme taboos, and supernatural elements. The stories are also set in very Gothic settings with creepy atmospheres such as tombs catacombs. Two of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories that stand out in particular is the “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher draw heavily on American Gothic tenants, themes, ideas, and settings.

Whether it be in the shape of looming shadows cast by some unseen foe or a pair of cold entwining hands around some unsuspecting neck, our dread, anxieties and greatest fears manifest themselves upon the pages of every gothic novel. Gothic novels play on the heart stings of their readership, inflaming feelings of unease that are already present. Matthew Lewis took advantage of his readers’ unsettled state by appealing to the fears which pervaded throughout Europe during the Eighteenth century. The Monk plays on the fears of people stirred by the French revolution and it fans the flames of distrust towards the Christian church brought on by the Enlightenment and Christianity’s revival. Matthew Lewis’ The Monk can be characterized as “the most

The Gothic novel calls to mind an environment of dread and horror and depicts the deterioration of the society in which it is based. Arthur Conan Doyle 's The Hound of the Baskervilles novel (1902) illustrates these Gothic attributes; it features fear and highlights the decadence of early 20th century English society. Given that these Gothic qualities introduce mysteries that would peak readers’ curiosity; the attributes make The Hound of the Baskervilles an effective detective narrative. This is because, to resolve these mysteries, a reader would need to conduct an investigation like a detective would. A reader would conduct such inquiry by reading the novel with a keen eye. By inviting readers to further delve into it, the novel is effective as it meets an important motive for authorship; catching the interest of readers. This essay shows that The Hound of the Baskervilles is an effective detective tale because the novel illustrates the Gothic attributes of dread, horror, and the deterioration of the world. Given the vagueness associated with these Gothic aspects, readers would want to further study the novel, thus rendering The Hound of the Baskervilles an effective detective work of fiction.

Just like the slow ticking of an old grandfather clock, gothic literature will be one of the most feared titles one will ever read for good reason. It’s heart-pounding. Sweat-inducing. Pupil-shaking. It is startlingly real and lifelike, and you won't be able to stop yourself from turning around to just check. Those deep, dark, unexplained laments in the murky recesses of our minds have moulded itself into two very distinct types of gothic literature - traditional and contemporary. Traditional gothic literature, like Charles Dickens’ ‘The Signalman’ utilises an unusual setting, and revolves heavily around the supernatural, which is further emphasised in its use of first person; contemporary literature, like Roald Dahl's ’ ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ has a varied range of

Gothic literature, specifically that created by renowned author Edgar Allan Poe, contains common themes, symbols and structures that make his work easily recognizable as this specific type of literature. Poe’s writing often incorporates many gothic elements, and especially puts emphasis on elements leading to madness and downfall in the lives of his characters. Through the use of suspense provoking gothic elements, Poe is able to captivate and intrigue his readers, which attributes to his widespread popularity. In his short stories, “The Black Cat”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”, along with his poem “Annabel Lee”, author Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates both perversity and fear through the use of literal and figurative imprisonment, freakishness, and obsessive love, as factors causing violence and destruction in the lives of his characters.

“Lewis’s Narrates the progress of Ambrosios destruction as his lust leads him to atrocious crimes.” These words of David McCracken concisely depicts The Monk which takes the readers through a chaotic journey . In the book The Monk there are many conflicts that are in the way of the characters. Through the use of religion, Romance, and Greed, Matthew Lewis reflects the elements of the supernatural, sexual temptation, and Fallen man thus expressing Gothic Literature.