The Importance Of Mystery And Suspense In Literature

How Bram Stoker Uses Gothic Conventions to Create an Atmosphere of Suspense and Fear for the Reader

Gothic horror, what does it symbolize, does it connect to our modern lives, what exactly is it? Gothic horror is the genre of literature that has elements of both romance and horror. Gothic horror is very dark, stormy full of eerie winds and is usually set in an old mansion or in castles on high cliffs. Usually gothic horror is a combination of fiction, horror, and romance. This genre was famous throughout England and had and still does have a big influence on British culture and how they live their lives today. “Some get the gothic horror mixed up with paranormal romance but the difference between the two is in the results The Gothic builds up the protagonist until he achieves what he’s after, and then details the terrible consequences of achieving it” (Dittmer 1). The theme in Dracula is that classic Gothic theme of the epic battle of good versus evil. “In this novel this is expressed in a very direct way, there is never any question as to who is right and who is wrong. According to Duran “it can be clearly seen the protagonists on the side of good have many endearing qualities while the antagonists on the side of evil have a pact with Lucifer and are of the purest evil” (mikeduran.com). Bram Stokers Dracula demonstrates how religion can influence the mind of others and how they react and encounter to different situations of their lives.

The first trope that must be present in order to make a novel “Gothic” is, desolate and wild landscapes. In Dracula, Stoker writes, “ Soon we were hemmed in with trees, which in places arched right over the roadway till we passed as through a tunnel; and again great frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either side” (11). Stoker demonstrates the first trope by introducing a desolate setting in the woods. He does this by creating a landscape that involves trees, rocks, and tunnels, to create a dark spooky image for the readers. On the same page, Stoker also writes, “The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear… I could not see anything through the darkness” (11). On the wild aspect of the landscape, Stoker speaks about the presence of wolves and darkness that creates fear within the character in the novel who is experiencing it. Clearly, Dracula portrays the first trope in a

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

Castles and strange places are important motifs in Dracula because the entire first section of the story involves Johnathan Harker making a trip up to Castle Dracula in Transylvania―a very strange place. The Count’s castle in Dracula, like any other castle described in Gothic Literature, is viewed as an old, deserted structure of terror. Castles in this time period were thought of as haunted and imprisoning,

The authors words of choice adds a serious and suspense on his tone. It makes the scene more suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what happens next.

In times of wretchedness it is challenging to overcome depression and numbness. While the prisoner was locked up in the Count’s foul castle, he sought for comfort and a will to fight. The author uses the dark, horrid prison to symbolize the prisoners doubt. Later in the entry, the author uses the crucifix to symbolize the confidence that the prisoner has left. In the entry, Dracula, by Bram Stoker, symbolism is used to develop the central idea of staying hopeful and persevering in times of despair.

The three most important gothic motifs that occur within the novel Dracula are a supernatural antagonist, dark settings such as castles and cemeteries, and unreliable narrators. The supernatural antagonist is the most important park of Dracula, it is so important the antagonist’s name is the title of the novel. The dark and eerie setting occur very frequently throughout the novel and have a profound impact on how the science will be perceived by the reader. Finally the unreliable narrators are important because, it makes the readers feel important by letting them connect the dots before the main characters.

Horror is one of the characteristics of Gothic story and it has been depicted in an outstanding way in the story. Moreover, many people find horror as a compelling factor that made them read the story, horror has been depicted in the story by Count Dracula, the ruthless and evil monster. Count Dracula is the antagonist in the story is on the path of destruction, infecting people in his way and increasing his radius of preys by moving to London. The count is shown in the book under different aliases, Dracula has different supernatural traits such as he can change forms to different animals, shadows, he can also control the weather. These different scenes in the story increase the

One of the powerful images conjured up by the words ‘gothic novel’ is that of a shadowy form rising from a mysterious place, Frankenstein’s monster rising from a laboratory table, Dracula creeping from his coffin, or, more generally, the slow opening of a crypt to reveal a dark and obscure figure, which all share in common the concept of Social Ostracisation both to the creator and creature. Gothic writing can be dated back for centuries, Shelly immediately comes to mind with Frankenstein as well as The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis and Dracula by Bram Stoker all can be associated with Social Ostracisation. The concept of

Gothicism has been a very popular genre of book, through past and present, and Bram Stoker’s, Dracula, is no exception. One of the most widely read novels of all time, Dracula possesses all the features of a classic gothic novel. The various dark and dreary features throughout the entire novel paints a perfect gothic picture for the reader and contribute to the mixture of feelings One gets while reading Dracula. The first feature of Gothicism found in Dracula is a constant and oppressive darkness. This feature is a reoccurring theme that is related to everything in the novel from the characters to the events that take place. Another feature found in Dracula is presence of a

To begin with, the story inhabits dark and dreary landscapes. As one of the main characters, a young London solicitor named Jonathan Harker, progresses in his business travels to Castle Dracula, the atmosphere is decidedly sepulchral and puts the reader on alert. Bram Stoker feeds the ideals of horror with the forlorn setting in the woods outside Dracula’s Castle. The wind sighs, the tree branches clatter together, and Jonathan and the driver are surrounded by a supernatural blue light and howling wolves. Jonathan describes it as a “sort of awful nightmare.” (13) Another example is found when Jonathan tries to trace the Count’s whereabouts in the castle. He tracks

Novel in particular and literature in general is more than just a work of fiction but in fact the hidden reflection of a specific historical era. Although, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and Dracula were written in different times and each leaves its readers with different emotion and contemplation stages, they all share an affinity: the presence of Gothic elements. Indeed, these novels are designed to lead their reader into thrilling journeys through spooky dark setting, suspense horrifying plot, and claustrophobic atmosphere. These elements, though appear in various forms throughout these three novels, still excellently accomplish their mission of enticing the readers to be caught up in the narrative.

The central theme of all Gothic novels is the presence and symbolism of the Gothic castle. Depiction of ruinous abbeys, monasteries, subterranean passages, vaults, secret panels, and the trapdoors is a standard method of achieving the atmosphere. Howells sees the Gothic castle as being ‘a shadowy world of ruins and twilight scenery lit up from time to time by lurid flashes of passion and violence ’(6). Therefore, the gloominess of the exterior and interior environment is illuminated by intense emotional and passionate moments of the characters that inhabit the castle. As Sage claims, the castle is ‘the lair of the villain’(166), and it is an accurate reflection of his dark and frightening character. Gloomy, dark, and dangerous, the castle reflects the emotions and psychological experience of many of the novel’s characters.

Gothic literature originated and was very strong at the time of the Romantic Writers Movement. They were very popular and had authors such as Horace Walpole who wrote “The Castle of Oranto”, and novels such as “Frankenstein” and “Dracula“. Gothic novels all had a similarity between each other. They always had typical Gothic features which alleviated the novel in one way or another. For example, most Gothic novels involved settings which generally added fear and suspense. They were always quite dark, scary and isolated. Also the characters of the Gothic novels never seemed to fit in the community and the society. They usually were handicapped, disabled or deformed