The term Gothic' originally referred to the Goths, an early medieval Germanic tribe they believed in the supernatural powers of the world. The Gothic novel is a type of romance (a prose narrative dealing with events remote from everyday life) that was popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It is a very distinct form with interesting features and has been a great influence upon fiction.
Features of a gothic novel
Gothic novels narrate tales of
mystery and horror aimed at
shocking and disturbing the
readers.
The setting usually includes
haunted castles with secret passages, winding staircases, dungeons, and caves. American writers
of Gothic fiction often set the story in
a distant place and in a bygone
age, such as medieval Europe.
The atmosphere is threatening or
gloomy. The novelists create a mood of suspense and evoked the fear of the unknown.
It includes supernatural elements (such as ghosts) and strange, eerie happenings. Other common features are disturbing visions and frightening dreams.
The mode of narration is
sentimental or melodramatic, and the characters often display strong emotions.
The feelings of pity and terror
aroused by this novel with or without a cathartic effect, but are to be enjoyed
for their own sake.
This type of fiction was made
popular by Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto (1764). Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries
of Udolpho (1794) and Matthew Gregory Lewis's The Monk (1796)
were important
formative influences on the genre. Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein (1818) is a popular
example of the form. Edgar Allan Poe developed this style in
the United States. Other famous Gothic novels include Robert Louis
Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Oscar Wilde's The
Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) and Bram Stoker's Dracula
(1897).
No comments:
Post a Comment
looking forward your feedbacks in the comment box.