Characteristics of gothic fiction

Characteristics of gothic fiction

The first gothic novel was published in 1764. The gothic

novel will typically follow a plot of mystery and

suspense.

Often you will find gloomy settings such as old

decaying houses in isolated locations. There are often

houses with long dark corridors and a dark and

mysterious past.

Gothic novels will typically introduce supernatural

elements like witches, vampires, ghosts demons or the

devil. Gothic fiction is partly a reaction to all the

scientific progress of the 19th century. People were both

afraid and fascinated by the past. Gotic novels also have

elements from romanticism, and will often explore

strong and powerful feelings (overwhelming feelings)

Why should you read Edgar Allan Poe ?

• he combined form and style

• he invented the « unity of effect », on the one hand

the story must be short, the reader must be able to

read it in a single setting. On the other hand, since it

is short, each word or all the elements must serve a

purpose.

• he is considered to be the father of the detective

novel

• his life is as dark as his novels

• he often wrote abut grief and explored the human

mind

• he is one of the first writers to use the concept of an

« unreliable narrator », this means that the

narrator of the story can not really be trusted, their

perception and descriptions of the world might be

distorted or flawed, or they might be lying to the

reader

Who was Edgar Allen Poe?

• Poe was born in 1809. Both his parents died before

he was three years old. He was taken in and raised

as a foster child by John and Frances Allen.

• He was an excellent student, but he had to leave

university because he had money problems.

• He also went to the prestigious Westpoint Military

Academy, but he was forced to leave because his

foster father refused to pay for him. He also had

gambling and drinking problems.

...