This page was created by Carissa Rodenbiker. The last update was by Sarah Swansen.
Gothic Elements
- Labyrinthine structures
- Castles
- Abbeys
- Large Estates
The Supernatural: Supernatural beings, monsters, or occurrences can often be found in Gothic literature. Allowing for the abandonment of reason, the supernatural brings in the element of the unknown and intensifies all fear and mystery.
Isolation: Through characters physically and psychologically, sociocultural circumstances, and the setting, isolation can be portrayed in multiple ways in Gothic literature.
Intense Emotion: The Gothic utilizes intense and unrelenting emotions, such as the experience of the sublime, terror, and sentimental narration.
Character Types: There are several kinds of characters that can often be found in Gothic literature, including:
- Fallen hero or marginalized figure
- Woman as a victim; a woman in distress who is often threatened by a powerful, tyrannical male
- Virginal maiden
- Tyrant/Villain
Motifs: Common Gothic motifs include:
- Repression
- Light and dark
- Faustian desire for knowledge
- Narrative spiral
“Spooky setting (mansions, abbeys, castles); nightmare visions of the home; secret passages; locked rooms; a feeling of mystery and suspense; an emphasis on madness and disordered state of mind; omens, portents, visions, and the supernatural; and tortured family relationships often involving persecution of the female--all of which work to threaten the reader’s sense of what is ‘normal’ "
-Kandola
Works Cited
Kandola, Sondeep. "Gothic." In Maunder, Andrew, ed. Encyclopedia of Literary Romanticism. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Gothic Convention." Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Supernatural Themes in Gothic Literature." Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Stevens, David. The Gothic Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.
Kandola, Sondeep. "Gothic." In Maunder, Andrew, ed. Encyclopedia of Literary Romanticism. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Gothic Convention." Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Supernatural Themes in Gothic Literature." Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Stevens, David. The Gothic Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.
