For those seeking thrills, surprises and mind-bending twists, Gothic Literature is an excellent genre to fulfill that role. While these novels can vary from the average home in a futuristic world to an old and decaying mansion on a stormy night, or from several characters to just a few, Gothic stories mainly focus on horror themes that set the reader on edge. Death, supernatural activity, spooky settings and suspicions about who can be trusted are many common characteristics featured in Gothic Literature however they may be handled in different ways. Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe are two vastly well-recognized authors for their contributions to the gothic community. However, both have far different writing styles which causes many similarities and contrasting story elements in their works. Two prime examples are Poe’s “The Fall of
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In And Then There Were None, the deaths were unexpected, consistent and drove the suspicion and fear arising in the characters. The remaining visitors of the island keep the murders in check in hopes to solve the mystery of who the killer really was. In contrast, Poe approaches the death of Mr. Usher’s sister as one that was expected due to her sickly condition. Instead of thinking about it as the story goes on, the narrator and Mr. Usher try their best to keep their minds off of it with various distractions. In Christie’s novel, the constant worry of who the killer was actually led to careless decisions and the murder of more guests. Similarly, in Poe’s short story, ignoring the sister’s seemingly lifeless body actually led to the misconception that she was dead. When she showed up “from the dead,” Mr. Usher was scared to death. Both stories prove that a death, from natural causes or a murder, can lead to all kinds of spooky events when it comes to Gothic
In And Then There Were None, the deaths were unexpected, consistent and drove the suspicion and fear arising in the characters. The remaining visitors of the island keep the murders in check in hopes to solve the mystery of who the killer really was. In contrast, Poe approaches the death of Mr. Usher’s sister as one that was expected due to her sickly condition. Instead of thinking about it as the story goes on, the narrator and Mr. Usher try their best to keep their minds off of it with various distractions. In Christie’s novel, the constant worry of who the killer was actually led to careless decisions and the murder of more guests. Similarly, in Poe’s short story, ignoring the sister’s seemingly lifeless body actually led to the misconception that she was dead. When she showed up “from the dead,” Mr. Usher was scared to death. Both stories prove that a death, from natural causes or a murder, can lead to all kinds of spooky events when it comes to Gothic