Gothic Literature is a genre which has many other smaller genres branching out from it. For example, there is traditional gothic, weird fiction, southern gothic, contemporary gothic, etc. Each one of these partial genres has different characteristics which vary from story to story. However, some stories which fall into a specific genre, also have many characteristics from other genres. For example, a contemporary gothic literature work may be in written in a sense that seems like traditional gothic literature or southern gothic. In the contemporary gothic excerpts “The Falls,” “The Amityville Horror,” “Blood Meridian,” and “Hell House” all seem to use conventions and styles from other genres of gothic. The excerpt “Hell House” seems to use
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One southern gothic convention or theme that is prominent in this excerpt is the idea of poverty. For example, “Blood Meridian” states, “See the child. He is pale and thin, he wears a thin and ragged linen shirt” (3). The fact that this boy is thin and pale proves that he is malnourished. Also, the story mentions “rags of snow (3). The fact that the boy is wearing a thin and ragged shirt in the cold, proves that he is living in poverty. Another example of the southern gothic conventions of poverty, un-education, and violence is when “Blood Meridian” states, “He watches, pale and unwashed. He can neither read nor write and in him broods already a taste for mindless violence” (3). This statement shows his poverty because the boy is unwashed. This statement also shows un-education because the boy does not know how to read or write, another prominent feature of southern gothic literature. Another prominent convention of southern gothic literature is violence, which is shown throughout the story. For example, “Blood Meridian” states, “He kicked the man in the jaw. The man went down and got up again. He said: I’m gonna kill you” (9). This statement is only part of the violence shown in this story. Another southern gothic style shown in this story is the way it is written or its dialect. For example, “Blood Meridian” uses words such as “folk”
One southern gothic convention or theme that is prominent in this excerpt is the idea of poverty. For example, “Blood Meridian” states, “See the child. He is pale and thin, he wears a thin and ragged linen shirt” (3). The fact that this boy is thin and pale proves that he is malnourished. Also, the story mentions “rags of snow (3). The fact that the boy is wearing a thin and ragged shirt in the cold, proves that he is living in poverty. Another example of the southern gothic conventions of poverty, un-education, and violence is when “Blood Meridian” states, “He watches, pale and unwashed. He can neither read nor write and in him broods already a taste for mindless violence” (3). This statement shows his poverty because the boy is unwashed. This statement also shows un-education because the boy does not know how to read or write, another prominent feature of southern gothic literature. Another prominent convention of southern gothic literature is violence, which is shown throughout the story. For example, “Blood Meridian” states, “He kicked the man in the jaw. The man went down and got up again. He said: I’m gonna kill you” (9). This statement is only part of the violence shown in this story. Another southern gothic style shown in this story is the way it is written or its dialect. For example, “Blood Meridian” uses words such as “folk”