American gothic literature is the owner to some of the darkest and frightening stories in literature. The story “The Reaper’s Image” by Stephen King is about how people look into an old mirror, and they disappear forever without a trace. “The Reaper’s Image” fits into the American gothic literature tradition because there is a bleak setting, tortured characters, dark events and the supernatural.
First, “The Reaper’s Image” demonstrates a very bleak setting, that really makes you feel the horror. The setting takes place in an extremely old house which is now a museum. The way that King describes the house just makes the story even more bleak and dark. He describes objects in the house with great detail, for example: “one monstrous and obscenely ornate chandelier surmounted by a salaciously grinning nymphet” (King). The amount of adjectives that are used creates a setting in the house that truly belongs in American gothic literature. Another example of bleak setting is:, “ it became oppressively hot in the dark upper galleries. With the heat came a creeping stench that Spangler knew well, for he had spent all his adult life …show more content…
An example of a tortured character in this story was Mr. Carlin. He is a tour guide at the museum and knows a lot about the mirror in the house. He is tortured because he doesn’t know if he will be the next one to disappear. After Mr.Carlin opens the door, King describes him by saying, “ He was clinging shakily to the top of the stepladder, face white in the brown semidarkness.”. Mr. Carlin knows what may happen to Mr.Spangler and he doesn’t want to go up into the attic first. Mr. Carlin doesn’t even look in the mirror when they go up because he was so scared that the reaper was going to get him next. “The Reaper’s Image” contains characters that are being tormented which further proves my point that the story should be in American gothic
First, “The Reaper’s Image” demonstrates a very bleak setting, that really makes you feel the horror. The setting takes place in an extremely old house which is now a museum. The way that King describes the house just makes the story even more bleak and dark. He describes objects in the house with great detail, for example: “one monstrous and obscenely ornate chandelier surmounted by a salaciously grinning nymphet” (King). The amount of adjectives that are used creates a setting in the house that truly belongs in American gothic literature. Another example of bleak setting is:, “ it became oppressively hot in the dark upper galleries. With the heat came a creeping stench that Spangler knew well, for he had spent all his adult life …show more content…
An example of a tortured character in this story was Mr. Carlin. He is a tour guide at the museum and knows a lot about the mirror in the house. He is tortured because he doesn’t know if he will be the next one to disappear. After Mr.Carlin opens the door, King describes him by saying, “ He was clinging shakily to the top of the stepladder, face white in the brown semidarkness.”. Mr. Carlin knows what may happen to Mr.Spangler and he doesn’t want to go up into the attic first. Mr. Carlin doesn’t even look in the mirror when they go up because he was so scared that the reaper was going to get him next. “The Reaper’s Image” contains characters that are being tormented which further proves my point that the story should be in American gothic