Gothic fiction

experiencing drastic social upheaval, mutinous political unrest, and revolutionary scientific and technological advancements, Gothic literature emulates the society in which it was born and has transcended generations with its evolution of a literary archetype, whose charismatic and vicious personality captivates its audiences. During the nineteenth century, the romantic-gothic literary movement featured unconventional writers such as Lord Byron, Mary Shelly, and Emily Bronte, all of whom aided…

civilization of the evils and danger of extreme self-indulgence and the destruction caused by narcissism, hoping to influence society to not be anything like the character of Dorian Gray. Mary Shelley also follows a similar effort, using the Gothic science fiction tale of the unnatural creation of a monstrosity in order dramatically show society the dangers that going against nature may cause. In each work, the writer demonstrates their duty of keeping society from destroying itself by using…

How did Edgar Allan Poe Affect Literature? Edgar Allan Poe is known by a vast majority of people in today’s society, but why? Poe has become so popular that he is a major influence, or reference source, of today’s writers. He is read everywhere around the world, taught in English classes in not only middle school and high school, but college as well. William T. Bandy states that “...he has been more widely read over the years than any other author born into the Western Hemisphere”(2, Bandy). It…

GE2112 Representations of the Gothic Final Essay
 Ko Tong Tong (53056992) 28th November 2015 Topic 1: “Evil is a Point of View” “Evil is a point of view. God kills indiscriminately and so shall we. For no creatures under God are as we are, none so like him as ourselves.” (Rice 69) Lestat told Louis this in Interview with the Vampire. It raised a very good concern for people to think. How can evil be defined? For a vampire, blood consumption is a necessity to maintain their life. (Wolf 28)…

Edgar Allan Poe, the name has been forever inscribed in American literature. Edger’s gothic writing style demonstrated in both short story, and perhaps more famously his work in poetry deal mainly in death and all of its intricacies. His work led to the recognition of new literary genres which in turn earned him the nickname "Father of the Detective Story". Mystery shrouds the facts on Edgar’s life making his story a bit of a fantasy in itself. Edgar Allan Poe’s life began rough and pretty…

According to the statement, humankind tries to suppress their primal desires such as “revenge, conquest, lust and greed” but these attempts will always be contended by our inherent bestial nature. Referred to as ‘The Beast Within’, our dark side has been heavily featured within literature since time immemorial, which only substantiates our perverse (albeit secret) attraction to it. Throughout time the representation of ‘The Beast Within’ has evolved in literature, from biblical myths such as…

to be uncivilized and of the wrong beliefs. These narratives, which typically are autobiographical, capture the interest of readers and create reactions of shock, empathy, and inspiration. Narratives as such anticipate popular fiction, especially romance, and prefigure gothic literature with the “depictions of Indian as dark, hellish, cunning, and unpredictable” (Campbell, 2015). One of the more popular captivity narratives was based on Mary White Rowlandson and her eleven-week captivity. Mary…

As a Southern Gothic writer, Flannery O’Connor focuses on the grotesque world of a plethora of characters including Harry/Bevel, Mr. Head, Nelson, and others. The world of Harry/Bevel is particularly interesting because of the way O’Connor mirrors his transition from a sheltered, abstract life to one of harsh reality through art. Quickly, his worldview is shaken by reality and religion as he is exposed to the real world and baptized. Harry/Bevel, with both names, effectively loses his naïve view…

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was acclaimed throughout Britain, as well as internationally. The gothic science fiction thriller about a scientist who brings the dead to life enthralled readers. While the novel on the surface is gripping, Shelley alludes to many other books and ideas that romantics discussed around the time Frankenstein was written. One of these ideas was alchemy, an ancient science that many deemed worthless. Although alchemy was scientifically incorrect, romantics were fascinated…

Mother Nurture: The Importance of Feminity in Frankenstein Frankenstein examines the importance of feminie nurture by exhibiting the repercussions of dominating male ambition and lacking feminie nurture. In the gothic fiction novel, Frankenstien, by Mary Shelly, females possess vital feminine nurture and empathy. However, because Frankenstein has dominating masculinity, he lacks feminine qualities, preventing the monster’s nurturing upbringing. This lack of nurture leads the monster down a path…