Gothic Literature

Hey! Will somebody tell that man to quit holding his breath? He’s turning Blue!And those teeth! What? Hey! He’s biting me! He’s Biting me!

Definition Gothic literature plunges

it’s characters into mystery, torment, and fear in order to pose disturbing questions to our familiar and comfortable ideas of humanity, society, and the cosmos

Man! That fella on that table sure does have some big old feet! I bet he would be good at ski jumping!

Beginnings: From gothic

architecture of the middle ages

Gothic cathedrals:Irregularly placed

towersHigh stained-glass

windowsInspire awe and

fear in worshippers

That sure is long walk up that hill! And that kind of looks like the place where those flying monkeys come from. Hey! Wait a minute! Monkey’s can’t fly! Can they?

Gargoyles Carvings of small

deformed creatures at the corners of gothic cathedrals

Suppose to ward off evil spirits

Demonic look Mascot of gothic

literature Pssst…Why do you suppose that creature

over there ain’t got no eyes? Kind of creeps me out. Oh, Wait a minute! Here he comes! Hey! What are you doing? Quit! Oh! Stop it! Hey! My eyes! Oh my eyes! Man! These gnats are awful!

Characteristics: Helpless

victimNo control

over the victimizer○ i.e. –

damsel in distress

Could be either a man or a woman

Now look. I know you guys are not dumb or anything. But if a green man with a flat head comes up to you at a lake and wants to throw flowers into the water with you, you had better run!

Characteristics: Evil Victimizer

Immense or supernatural powers

Always associated with some sort of evil

Ladies…if you ever come a fellow with eyes the color of blood and teeth like spikes, hang on to him! He is sure to keep all the creepers away! Don’t you think?

Characteristics: Setting – sense of hopelessness and fear

Physical○ Large house or estate○ Frontier wilderness

Psychological○ In your mind○ Dreams○ Omens○ Foreshadowing○ Looks like somebody needs to cut their grass! Somebody

call the Homeowner’s Association! Let’s go up and confront that nice old lady who sits in the window up there. Mrs. Bates? Mrs. Bates? Are you up there? Mrs. Bates?

Characteristics: Mysterious Atmosphere

Oppressive, fearful, full of doom○ i.e. – a crypt

Supernatural eventsUnknown terrorWords that indicate fear

and mystery Now look Gil, I’m not telling you

again to cut those fingernails! You’re going to put someone’s eyes out with those things! I’m not kidding! Hey! Stop it! Ouch! Hey! My eyes! My eyes!

Characteristics:

Victim entranced by VictimizerFascinated

by their power

Hey! Don’t look now; but that feller ain’t got no head! Holy moly! That feller on that horse ain’t got head either! What’s going on here? Wait a minute! I thought it was two heads are better than none! Not, no heads are better than two!

Themes Rational vs. irrational Guilt and shame High emotions

Anger Surprise Terror Grief Obsessive love Greed All I’m going to say is don’t ever trust a man who is wearing a

black turtle-necked sweater. Especially if he has fire on the left side of his body! And those eyebrows! Just you look at those eyebrows! Look like demon wings to me! Hey! What are looking at? Stop it! Cut it out! Stop! Hey! Don’t! Oh1 My eyes! My eyes!

Connection to Romanticism

Thresholds of the unknown Shadowy region –

the fantastic The demonic The insane

Potential of evil in the individual Peer into the darkness at the

supernatural Let me give you some advice. If you ever,

and I mean ever see these two lovely ladies, you’d better turn around and run like there’s no tomorrow! And, I ain’t playing! Never trust anyone whose tube socks are not even!

American Gothic Gothic tradition established in

europe American Gothic Writers:

Nathanial Hawthorne – The Scarlet A

Washington Irving – Sleepy Hollow

Herman Melville – Moby DickEdgar Allan Poe – THE MASTER! Bald-headed men with needle-like finger nails are just

naturally creepy; don’t you think? He sure does have a nice jacket, though. I wonder if he would be willing to sell it? Let’s ask! Shall we?

The Individual Versus Society

When one person fights against against “the system” of societal norms.

Georgia Common Core Unit #2 Theme