Essays on Gothic fiction

Gothic elements in The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Poe’s short story The Oval Portrait contains distinct Gothic elements penetrating the setting and the mood of the narration. From the very first line the reader is invited to “the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe”, the pioneer of the gothic novel. The image of the…

Firstly the plot of the story conveys the horror and tension because Poe has in clouded a murder and that is a big part of the gothic genre and also has included dark sees this tells us that it is a horror and gothic story making the reader feel tensed. The setting of the story…

The role of fear in Poe’s “ the fall of the house usher” INSTRUCTOR’S NAME Edgar Allan Poe is a defining author in American Literature.  He is the perfect combination of poet and journalist.   He understood and promoted the idea that an author should take a critical approach to writing and his own prose.  His…

Before delving into the “gothic” elements found in Melville’s Moby Dick and the short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne, it may be helpful to understand just what the term “gothic” means in a literary context. While the original “Goths” – a Germanic tribe originating in a region of present-day Sweden still known as Götland – were…

The term gothic refers to a genre that came about in the late 18th century. It can be a type of story, clothing, music or literature. A very good example of this type of literature is Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. There is a sense of foreboding throughout the whole novel, which is one of the basic…

The Monkey’s Paw was written in 1902, a significant time in British history. At this point in history British rule governed a quarter of the Earth’s population. It was known as the British Empire and India is just one of the countries included. In Jacobs’ story the Sergeant Major who went to India to work…

There is something of deep and unsettling thrill that comes from reading works of gothic literature. The dark and unsettling nature of the gothic provides a strong sense of escapism and an interesting opportunity to explore what is otherwise repressed. These traits of the gothic explain why is proved to be a growing fascination and…

The setting of a gothic novel has been described as, “usually a large mansion or remote castle which is dark and foreboding: usually isolated from neighbors” In Wuthering Heights, Bronte has used Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights to depict isolation and separation. The dark and foreboding environment described at the beginning of the novel foreshadows…

FCA 1. Defends Edgar Allan Poe as a Romantic writer and provides at least three characteristics of Romanticism- 50 FCA 2. Uses language effectively by exhibiting word choices that are engaging and appropriate- 20 FCA 3. Includes sentences of varied length and structure- 15 FCA 4. Correct use of subject/ verb agreement- 15 Edgar Allan…

Bronte begins her novel by setting an eerie atmosphere, depicting Wuthering Heights as an isolated, dark and old mansion; mansions and castles are the usual settings of a gothic novel. Wuthering Heights is surrounded by moors and though not mentioned, the reader would infer that any sound would be muffled adding to the impression of…