Text: Building Skills in English 1114 Unit 3: Gothic tales

Activity 3
1 Features of Gothic stories Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is one of the most famous Gothic Biography
novels ever written. Read the extract below, where the narrator,
Gothic stories became popular around two hundred years ago, and
You are learning: Dr Frankenstein, describes the moment when the monster he
have remained popular ever since. Gothic stories and films are usually
has been creating finally comes to life.
to understand the main about ghosts and horror and they often include these features:
features of Gothic stories. wild and remote places
dark and gloomy settings How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how Mary Shelley is best known
graveyards, tombs and corpses delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I as the author of the novel
family curses and dark secrets had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I Frankenstein, which was
supernatural powers had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! published in 1818. Her
mysterious and frightening creatures, people or ghosts His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries husband was the Romantic
old, ruined, isolated castles and mansions, often with secret beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
passages and mysterious towers of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more
nightmares, madness and mental torment horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the Explanations
science used for evil or disastrous purposes same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his catastrophe disaster
worrying and unusual natural events (storms, full moons, etc.). shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. delineate describe
endeavoured tried
The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings lustrous shiny
of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the luxuriances riches
Activity 1 sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I infusing putting
ardour passion
Look carefully at the list of Gothic features above and make a had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an aspect appearance
list of stories and films (for example, Dracula or Ravens Gate) ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, traversing moving across
that have some of those features in them. the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and
disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being
I had created, I rushed out of the room, and continued a long time
Activity 2 traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep.
Read these four story openings:
B Heath Manor finally rose into view
A behind a line of dense, gloomy fir trees.
Jane leaned on the railing of her 1 Look again at the list of Gothic features on page 58. Write down
The closer we got, the more it looked
apartment balcony, gazed across the the ones you find in the extract from Frankenstein above.
like a brooding monster battered and
shiny, blue sea of the bay, and sighed
bruised, but still menacing. A fierce wind 2 Explain how the narrator feels about the monster he has
with happiness. This was going to be
tugged at its broken shutters. created. Use a table like the one below to explore his feelings.
the perfect holiday. And best of all,
there would be no more Tom. Word or phrase What it might show about the narrators feelings
catastrophe Catastrophe means disaster so the narrator feels
that he has done a terrible thing.
D Surrender! boomed the voice of the Stragor
C A sudden dark shadow swept across
the bright moon, momentarily blocking commander. Surrender, or we will destroy
out its light. Sarah stumbled against a your ship and all on board. Martin Strang, Assess your progress Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
gravestone that was leaning towards the leader of Solar Expedition 29, was not easily This table shows you how Pick out and describe Explain how Gothic Consider how the way a
path like a cracked and crooked tooth. scared. He readied the stun missile tubes. to get better at the key some basic features features are different from text is written affects its
An owl gave a ghostly hoot. reading skills used on of Gothic texts those of other sorts of story meaning
these two pages. How Comment on how the Understand a writers Explain the difference
well are you doing? reader is supposed purpose even when it is between an authors and
Which two of these are most Gothic? Briefly explain why. to feel not obvious a characters viewpoints

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