The Gothic Novel

James Ward, Gordale Scar, 1814, London, Tate Gallery.

The Gothic novel

1. The origin of the name

It came to popularity at the end of the 18th century
The adjective Gothic three connotations

Medieval, linked to the architecture of the 12th-1 th centuries

Irregular, barbarous, opposed to !lassicism

Wild, supernatural, in the sense of mysterious

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The Gothic novel

2. Influences
Industrial e"ploitation
#estruction of the sin$le human %ein$ &an as a slave to forces he could not control Gothic sym%ols as denunciation of social pro%lems

The 18thcentury society

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The Gothic novel

2. Influences
's a cele%ration of terror 's a rejection of constraints and limits 's e"ploration of for%idden areas

The su%lime

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The Gothic novel

3. The setting
Great importance $iven to terror, characterised %y o%scurity and uncertainty, and horror, caused %y evil and atrocity( #arkness necessary in$redient for the mysterious, $loomy atmosphere(

Jonathan arry, Udolpho Castle, 1!!", #ri$ate collection.

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The Gothic novel

3. The setting
'ncient settin$s isolated castles and mysterious a%%eys )ith hidden passa$es, under$round cellars, secret rooms( !atholic countries as the settin$ for the most terri%le crimes, due to *rotestant prejudices a$ainst !atholicism(

A drawing depicting the Gothic staircase at Strawberry Hill, near London.

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The Gothic novel

4. The characters
!haracters dominated %y e"a$$erated reactions in front of mysterious situations or events( +upernatural %ein$s vampires, monsters and $hosts(
%enry &'seli (Johann %einrich &)ssli*, The Nightmare, 1+81, Goethe ,'se'm, &ran-.'rt

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The Gothic novel

4. The characters
+ensitive heroes they save heroines( ,eroines stricken %y unreal terrors and persecuted %y the villains( +atanic, terrifyin$ male characters, victims of their ne$ative impulses(
%enry &'seli (Johann %einrich &)ssli*, The Nightmare, 1+81, Goethe ,'se'm, &ran-.'rt

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The Gothic novel

5. The language
+emantic areas &ystery -ords enchantment, /host, ha'nted, in.ernal, ma/ic, secret, s#ectre, $ision a/ony, an/'ish, a##rehensions, des#air, dread, .earin/, .ri/htened, ho#eless, horror, melancholy, misera0le, #anic, sadly, scared, shrie-s, sorrow, tears, terror, 'nha##y, wretched an1io's, 0reathless, .rantic, hastily, im#atient, r'nnin/, s'ddenly an/er, enra/ed, .'rio's, ra/e, resentment, wrath enormo's, /i/antic, lar/e, tremendo's, $ast
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.ear/ Terror/ +orro)

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The Gothic novel

6. First Gothic authors

,orace -alpole The Castle of Otranto 1123 4 'nn 5adcliffe The Mysteries of Udolpho 1126 4 &atthe) 0e)is The Monk 112634 &ary +helley Frankenstein 118184

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The Gothic novel

7. Popularity
Great interest durin$ the 18th century common to all strata of society( The features of Gothic novels preserved in modern and contemporary descendents of this $enre in the )orks of7 !harlotte 8ronte 9( '( *oe 5( 0( +tevenson 8ram +toker
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