Essay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails - 6177 Words

The invaluable works of our elder writers re driven into neglect by frantic novels, sickly and stupid German Tragedies, and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse. The human mind is capable of being excited without the application of gross and violent stimulants.. William Wordsworth, Preface to The Lyrical Ballads, 1802. ..Phantasmagoric kind of fiction, whatever one may think of it, is not without merit: twas the inevitable result of revolutionary shocks throughout Europe thus to compose works of interest, one had to call on the aid of Hell itself, and to find things familiar in the world of make believe.. Marquis (Donatien Alphonse) de Sade, Reflections on the Novel.,†¦show more content†¦It was not until around 1960 that academics like Robert Hume rose to its defence. (Maybe its renewed popularity was something to do with the very unique socio-political situation in the 1960s echoing a the unique situation of the late eighteenth century, the heyday of the genre.) Since then there has been a deluge of commentary which has elevated the genre to a critical and scholarly favourite. It is often said that one of the unifying features of Romanticism is its intentional political relevance. Much of the canonical Romantic literature is inspired or informed by socio-political events. We need only look at Blakes work or key poems by second generation Romantics like Shelleys Ode to the West Wind or The Mask of Anarchy to verify this. The same is true of Romantic Gothic which arose around that unique period in European history posthumously defined by the French Revolution but significant for its trans-European massive cultural and social upheaval indicated in part by repeated rioting in Britain (Lowe, vii) and a widespread clamour for various reforms. Victor Sage writes, English Gothick of the eighteenth century is seen as a collective symptom of political pressure felt all over Europe. The Marquis de Sade in his Idees sur le romans (Reflections on the Novel) - quoted above - was one of the firstShow MoreRelatedThe Qualification of Daphne Du Mauriers Rebecca as a Gothic Novel851 Words   |  3 PagesRebecca as a Gothic Novel One of mankind’s most valuable gifts is the ability to feel emotions and be able to react to them in a variety of ways. One of these emotions can be recognized as horror. Horror can be directly related as an immense sensation of fear, anxiety, and despair. Horror is adored by some and abhorred by others. Most importantly, there exist many sources for frightening media and information. One genre of literature that tends to provide horror can be known as Gothic LiteratureRead More How Does the Language in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Reflect its Gothic Genre1327 Words   |  6 PagesHow Does the Language in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Reflect its Gothic Genre The gothic genre was popular around the nineteenth century. 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The differences in media of expression and the subsequent adaptations from novel to television series has not affected the presence of thisRead MoreEssay about outline on Frankenstein3183 Words   |  13 Pages Frankenstein by Mary Shelley In the Gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley integrates the rhetorical devices figurative language, imagery, and tone to impart the concept that the desire to acquire knowledge and emulate God will ultimately result in chaos and havoc that exceeds the boundaries of human restraint. I.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Life of Mary Shelley / Characteristics of Gothic Literature nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Life of Mary Shelley nbsp;nRead MoreThe Vampire: What Boundaries Does the Vampire Threaten? Discuss with R9200 Words   |  37 PagesThe Vampire What boundaries does the Vampire threaten? Written by Amanda Turner Discuss possible answers to this question with reference to at least two critical or theoretical essays and at least two tellings of the Dracula story._______________________________________________ The Vampire in Dracula threatens the very existence of Victorian England. Stoker constructs the vampire as an embodiment of threat by surpassing his Gothic novelist predecessors to bringRead MoreAnalysis Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights 3443 Words   |  14 Pagesabuse of Hareton. Unsupervised and cared for properly, under his influence of Heathcliff, he began to call his father â€Å"devil daddy† (81). Hareton remained uneducated and unwanted by anyone. He is unaware of his potential status as an Earnshaw and what it entails. He doesn’t claim his rightful land until the end of the novel when Cathy and he decide to marry. Hareton views and respects Heathcliff as a father figure. Catherine Linton: Cathy is the daughter of Edgar and Catherine. She is much like her mother