Horror and Gothic

genre
Short stories; featuring Edgar
Allan Poe

Historical Background
Gothic literature Movement Origin: c. 1764
Focused on ruin, decay, death, terror, chaos
Grew in response of historical, sociological,
psychological and political context
Horace Walpole - The Castle of Ontario
(1764)

Historical Background
Basic elements of the genre introduced by
Horace Walpole
Transformation and influence of the genre
Inspired subgenres like supernatural, ghost,
horror fiction and vampire stories

Classic Elements in the Gothic

Genre
The setting is usually in a creepy castle
The atmosphere is mystery and suspense
The metonymy of gloom and horror
It possess supernatural and mystery events
Women in distress

Classic Elements of the Horror

Genre
There is a struggle in a fight between good and
evil
The setting usually takes place where the victim
might be vulnerable
Involves the use of sound, point of views and
visual effects to create the feeling of terror
What is causing the damage is most likely to be a
supernatural being, like vampires, monsters, etc

Stories and Authors Examples

Emily Bront
o
o
o

English novelist and poet.

Best remembered for her solitary novel,
"Wuthering Heights".
This novel was so brilliant that is now considered as
a classic of English Literature.

Charles Brockden Brown

o
o

American novelist, historian, and editor.

"Wieland" is the first- and most famous- American
Gothic novel.

Stories and Authors Examples

Ann Radcliffe
o
o
o

English author and a pioneer of the Gothic novel.

Her first novel was "The Castles of Athlin
and Dumbayne".
The Gothic elements is obvious through her use of
the supernatural.

William Beckford
o
o

Known as both the richest and most eccentric man

of his time.
His passion to Gothic Literature led him directly to
his composition of "Vathek" in 1786.

Edgar Allan Poe - Short Bio

American practitioner of the short
story. Considered the inventor of
detective fiction and contributing to
the emerging genre of science
fiction.
Married his 13 year old cousin when he was
26 years old
His unknown death has been variously
attributed to alcohol, drugs, suicide, and
other agents

Edgar Allan Poe - Short Bio

Despite all this, his work has a large
influence on literature in the United States
Poe's best known fiction works are Gothic
Beyond horror, Poe also wrote satires,
humor tales and hoaxes

Short Story: The Facts in the Case of

M. Valdemar by: Edgar Allan Poe
P. and Mesmerism
Consent for experiment of
the dying Ernst M.
Valdemar
Confirmation and
witnesses
Trance (Climax)
Awakening

What a typical gothic film looks like