Name:

Features of Gothic Literature (Video)

Mark: /15

Origins
1. What was the first Gothic novel and who wrote it? (1pt)

2. Complete the sentence: „Thanks to its compelling blend of the ________ and ________,
the Gothic genre continues to inspire artists and consumers of culture alike.” (1pt)

Features
1. Castles: in a state of disrepair, candlelit corridors, haunted hallways.
a) What kind of mood do these elements create? (1pt)

b) Give an example of a book or movie that contains these features. (1pt)

2. The Supernatural: beings or events that do not fit within the accepted confines of nature.
a) Give examples of at least 3 supernatural beings that can appear in Gothic literature. (1pt)

b) Did pre-Gothic genres include such supernatural beings? (1pt)

3. Wild Nature: remote and rugged landscapes

a) Give examples of at least 2 landscapes that can appear in Gothic literature. (1pt)

b) Which features of nature do these landscapes highlight? (1pt)

S_____ and s_______
Name:

b) What do these landscapes allow the author to explore? (2pt)

The e_________ and ________ fear of the d_______ and _________.

4. The Sublime: fascination + terror. “Interacting with nature and weather at its wildest
commits characters to go outside themselves and experience sublimity – new and
extraordinary emotions.”
Edmund Burke, 18th century Anglo-Irish philosopher, developed the modern conception of
the sublime. He “suggested that ugliness is an aesthetic quality in its capacity to instill
intense emotions, ultimately providing pleasure.” (Wikipedia entry,’Sublime (philosophy)’)
“According to Burke, the Beautiful is that which is well-formed and aesthetically pleasing,
whereas the Sublime is that which has the power to compel and destroy us. The preference
for the Sublime over the Beautiful was to mark the transition from the Neoclassical to the
Romantic era.” (Wikipedia entry, ‘A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the
Sublime and Beautiful’)

5. Metonymy: literary device whereby one thing is used to stand in for another.
i.e. “The pen is mightier than the sword” – pen stands for ‘written word’ and ‘sword’ stands
for ‘physical violence’; “I’m drinking a glass”, where ‘glass’ refers to the liquid contained in
it.
a) What are metonymies used for in Gothic literature? (3pt)
To exaggerate and highlight the ________ ________ of characters.
To lend ________ to the ________.
To create and communicate an atmosphere of ________ and ________ in the reader.

b) Give examples of at least 2 examples of metonymies that can appear in Gothic literature.
(1pt)

6. Emotional intensity: excessive feelings such as rage, passion, terror, madness, lust, and
sorrow.
Literary and language devices used to convey emotional intensity:
similes, metaphors, powerful verbs and adjectives, alliteration (repetition of the same
consonant) , sibilance (repetition of hissing sounds)
a) What effects do these literary devices have on the reader? t_______ and a________ (1pt)
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7. Confinement: captivity, abduction, characters being forcibly restrained against their will
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8. The Past: exerts a violent influence on the present, disrupting the character’s lives
a) What supernatural beings are connected with the past? (1pt)
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9. Women in Distress: vulnerable women dominated by violent and powerful men

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10. Unnatural Desires: unconventional sexual desires; departure from society’s norms
providing the genre with illicit and added appeal
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11. Social Upheaval: terror and violence committed during the French Revolution inspired
Gothic authors; new scientific discoveries that can have potentially dangerous effects on
humanity
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12. Doubles: characters sharing parallel lives; preoccupation with the past and how it
continues to affect the present lives of the protagonists
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13. The Uncanny: something seemingly new that transports us to an event in our own past.
Situations and characters initially unfamiliar who turn out to be known.
Supernatural events that turn out not to be supernatural at all.
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14. The Hero-Villain: an addition to the romantic hero, handsome, charming, mysterious,
but physically and emotionally threatening