Intro to Gothic Lit

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An Introduction to Gothic Literature

The origins of Gothic literature can be traced back to the publication of Horace Walpole's novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764. This work is often considered the first Gothic novel and set the stage for the genre's development. The Castle of Otranto featured eerie settings, supernatural occurrences, and a sense of foreboding, establishing the thematic and stylistic elements that would become characteristic of Gothic literature. Ann Radcliffe's novel The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) further popularized the genre. The Gothic literature movement, also sometimes referred to as Dark Romanticism due to its emphasis on emotions and the darker aspects of human nature, peaked in the 19th century. The movement was a response to societal changes, cultural shifts, and a growing interest in the unknown and unexplainable.

History

Prominent examples of Gothic literature include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hallow" (1820) , Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" (1843), Edgar Allan Poe's works such "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) and "The Cask of Amontillado" (1846), Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (1847), Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). Ultimately, Gothic literature's popularity faded with the rise of Realism and Naturalism in the early 20th century. Jack London's The Call of the Wild was published in 1903. However, it is worth noting that elements of Gothic literature persist in new forms like horror fiction, Southern Gothic (for example, the works of Flannery O'Connor), and modern supernatural tales.

Examples

JANE EYRE

By Washington Irving

1818

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

"The Fall of the house of Usher"

by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Legend of sleepy hallow"

By Charlotte Brontë

Timeline

1897

1847

1839

1820

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