Firstly, can you ensure that you have re-read the following sections of texts:
The Bloody Chamber (title story)
The Letters at the beginning of Frankenstein
Due: next Tuesday
Secondly, using the websites on the main page, construct your own definition of Gothic Literature. However, you need to present to the class as if we were 6 year old children.
Due: This Friday
Mr. D
11 comments:
Gothic fictions are gloomy, mysterious, scary stories. The word ‘Gothic’ shows that the fiction is gloomy, creepy and weird things happen. The creatures in Gothic fiction aren’t always human and wouldn’t be seen in real life which makes it interesting to read. The normal kinds of places in gothic fiction are old castles, secret doors/passage ways, grave yards and haunted houses. Scary, violent, mysterious events happen in these places and people/creatures normally die. To help tell the story, the characters often come across letters, dreams, documents, pictures and people.
Daisy
GOTHIC LITERATURE: Is a genre that combines both "Horror" and "Romance". It's believed to have been invented by Horace Walpole with his 1764 novel " The Castle of Otranto".
A Gothic peace of text usually has an atmosphere of terror, gloom and mystery.
The text challenges reality and includes things that are considered unreal and perhaps unbelievable.
It usually entails an aspect of the supernatural, whether this being supernatural people of occurrences.
The narrative of Gothic literature is usually interrupted, meaning different methods are used to tell the story. These can be letters, dreams or fragments of the story told by different narrators
Sorry I wasn't in lesson - was on a trip.
My definition of Gothic for a 6 year old:
“Gothic literature” is the name of a group of books that share the same ideas – a gloomy, scary or strange atmosphere, weird events that make the main character believe in made-up monsters and beings (like vampires, werewolves…), a setting in a far away country or an unusual place (like a castle with secret tunnels underground) which has a shady history, and a bad thing happening that the main character cannot explain. Another thing thatbooks from the ‘gothic literature’ group share is the idea of opposites being brought together, like the imaginary and real world coming together. Gothic books are usually set in the past – medieval times, usually, and started being written around the end of the 18th century. Some famous examples of gothic literature are: Frankenstein, Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Gothic Literature: stories that have unlucky characters in them, who see things that don't exist in real life, they have to make hard choices and always struggle. Often they see death and make us feel scared, upset or fragile. The stories are usually told by more than one person and they can be told in different ways, through letters (example) and can take place in different countries and buildings that aren't lived in any more.
that's as six year old as it gets.
The word Gothic is the name of a type of style. It can be used to describe things such as architecture, so buildings and sculptures. These Gothic buildings are different to other building because they can have pointed arches, spires, stained glass and very detailed patterns on the stone it is made from. The popular style before Gothic was Romanesque which was often smaller in height than the tall and mysteriou looking Gothic buildings. If you look at them it gives you a feeling of a magical but also dangerous place. The Notre Dame in Paris (as seen in the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame) is a Gothic building.
As well as buildings, Gothic can be used to describe stories and tales in books. These are normally set in dangerous places where there are not many people around like forests or mountains. It is usually set at night as well and talks about the dark because it is scary and mysterious, you don't know what is going on all the time. In the books there is normally some magic or supernatural activity, something that can't be scientifically explained, and often there is a disaster where people die and horrible things happen. Even though it is scary and horrible people still like to read the books because they enjoy and like the excitment they get when afraid. Also, the books are normally about love and romance a little bit and people like to read about the things in the books that people do because of love. Sometimes, people seek revenge and want to hurt someone they love for not loving them back or for hurting them and this is written about in the Gothic books. Because of this, these books are entertaining and teach people who read them the best way to act and be in life.
Bobbie
On a basic level Gothic fiction can arguably be defined as a blend of both horror and romance. However, the spectrum which the genre covers deems it necessary to open up what lies beyond this limited defintion in order to understand the true meaning of Gothic Fiction. Gothic literature's connection with Romanticism lies within it's opposition to the Englightenment ideas of rational thinking and solidarity, exploring the supernatural and experimenting with the grandeur and nature's extraordinary beauty in order to play upon and heighten the reader's emotions and feelings. The genre often pivots itself around a fallen world and challenges the basis of morality often through subverted and/or obscured meanings. Many Gothic texts are characterised by their utilisation of the dark and dreary, often setting texts around the likes of castles, towers, dungeons, or buildings and settings of extortionate features. It challenges reason through psychological terror and sexual overtness, through the likes of incest and necrophilia, however often retaining a sense of decorum and often romance due it's layered and complex form. Many view Gothic literature as a continuation of traditional values, taking the idea of ghost story telling through the ages and converting it into literary form.
It wouldn't let me post my name so the one above is Danielle :)
Gothic literature is combined together with two different types of emelments. These include horror and romance together. Elements such as places, settings and personality that try to make the reader habe a sense of horror. Gothic Literature usually involves elements of the following towers, trap doors, mysterious corridors and tunnnels. Gothic literature usualluy has flickering candles, ghosts, chains, animated portraits, spells. The weather usually links in with the mood of characters so weather such as heavy rain, thunder and lightning and howling winds to add to terror and mystery to the character. The main characters of Gothic Literature are usually someone who are from a lower society.
Gothic Literature usually takes place in a castles, graveyards, haunted houses somewhere with mystery. The weather matches this mood and so it is often cloudy and dark with mist. In the earlier gothic novels there is the supernatural(ghosts&vampires) to create a sense of mystery and fear among the characters. Women are often the victim unable to do anything about it. The genre really started in the late 18th century with writers like Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliff, Matthew Lewis and Edgar Allan Poe establishing(starting) the genre(type).
Hannah
When mummy book 'Horror' and daddy book 'Romance' loved each other, they made a baby offspring by the name of 'Gothic Literature'.
This book genre was very scary, mysterious and gloomy and did not get on with other books or readers in the 17th century as they did not believe it most of the time, and only believed it if they saw strange things like ghosts or monsters or creatures themselves, that the Gothic book genre often told about in his stories.
Gothic literature is often set up in dark, claustrophobic, extreme landscapes which often have a ruin, castle or mansion of some sort that holds secrets of the supernatural that haunt the hero/villain & imprison. Whether physically or psychologically, the character who's faith often leads to destruction & death of related characters & self. Through the mistakes of the common men, women are often held a helpless victim who's deaths are foreshadowed by the secrets & mysteries kept by the male characters (obviously.)
The story is often told through several narrators either through common folks gossip, letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings.
The weather and setting often add to the mystical effect of the story, with sudden weather changes complimentary of the characters mood or coincidental events. The exotic locations also add to the imagination.
the Gothic book known for its horrible characters could be a copy or a double of the Romantic books. some people say this because it has similarities, others believe it has a totally different out look to the romantic books. A Gothic book is supposed to make the reader feel magical and afraid. This is because the book takes power from the reader making them feel scared and alone almost out of their comfort zone. the setting of many Gothic texts is usually focused in a forest or mountain, generally somewhere that emphasises darkness to further shock the audience and make them feel part of the story. ghosts and and family curses are a common feature within many gothic books. Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otranto was wrote in 1974 and has since become the most famous Gothic book. Over time story telling has taught strong life lessons and this has continued through many Gothic books.
Taylor
Post a Comment