1. The Week of October 27, 2012 Edgar Allan Poe and Gothic Literature

2. Important Concepts of EAP Unit
Elements of Gothic Literature
Background on Edgar Allen Poe
Comprehension of “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Raven”
Literary Elements: Allegory, Archetypes, Allusion, Symbolism, Unreliable Narrator
Vocabulary
Connecting historical plagues and current events with the “Red Death”
Summary, Making Connections, Note-Taking

3. Elements of Gothic Literature
What makes a work Gothic is a combination of at least some of these elements:
a castle, ruined or intact, haunted or not;
ruined buildings which are sinister or which arouse a pleasing melancholy;
dungeons, underground passages, crypts, and catacombs which, in modern houses, become spooky basements or attics;

4. Gothic Elements continued:
labyrinths, dark corridors, and winding stairs,
shadows, a beam of moonlight in the blackness, a flickering candle, or the only source of light failing (a candle blown out or an electric failure),
extreme landscapes, like rugged mountains, thick forests, or icy wastes, and extreme weather,
omens and ancestral curses,

5. …yet more Gothic Elements:
magic, supernatural manifestations, or the suggestion of the supernatural,
a passion-driven, willful villain-hero or villain,
a curious heroine with a tendency to faint and a need to be rescued–frequently,
a hero whose true identity is revealed by the end of the novel,
horrifying (or terrifying) events or the threat of such happenings.

6. Gothic Architecture

7. Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France

8. Interior of Chartres Cathedral

9. Elevation of Chartres Cathedral

10. Rosslyn Chapel
Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland
Built in 1456

12. “For some of us--and I include myself, the prospect of safely experiencing dread or horror is thrilling and enjoyable.” Lilia Melani

13. "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity
"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." — Edgar Allan Poe
19th Century Genius
Edgar Allan Poe

14. Parents: Biological Parents: The Poes David—drank heavily
Elizabeth—deserted by husband and died at young age
Edgar was left an orphan
Adopted Parents: The Allans
John—became Edgar’s guardian and provided for his education, but never supported his decisions
Francis—adored Edgar, but never legally adopted him
Edgar took Allan as his middle name, wanted to feel like he belonged

15. Writing Career: Most known for his Gothic writings
Gothic-a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance.
Nicknamed “The Father of the Detective Story”
Most respected for his career as an essayist and editor of the Southern Literary Messenger

16. Writing Career: Most prestigious poem—”The Raven”
Other detective stories
“The Purloined Letter”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”

17. Personal Life:
Lived with his Aunt, Maria Clemm, during times of financial hardship
Fell in love and married Clemm’s daughter, Virginia, when she was 13
Virginia was Poe’s cousin

18. Tragedy: Many people close to Poe died.
Mrs. Poe-tuberculosis
Mrs. Allan-tuberculosis
Virginia-tuberculosis
Much of his life was lived in poverty. He was never able to provide for his wife.

19. Death: Found half-dead in an alley in Baltimore.
Died 4 days later in a hospital.
Cause of death was unknown, but could be attributed to alcoholism, drugs, or other illness.

20. Just some Facts: Poe always wore black—reinforcing the Gothic theme.
Always spoke in a whisper or low tones, even in a violent discussion.
Wrote a short story about travelling to the moon.

21. Poe

22. Masque of the Red Death

23. The bubonic plague - The Black Death
Began in Sicily in 1347
Carried on ships from the East
Carriers were rats/fleas!
Trading ships carried the plague inland to Italy
Conditions in the cities was perfect for the plague
No regulated garbage collections
Refuse accumulated in piles in the streets
Rushes were used instead of rugs—creating a breeding ground for vermin
No running water—no regular bathing

24. The bubonic plague - The Black Death
Precautions:
Isolation
“play today for we die tomorrow”
Flee!
Result:
Bodies piled up in the streets and were removed with carts
Mass burials in ditches
Fleas on Rats

25. Shroud: (verb) to cover, screen, or hide

26. tangible: (adjective) something you can physically touch or mentally wrap your mind around

27. Piquancy: (adjective) spicy, hot, caliente!

28. Habiliments: (plural noun) clothes

29. Imperial: (adjective) royal, kingly

30. Castellated: (verb, past tense) like a castle

31. Pestilence: (noun) a disease

32. Propriety: (adjective) having good, proper manners

33. Buffoon: (noun) usually an ill-educated or stupid person; clown.

34. Visage: (noun) a face

35. Reveler: (noun) a party-goer

36. Profuse: (adjective) having a great abundance

37. Ebony: (adjective) synonym for black

38. Sedated: (verb, past tense) drowsy, very tired

39. Emanating: (verb) to come out from a source

40. Sagacious: (adjective) wise

41. Cessation: (noun) stopping

42. Pervaded: (verb—past tense) to completely fill

43. Contagion: (noun) something that spreads rapidly

44. What does the color blue represent?
The east (directional not cultural)
Beginnings
Birth
“unknown”- (Bolt out of the blue.)
Sin: Lust
Nature: water
It can also mean: peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, order, security, cleanliness, loyalty, cold, technology, depression.

45. What does the color purple represent?
Combination of blue (birth) and red (life/intensity)
Beginnings of growth
A period of life when something was accomplished
Sin: Pride
Nature: animals
It can also mean: royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning.

46. What does the color green represent?
“spring of life”- (In the prime of his years)
Youth
Sin: Envy
Nature: plants
It can also mean: nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, envy, generosity, jealousy, inexperience

47. What does the color orange represent?
Summer/autumn of life- (beyond his prime but not yet old)
“The harvest or fulfillment of human labor and ambition.” - Kermit Vanderbilt
Sin: Gluttony
Nature: energy/ Balance – Sun
It can also mean: energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrancy, expansiveness, flamboyance, demands for attention, often worn by the self-sacrificing hero, worn by Buddhist monk

48. What does the color white represent?
Suggests age
White hair
Bones
Decomposition- approaching death
Nature: The Sun
It can also mean: reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, marriage (in Western cultures), cold, death (in Eastern cultures)

49. What does the color violet represent?
Combination of purple/blue or purple/grey
Shadowy color
Represents gravity, chastity, somberness- the dignity of old age

50. What does the color black represent?
DEATH!!!
The west (directional not cultural)
Nature: primordial void
It can also mean: power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, depth, anonymity, unhappiness, style, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, mourning, death

51. In conclusion…
West
Death
Endings
Sunset
East
Life
Beginnings
Sunrise

52. Literary Elements
Gothic literature: genre of literature that combines both horror and romance
Unreliable narrator: narrator who may not always know the whole truth or may purposely choose to deceive the reader.
Allusion: a reference to another body of work which acts like a kind of shorthand, bringing additional meaning and emotional impact to a story, like the use of the terms “Achilles’ heel” (Watch for this as we read!)

53. Allegory
…is an extended metaphor that is carried throughout an story or novel.
It features a set of recognizable symbols whose meanings combine to convey a message. An allegory always operates on two levels of meaning: the literal elements of the plot (the colors of the rooms, for example) and their symbolic counterparts,
which often involve large philosophical concepts (such as life and death).
The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.

54. Quickwrite “Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.”
Rich and powerful people often build huge houses. They build high walls around their estates so that they can block out the upsetting parts of life, just like Prince Prospero.
If you were Prince Prospero and could hide from your fears, what would you hide from? Would you hide? Or would you face your fear?