1. Gothicism: Study of Form and Content

2. Gothicism: combination of horror and romance
Must contain some of the following criteria:
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,
labyrinths, dark corridors, and winding stairs

3. Elements continued…
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
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 for frequent rescue

4. Elements continued…
a hero whose true identity is revealed by the end of the novel
horrifying (or terrifying) events or the threat of such happenings
Use of the grotesque (twisted, mutated features and/or the intertwining of comedy and tragedy – esp. in Southern American Gothic)
Use of the Dopplegangers (ghostly double or counterpart of a living person)
Contains both melodrama and parody

5. First Gothic Novel Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764)
His goal was to combine medieval romance (which he considered to be overly fanciful) with strict realism (which he considered to be confined)

6. Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)
Formed the gothic villain
Most popular novel of the time
Looked down upon by the well-educated as “sensationalist women’s entertainment”
Frequent allusions to the text throughout Northanger – after reading the novel, Catherine envisions her life in Gothic terms as her imagination runs wild

7. Plot Overview:
Emily St. Aubert – only child who’s orphaned when father dies
Forced to live with aunt who marries the evil Italian businessman Montoni
Montoni wants Emily to marry his friend Morano, but she is in love with another man (Valancourt)
Aunt dies; after other twists and turns, Emily escapes the castle and ends up marrying Valancourt, her true love.

8. So what’s the difference between Gothic and horror?
Ann Radcliffe describes the difference as Gothic being “high” literature and horror being “low” literature
Works of Gothic terror are generally obscure when dealing with events - both in the description and perception of what is occurring. These works encourage the reader/character to discover a plausible and rational explanation for the event. When an explanation is discovered, the terror dissipates and a means of escape can be found
Horror: Works of horror appeal not to the intellect, but to more immediate physical and mental reactions such as fear, shock, revulsion, and disgust. These reactions are induced by detailed descriptions. There can be no rational explanation for the events and the inability to find such resolution causes an unending feeling of obscure fear