1. GOTHIC LITERATURE By: Timothy Brumbaugh, Megan Koch, Maya James, and Amarachi Ude

2. Gothic History “Gothic: of, relating to, or resembling the Goths, their civilization, or their language.” (The Gothic Novel) During the Renaissance period the word “gothic” was first used to describe a type of architecture, developed in the Middle Ages. Many years past before “gothic literature” came about, named because all of these “gothic” novels took place in Gothic-style architecture, such as castles, abbeys, and dungeons, and normally happened in the Middle Ages.

3. Gothic History cont’d The first novel to use a gothic setting was Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, which was then widely copied, starting the gothic literature genre.

4. Gothic Writing Style of Literature As you know, “writing style” refers to the tone and mood of a piece. Gothic literature was somewhat of a retaliation against the normal, rigid and formal Romantic literature. It usually evokes a sense of dread and horror.

5. The setting was in a “fallen” world, usually during the Middle Ages. There were many signs of deteriortion. (Such as ruins, creepy castles, etc.) The author included an isolated hero, as well as a villain. They were the cause of their own downfall.

6. Gothic Conventions “Early Gothic novelists tended to set their novels in remote times like the Middle Ages and in remote places like Italy or the Middle East.” (The Gothic Experience) Castles, ruined buildings, dungeons, underground passages, dark corridors, spooky attics/basements Horrifying events Supernatural manifestations, magic, omens, ancestral curses Extreme landscapes/weather Shadows Villain and hero

7. Gothic Conventions cont’d “The Gothic creates feelings of gloom, mystery, and suspense and tends to the dramatic and the sensational, like incest, diabolism, and nameless terrors.”

8. Bibliography De Vore, David, Anne Domenic, Alexandra Kwan, and Nicole Reidy. "The Gothic Novel." The Gothic Novel. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.. "The Gothic." The Gothic Experience. 24 Oct. 2002. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.. Pics4Learning | Free Photos for Education. Web. 14 Nov. 2011..