Group 4: What is Gothic Literature? This Group will:
-Define the term Gothic. What do we mean by Gothic? Where does the term
originate from? Is the term Gothic just to do with Literature?
-Investigate Key features of Gothic Literature. What are the conventions of Gothic
Literature
-Inform on how Gothic Literature fits into the overall literary timeline. When did
Gothic Literature start, when did it end? What were some of the most significant
works (provide a brief synopsis of each and give the title, author and date of
publication for each work)?
-Discuss the biography of an important Gothic writer. What were some of the key
works of this writer?
- How was Gothic Literature received by readers of that time period? How is Gothic
Literature received today by readers? What is Gothic Literature’s appeal?
-Product: Create a visual timeline of key works & writers in the history of Gothic
Literature (4-5 A-3 horizontal pages with info, key dates (births/deaths of authors or
publication dates of novels, etc)
What is Gothic Literature?
Gothic literature is a genre or mode of literature that combines fiction, horror, death
and Romanticism. It is largely known by the subgenre of Gothic horror.
Key Features of Gothic literature:
1. Wild and remote places
2. Dark and gloomy settings
3. Graveyards, tombs and corpses
4. Family curses and dark secrets
5. Supernatural powers
6. Mysterious and frightening creatures, people or ghosts
7. Old, ruined, isolated castles and mansions, often with secret
8. Passages and mysterious towers
9. Nightmares, madness and mental torment
10. Science used for evil or disastrous purposes
11. Worrying and unusual natural events (Storms, full moons, etc.)
Bio of Gothic Writer:
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English Novelist, Short story writer, essayist
e.t.c. Best known for Frankenstein. Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in
London, England. She married poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. Two years later,
she published her most famous novel, Frankenstein. She wrote several of other
books, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), the autobiographical Lodore
(1835) and the posthumously published Mathilde. Shelley died of brain cancer on
February 1, 1851, in London, England. She has a husband named Percy Bysshe
Shelley who died at 1822, she also has a child named Percy Florence Shelley.
How Gothic Literature fits into the overall literary timeline:
It started at 1764 when Horace Walpole created the novel “The Castle of Otranto”.
The first wave of Gothic Literature which is 1764-1820. It was popular in the late 18th
and 19th centuries. Southern gothic got popular in the 20th century. The publication
of Charles' Maturin's “Melmoth the Wanderer” in 1820 is the is what some critics
have called the last Classic Gothic novel and for others marks the end of the true
Gothic novel. In 19th Centuries, Gothic had became more and more popular and
starting to appear in TV, movie, video games etc instead of only appearing in
novels. In 20th Century, Gothic novel is starting to have different variation such as
Gothic romance or modern Gothic. Gothic Romance is written by women for women
readers. Mark Z Danielewski’s cult 700-page novel redefines Gothic for the twentyfirst century.
Key Events:
● 1764- Horace Walpole created the novel “The Castle of Otranto” which is the
first gothic novel. (Julian)
● May 8, 1794- Ann Radcliffe created the novel “The Mysteries of Udolpho”,
which helps to define what makes a good Gothic novel and enjoys massive
commercial success
● 1796- The Monk (Matthew Lewis) (Valdis)
● March 2, 1797- Horace Walpole died (Julian)
● September 10, 1797- Mary Wollstonecraft died (Aidan)
● March 11, 1818- Frankenstein (Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft,Claire Bampton)
(Valdis)
● February 7, 1823- Ann Radcliffe died (Aidan)
● October 16, 1847- Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)
● March 31, 1855- Charlotte Brontë died (Aid
● an)January 5, 1886- Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis)
(Julian)
● July 20, 1890- Oscar Wilde: The Complete Works Illustrated (Oscar Wilde)
● December 3, 1894- Robert Louis died (Aidan)
● May 26, 1897- Dracula (Bram Stoker) (Valdis)
● November 30, 1900- Oscar Wilde died
● April 20, 1912- Bram Stoker died (Julian)
● March 7, 2000- House of Leaves (Mark Z. Danielewski)
How was Gothic Literature received by readers of that time period? How is
Gothic Literature received today by readers? What is Gothic Literature’s
appeal?
The Reason why Gothic Fiction is so popular is because it’s elements appeal
emotionally, intellectually and spiritually to the the readers. Gothic also grabs the
attention of its readers by having factors like mysterious, danger, fear,suspense, evil
and madness as well. Gothic will also have its reader think on their heads and feel
the main character or the story line.
Example of Timeline: