Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
KEY QUESTION: What do we mean by ‘the Gothic’?
The following activities have been designed as an introduction to help you find out for yourselves
different interpretations of ‘Gothic’. The netbooks have been booked out for you for periods 1 &
2 so please make use of them. You will need to move to Miss Lock’s room for period 3. Make
sure you plug the netbooks back in at the end of your double period. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO
COMPLETE ALL TASKS.
1) What does Gothic mean to you? Create a mind map of words, ideas and associations (5mins)
GOTHIC
2) Within this box, draw a representation of what ‘Gothic’ means to you. Then pat yourself on the
back for being so creative:
Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
3) Find a dictionary definition of Gothic and write it here:
4) Research the following in a general sense and make notes on their main
characteristics/conventions:
a) Contemporary Goths and Goth Culture
b) Gothic Films
c) Gothic Literature
Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
5) Write down the titles, authors and dates of 10 famous Gothic novels:
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Choose one of these novels and research it. Find out more about the story in terms of how it fits
Gothic convention (what elements make it gothic?).
Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
6) Now, after such extensive research shenanigans, write your very own definition of ‘the Gothic’
here:
7) Can ‘Twilight’ be defined as an example of Gothic Literature? Research the topic and find
arguments for and against. Include your own views.
Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
8) Find the definitions for these key terms, we will be using them a lot:

Introspective

Irony

Protagonist

Sensational

Metaphorically

Connotations

Myth

Foreground (in writing)

Blend (in writing)

Images/imagery

Signify

Ethereal

Refrain (in writing)

Binary opposites
9) Return the netbooks to Room 23 please and plug them back into the trolley. Thank you Monkeys.
Unit 3 – Texts and Genres: THE GOTHIC
EXTENSION TASK
Should you complete all the work, please undertake this further task:
Read the extract provided then annotate it, identifying features of the Gothic – what is characteristically
‘Gothic’ about it?