STUDENT NAME_________________________________________________
GOTHIC & HORROR LITERATURE
GUIDED NOTES/ADVANCED GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
The term “goth” or “gothic” originally described the ___________________________ tribes which often sacked the city
of ________________ in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries.
The Tribes…
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Goths
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Could be considered a Great-Great Grandfather to modern horror:___________________________________________
He wrote what is largely considered the first gothic novel:__________________________________________________
Published in _____________, it was inspired by the reconstruction of his home and by his ________________________
Typical Gothic Conventions
Death
Curses
Vampires
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A Few More…
_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
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Family/Ancestral Curses
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_____________________________________________________________________________
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Priests and Monks
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_____________________________________________________________________________
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Typical Gothic Architecture (12th-16th Centuries)
Pointed Arches & Vaults
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Stained Glass Windows
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The upward movement of Gothic Architecture was meant to suggest___________________________________
The Gothic Novel – so named because it took place primarily in________________________________________
The ___________________________ of Gloom and Horror
A subtype of _________________________ in which something (like_________________) is used to symbolize or
represent something else (like ______________________). The film industry relies heavily on this.
Ex. The rain at a _____________________ scene.
A Few Examples…
wind, especially howling
gusts of wind blowing out lights
ruins of buildings
The _________________________________ is influential in the gothic novel
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Decaying, ruined scenery implies that at one time there was a thriving world, something treasured and
appreciated. Now, all that lasts is the decaying shell of a once thriving dwelling.
Archetypal Characters
The Gothic Hero/Heroine = Archetypal  _____________________________________________________________
The Protagonist:__________________________________________________________________________________
The Antagonist/Villain:_____________________________________________________________________________
The Wanderer:____________________________________________________________________________________
Basic Gothic Plot Structure
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The action tends to take place at ____________________ or in the dark
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
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The pursued ________________________ under varying threats
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Physical decay (at least four examples):
o
o
o
o
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The evil twin: _________________________________________________________________________
o
o
Masking/Shape Changing
o
o
Madness
o
Two Other Examples of Early Gothic Work
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Frankenstein (or the Modern Prometheus) by _______________________________, 1818
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__________________________________________________________________________
Two Examples of Modern Gothic Work
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__________________________ by Daphne Du Maurier
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__________________________________________________________________________
Modern Gothic/Horror Authors
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Anne Rice
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_______________________________________________________________________
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Joyce Carol Oates
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_______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________
A Descendant of the Gothic: _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________________________
 It is meant to elicit fear and terror in the reader/observer
 Unlike the gothic, there is not always a neat, “packaged” ending – sometimes,
____________________________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________________________
Three Major Types of Horror
 __________________________horror - an element of horror that toys with the ____________and targets the
_________________________. Generally, this type of horror is _______________________ and deals with the
inner darkness of human thought.
 Sociological horror - generally serves to comment on a specific aspect of _____________________ - cultural
traditions, values, ____________________________ - and is often ______________________into something
monstrous. ______________________ is often a centerpiece in this type of horror.
 __________________________horror - largely ___________________________ and may hold a deeper or
almost hidden meaning, drawing on both internalized and externalized horrors. It is the Big Bad Wolf, the
Witch in the Gingerbread House, the Vampire stalking in the night…
Typical Traits of Horror
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 Folklore & Mythology
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 Loss
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Miscellaneous Notes/Ideas
CREATED FOR ENGLISH 2A, ACHS – J.DAVIS