ROMANTICISM AND GOTHIC ROMANCE
Romanticism as a literary movement originated in Europe, not in America. American
writers did put an “American” spin on Romanticism, however. There are several
characteristics of Romantic literature that you can look for regardless of where the work
was written:
1.) a love of nature ( the wilderness in America ) is often present
2.) an emphasis on emotion more than reason ( the heart rather than the mind )
3.) pride in one’s nation ( nationalism )
4.) self-reliance ( rugged individualism and the frontier hero in America )
5.) happy endings ( this is what “romance” originally meant )
6.) an interest in the supernatural ( ghosts, goblins, creepy settings, magic; etc. )
Gothic Romance
A sub-category of Romanticism is Gothic Romance. It, too, originated in Europe and was
borrowed by Americans who added their own touches to it. American authors Nathaniel
Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe, in particular, advanced the Gothic Romance genre.
These are the characteristics of Gothic Romance:
1.) A creepy or scary setting ( graveyards, castles, dark forests; etc. )
2.) Someone for whom we feel sympathy ( a person that we do not wish to have harmed )
3.) Something evil which chases and threatens harm to the person that we like ( a ghost,
monster, alien; etc. )
4.) A chase, stalk, pursuit in which the nice person tries to escape from the evil thing.
5.) The sublime ( a blend of fear and pleasure, fright and fun, laughter and screams )
A roller coaster is an example of people seeking the sublime. The riders scream and are
afraid, yet they are having fun and go back for more. Haunted houses are another case of
people paying good money to experience the fun of a good scream.
Also, the sublime is colors – The Gothic colors are Black
Red
White
Yellow
Grey/Silver
ACTIVITY
Read “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Alan Poe.
In a short essay prove that it is a Gothic romance. It may not contain all of the elements of
a Gothic romance. That is not necessary. As long as the story has most of the
characteristics, it is still a Gothic tale even if it doesn’t match completely. If any of the
elements of the Gothic are missing, tell what they are.
Your essay should have 8 paragraphs arranged in this order:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
introduction
setting
character(s) for whom we have sympathy
the evil person or entity
the chase or the threat
the sublime as a mix of fear and fun
the sublime through Gothic colors
conclusion
Do not be worried! Your paragraphs will be fairly short. The entire essay will probably be
no more than 1 ½ pages long. ( double spaced – 12 pt. font )