Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a classic example of a Gothic story.
“Gothic refers to the use of primitive, medieval, wild, or mysterious elements in literature.
Gothic elements offended classical writers of the eighteenth century but appealed to the
Romantic writers who followed them. Gothic novels feature places like mysterious and
gloomy castles, where horrifying, supernatural events take place.”
Gothic Literature Short Story Assignment
Assignment: Students are to use the characteristics of Gothic Literature compose a short story in
the style of classic Gothic Literature. Students may take creative liberties with their work, but
must incorporate some of the characteristics that follow.
For this assignment, you will write a Gothic tale. Your tale should contain the following features:
•
Mysterious or supernatural elements.
•
Elaborate imagery, with figurative language devices used (simile, metaphor, and
personification) to create the imagery. Use a combination of the beautiful with the
grotesque.
•
Symbols or allegorical elements.
•
Consider psychological or social realities that you could use symbols to represent
(think about symbols that function in this way in the Gothic stories we read for
class).
•
A protagonist (main character) who experiences some kind of conflict.
Mechanics: The paper should be a minimum of 1200 words, typed in 12pt. font and double
spaced in black ink or should be handwritten in black ink. Papers should have a heading that
includes the student’s name, the date, and the class period. All papers should have an effective
title.
In addition, you must observe guidelines for clear and effective writing:
•
Clarity and focus at the sentence and paragraph level. Smooth out awkwardly
constructed sentences that might make meanings unclear.
•
A compelling voice – original (as opposed to clichéd) expressions, freshness and
variety in sentence structure and word choice.
•
An appropriate voice (do not use slangy or overly informal expressions).
•
Attention to detail. Select every detail with care – let nothing in that is accidental
or unnecessary to achieving the overall effect that you desire. See that the entire
piece works together as a coherent whole.
•
Observance of standard rules for spelling, punctuation,
Step 1: Brainstorm ideas for your story: setting, tone, characters, conflict. In fact, this should
be the beginning to a story, not a complete story (yet)--but having an idea of where the story
might go should help you to start it off.
Step 2: Begin writing your introduction to a gothic story. Use descriptive writing. That is,
create an impression through specific sensory details. You should vividly describe the setting
and establish a clear sense of tone and mood. You could also introduce one character and
suggest a conflict.
Step 3: Write a rough draft.
Step 4: Peer reviewers will read this draft and offer editorial suggestions.
Step 5: Using those suggestions, edit and revise your rough draft.
Extra Point Opportunity: Draw or create a story board for your work. A story board consists of
a series of pictures to illustrate the action (much like a comic book). Words are not necessary,
and the finished project must only take one page (can be oversized). This is optional and will
replace one Major or Minor assignment.
Gothic Literature Characteristics
1. Settings are old and/or forgotten…


Old buildings such as churches, warehouses, mansions, and castles;
Deserted places such as junkyards, cemeteries, and mountaintops
2. Atmosphere of mystery and suspense

Nighttime and shadows
3. Ancient Prophesy, Supernatural or unexplained events
4. Omens, Visions, Portents (i.e. a statue of the main character falls, it may portend death)

Strange noises such as the hooting of owls and howling of winds
6. High emotion (anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially terror)
7. Women in distress (often abandoned)

Women threatened by a powerful, tyrannical male
9. Gloom and Horror metaphors (ex. Rain=sorrow)
10. Gothic vocabulary (mystery, surprise, terror, horror…)
Mystery diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic,
magician, miracle, necromancer, omens, ominous, portent,
preternatural, prodigy, prophecy, secret, sorcerer, spectre, spirits,
strangeness, talisman, vision
Fear, Terror, or afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive,
Sorrow commiseration, concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded,
dreading, frantic, fright, frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror,
lamentable, melancholy, miserable, mournfully, panic, shrieks,
sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified, unhappy, wretched
Surprise alarm, amazement, astonished, astonishment, shocking, staring,
surprise, surprised, thunderstruck, wonder
Haste anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience,
impatient, impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden,
suddenly
Anger choler, enraged, furious, fury, incense, incensed, provoked, rage,
raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathful, wrathfully
Largeness enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast
Gothic Tale Writing Activities to Inspire
The following exercises are from the book, Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative
Writer by Bret Anthony Johnston.
1. Start with a line. You can find them everywhere you read, in what you hear. Find
them in poems, newspaper stories, on billboards, in the conversation of the people
beside you. Take the line as the opening of your [short story]. Write about it ut and
keep going. Let it take you where it will. Write for ten minutes or until you want to stop.
Some lines to try:
“Most things will never happen; this one will.” (Philip Larkin)
“Last night the moon seemed to say something.” (Frank O’Hara)
2. Start with a title. Why not? What does the title suggest to you? Certain themes,
characters? A place?
3. Start with a list. Our short story begins with a list. Who’s making it? Why? What does
it reveal about the list maker?
4. Start with a character. Many stories begin with a character. Look through the news
and find an interesting story. Build on it.
5. Start with a situation. The situation should be odd and perhaps a bit troubling. It
should make you wonder. Here’s an intriguing situation; make it the opening of your tale.
6. Start with an event.
7. Start with an image
8. Start with a subject.
9. Start with an oddity.
10. Find a photograph and write a story based on it.
From “Putting Characters into Action”
1. Meticulously describe—using concrete sensory details rather than abstractions
whenever possible—a person who is vivid to you.
2. Write a monologue for your character. Maybe he or she is talking to someone (this
person shouldn’t speak). She or he could confess, tell someone off, lecture, or complain.
3. Put your character in a scene. Choose a setting inhabited by your character that
concretely reflects him or her. Write the scene from a first person or third person point
of view.
Things to include to add flavor…
wind, especially howling
rain, especially blowing
doors grating on rusty hinges
sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds
footsteps approaching
clanking chains
lights in abandoned rooms
gusts of wind blowing out lights
characters trapped in a room
doors suddenly slamming shut
ruins of buildings
baying of distant dogs (or wolves?)
thunder and lightning
crazed laughter