Gothic Literature
1. Gothic-delves into the macabre nature of humanity and plumb the depths of
terror. Frequently the following appear: the appearance of the supernatural, the
psychology of terror, a sense of mystery, an appealing hero/villain, the evil tyrant,
the distressed heroine, and strong moral closure. The Goths were one of several
Germanic tribes instrumental in the fall of the Roman Empire. Little is known of
them, but since they sacked Rome Gothic was a style identified as barbaric,
disordered and irrational. Roman style was controlled and Gothic was
uncontrolled provoking emotional response. For gothic effect to occur, a tale
should combine a fearful sense of time with claustrophobia. Gothic fiction is
obsessed with old buildings as sites for human decay-possibly symbolic because
we can not escape our decaying bodies.
2. Danse Macabre-the dance of death, late medieval allegory on the universality of
death: no matter one’s station in life, the dance of death unites us all. Often
personified as dancing skeleton. Began under the impact of the Black Death,
reminding people of how fragile their lives were.
3. The Haunted House or Castle-contains supernatural occurrences or paranormal
phenomena-ghosts/ demons haunt the physical world after a tragic event occurred
on the property-such as murder or suicide-can be decaying building. In Gothic
Literature it often signifies dynastic corruption and decay.
4. Pursued Heroine-pursuit of a virtuous and idealistic young woman by a villain,
normally portrayed as a wicked, older aristocrat.
5. Pathetic Fallacy-description of inanimate natural objects in a manner that endows
them with human emotions, thoughts, sensations and feelings, as in the smiling
skies; the angry sea; the sullen wind tears for spite.
6. Unreliable narrator-the credibility of the narrator is seriously compromised due to
a psychological or other disability. A dramatic revelation near the story’s end
results in a significant realignment of the point of view from which the audience
thought they were experiencing the story.
7. Evil eye- folklore belief that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate people
may result in their misfortune, whether it is beauty, health or offspring.
8. Doppelganger-“doublegoer” or evil twin.
9. The Explained Supernatural-the home in the Yellow Wallpaper is not truly
haunted by a woman trapped in a wall; the woman’s feeling of helplessness and
imprisonment cause her to project her state into the wallpaper. Furthermore, when
the woman sees another woman trapped inside the wallpaper, she is seeing the
image of herself as her shadow is cast on the wallpaper by moonlight coming
through the bars of her window.
10. Boogeyman-a ghostlike monster children often believe is real. A shadowy figure
which often takes the shape of a child’s worst fear.
11. Catharsis-the discharge of pent up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of
symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition. According to Stephen King,
when done well, tales of terror can bring about a cathartic experience.