Summary
Summary key definitions for gothic literature
- Institution
- OCR
this outlines key gothic tropes and motifs with their definitions that you should look for when analysing gothic passages and when writing themed questions.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Key gothic definitions:Gothic made to force the reader into extremes, to reveal/ expose/ challenge/ criticise/ question/
subvert cultural anxieties and provoke a creation and make the reader uncomfortable. The gothic is
allowed to do this because it is fantastical, but relates to reality. Interested in 2 sensibilities:
- Excitement and anxiety
- Terror and horror
The role of the gothic is also chiefly to entertain and shock in unexpected ways.
“curdle the blood and quicken the beating of the heart” Shelley
“provoke unease” Carter
The reader is forced to experience terror and horror with the characters themselves.
Terror – “awakens the faculties to a higher degree of life” Ann Radcliffe. Often anticipates horror.
Victor’s terror of death led to the creation of the monster. Victor’s terror of women leads to the
violent destruction and the disturbing dream. Victor’s imbued with terror as he fears the return of
his creation.
All the women are empowered by terror in Carter’s short stories.
Horror – “freezes and annihilates the senses” Ann Radcliffe
Victor experiences horror at his creation and then is constantly imbued with terror. Victor also
horrified at himself and his own transgression. The victims of the creature are horrified by his
appearance.
The girl entering the Bloody Chamber, not many of the heroines experience horror, instead terror as
they are not passive but active.
Uncanny – “uncanny is in reality nothing new or alien, but something which is familiar… which has
become alienated through repression” what is both familiar and unfamiliar Freud 1919
Heimlich – domestic environments. What is both familiar and unfamiliar
Shudder – bodily physical reaction of horror and repulsion, sensory. Comes from French word orror
meaning horror.
Liminality – blurring of boundaries i.e. ghost in the living world but dead (life and death) (real and
imagination) (hero and villain)
Doubling – similarities between two characters, actions, looks, voice etc.
Sublime – what both invokes awe and terror “anything that operate in a manner analogues to
terror, is a source of the sublime.” Edmund Burke 1757
Transgression - goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offence. Taboo. This can empower
(Carter) or it can warn against (Shelley).
Attraction/ repulsion dichotomy – the paradox of being simultaneously repulsed and attracted to
something taboo
Archetypes – women “fallen women” of “angel of the house” virgin vs. whore. Most women in the
gothic are Justine and passive. Occasionally you see a more dangerous, predatory female i.e., Bertha
Maison, Carmilla. These women tend to monstrous, they are deviant, don’t fit the mould of what a
woman is categorised as. Men – hero vs. villain.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller iorr0502. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
62890 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now