AP+2013+Classic+Gothic+Writing+Genre

Classic Gothic Writing Genre Aim - Evan

//Authors used the classical style of Gothic writing in order to portray their views of society and culture (mostly crumbling and dying) into their literature through a combination of romance and horror. Their main goal is to evoke an emotional appeal from the audience through the characters, “As an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention” (Harris). Classic Gothic writers attempted to portray the oppression they believed they saw in society. This was mostly done by female authors through female characters. However, the characters were not the only medium that authors portrayed in order to develop a range of emotions, “Setting the novel in a Gothic building helped authors to assemble the emotions of awe, despair, fear, isolation, and suspense in an easier manner” (Lad). Depression was an ideal response, as seen in abandoned and ruined scenery. The environment that the characters struggled with was often a reflection of the culture in which the author lived. Authors used this emotional appeal to encourage readers to upset the status quo and change the society that they dreaded.//

//Harris, Robert. "Elements of the Gothic Novel."// Virtual Salt//. N.p., 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.// //Lad, Kashmira. "Gothic Literature."// Buzzle.com//. N.p., 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.

Audience - Dalton


Tennessee Williams is the author of the play, A Streetcar Named Desire. In his play, he writes in the style classified as the Souther Gothic writing style. This is his attempt to direct his play at the people living in the Southern states of the United States of America. The article, //The// //Southern Gothic Literary Style//, states, "The southern Gothic style employs the use of macabre and ironic events in order to examine values from the American South"(Southern Gothic Literary Style). Because the focus is on the values of the American South, the southerners are the target audience for Tennessee Williams. Because the North and the South peoples are separated by rather vast distances, they are unable to relate to each other. The amount and structure of their values are not the same and cannot match up. It is only southerners that will be able to comprehend the values given in the play because they are the ones that the play is aimed at. The article, //Genre: Southern Gothic//, states, " Southern gothic writers leverage the details of the American South—the lonely plantations, aging Southern belles, dusty downtowns, dilapidated slave quarters, Spanish moss and Southern charm—to bring life to their slice of history" (Genre: Souther Gothic). Because the principles of the North and the South are so different, it is inconceivable that Tennessee Williams could write with Southern Gothic Style and write it with a Northern audience in mind. The South is the intended audience. Work Cited: "Southern Gothic: Distinguising Features - Oprah.com." //Oprah.com //. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

"The Southern Gothic Literary Tradition." //The Southern Gothic Literary Tradition //. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

Historical - Sean
The classical gothic writing style started out in England in the 18th century, 1764 to be exact. It was brought around in a time when England was going many changes, foreign and domestic. The country had just gotten a new king, signed the Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years War, and was trying to keep a hold on the new colonies in America. As a result of this slew of world changing events the people of England felt that the future was uncertain and that the slow paced predictable daily life of an Englishman was about to change. Consequently these aspects are found in classic gothic writing. Very often the main character of classic gothic writing is in a state of loneliness and isolation whilst trying to face traumatic events such as rape, murder, sin, and other controversial ideas. The villain is also very predictable person in gothic writing. The villain, usually a man, is almost always a person as evil as evil can get and can be related to the devil. In the end classical gothic writing style is a culmination of a protagonist entering an uncertain future while fighting against a antagonist that is similar to the devil. The style was directly related to the cultural times of England and it’s journey into an unexpected future. -- "Gothtrad." //Gothtrad//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013. "The Literary Gothic." //The Literary Gothic//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.

Cultural - Alex B.
Classic Gothic writing blends romantic writing with Medieval writing and allows the authors a freer manner of writing. Gothic writing uses elements of terror and seeks to reflect on different aspects of human fear. Gothic novels "depend on a pleasing sort of terror, an extension of essentially Romantic literary pleasures..." (Project Gutenburg). The Gothic writing style still influences modern writers such as Stephen King. The Gothic genre shows how the world degrades. It uses setting strongly in order to display the degradation of the surroundings and to evoke a feeling of fear in the reader. By doing this, Gothic writers allow themselves the ability to show the reader how the world has decayed. "The decaying, ruined scenery implies that at one time there was a thriving world. At one time the abbey, castle, or landscape was something treasured and appreciated" (De Vore et al). The use of the setting as a tool has passed on into the use of modern horror writers, and has become almost more important than the characters or events in creating the actual fear contained within the Gothic novel.

"Gothic Fiction." Project Gutenburg. N.p., n.d. Web. "The Gothic Novel." The Gothic Novel. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.