SH+P6+2013+Gothic+Literature


 * Gothic Literature History by Christopher Yates**

As neither the author nor the audience experienced much of the time period gothic literature took place during, the environment is equally open to each groups’ imagination. This allows for stretches and lapses in logic that enhance and add upon many gothic tales. A line from the well known story, Dracula, reads, "' I felt my strength fading away, and I was in a half swoon. How long this horrible thing lasted I know not, but it seemed that a long time must have passed before he took his foul, awful, sneering mouth away. I saw it drip with the fresh blood!'" (Stoker). While Gothic stories were primarily based in the middle ages, they often added supernatural elements (vampires, werewolves, etc.) in order to create a more immersive environment and suspenseful/action filled story as can be seen in Dracula. Because of this, the setting was one of the only things based off a historical period, but many elements were not historically accurate. Gothic authors give the medieval ages a new connotation through their works. This leads people to a distorted view of what the middle ages were truly like. While there were dark times, the medieval world was not submerged in darkness, danger, and despair. Many gothic stories stick with us to this day. For example, Dracula, Frankenstein, or The Raven. Gothic literature influences much of what we see today, which could even be considered a continuation of gothic literature; however far it may be from its root sources, gothic literature is avidly prominent in the worlds of fiction, fantasy, and sometimes even reality, today.

Works Cited "A Brief Historical Overview." A Brief Historical Overview. N.p., 26 Aug. 2008. Web. 26 July 2013. Stoker, Bram. "Chapter 21." Dracula. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. The Online Literature Library. Web. 26 July 2013.

The audience of Gothic Literature was anybody who was interested in, or had time for books. It had something that was very attractive to the readers of its time; “The declared aim was to combine elements of the medieval romance, which he deemed too fanciful, and the modern novel, which he considered to be too confined to strict realism,” (Wikipedia - Gothic Fiction). This appealed to all readers, whether they swung towards “modern” literature or old medieval romance, because it took the best of both, and wrapped it in one package. This revolutionized one era of books, as the time and setting of the books were very relatable, and people could really engage themselves in the book, rather than having to make use of the imagination for every little detail. Quotes, books and movies always gain the most popularity if they are meaningful, or relatable. People like to believe that these stories could exist in the world around them, adding a little more excitement to the darkness of that era. Authors played off this, making the stories a little fanciful, though also believable when read with a little imagination. The audience fell in love with these books that provided a small escape from the world around them.The audience of this era of books loved the combination of medieval and modern literature, and carried that love over from generation to generation, each time deteriorating a little, though to this day there are die-hard fans of medieval literature.
 * The Audience of Gothic Literature by Luke Hankins**

Work Cited:
"Gothic Fiction." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 26 July 2013.

Authors purpose by Morgan Carruth

The main purpose of gothic literature is to provide entertainment through terror and thrills. Much of gothic literature deals with death, unnatural beings, or other things that create a titillating environment. The purpose of gothic literature is to entertain with thrills and horrors that are usually associated with the dead or demonic. Anonymous WiseGeek author states, “The stories generally present a combination of horror, mystery and romantic elements...”. The purpose is stated implicitly because one knows that they are experiencing thrills but the text does not necessarily state it. The author of gothic literature achieves their purpose by providing the reader with horrors or thrills that they cannot find elsewhere. This can be done through the writing style or content of the text. Primarily, the author uses dark plots and storylines that invoke fear in the reader. This is why gothic people enjoy this kind of literature, they enjoy the thrills that come from within the book or passage. Gothic literature also encompasses a number of romantic themes as well as mystery.

Works Cited

Queen, Jacob, and Lauren Fritsky. "What Is Gothic Literature?" //WiseGeek//. Conjecture, 14 May 2013. Web. 26 July 2013.

Culture and Gothic Literature by Ben Biggs

“Some goths feel like people assume they are satanic and violent. Goth’s are also commonly seen as people who wear dark black clothes and have piercings all over themselves (Robinson).” Author’s of gothic literature try appeal to goth’s by embracing the gothic culture by painting a gloomy image in the readers mind. They also embrace the stereotypes given to the gothic culture. The culture affects the text because the author specifically tries to relate the readers. The purpose of gothic literature is not to make the reader happy, but to make the reader get lost in thought and relate to the text. If the author does this, he has written a great piece of gothic literature.

Works Cited Robinson, B.A. "The Goth Culture: Its History, Stereotypes, Religious Aspects, Etc." The Goth Culture: Its History, Practices, Stereotypes, Religious Connections, Etc.Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 26 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 July 2013.