Gothic Literature: Origins, Themes, and Key Novels

Posted on Jan 29, 2025 in Philology

Narrative provides order, meaning, and a metaphoric map in time, with a beginning, middle, and end, guiding us.

Gothic Romance: Origins and Evolution

GOTHIC The gothic romance emerged in England shortly after the novel form itself. Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764) reacted against the limitations of early novels. The novel of manners and didactic sensibility were exposed to the unconscious. Sensibility was under pressure. Sexuality, elemental passions, and fear moved to the center. The word ‘gothic’ initially evoked a medieval world, with dark passions enacted against the sinister architecture of gothic castles. By the end of the century, it implied evil forces and ghostly apparitions.

The gothic is characterized by:

  • Settings: castles, monasteries, ruined houses, or picturesque surroundings.
  • Characters: quintessence of good or evil, with innocence sometimes possessing menace.
  • Themes: threats to sanity and chastity, irrational and evil forces threatening individual integrity and social order.

The gothic novel aimed to stimulate jaded sensibilities, and its descendants include modern horror and science fiction.

Classic Gothic Novels (1764-1820)

The ‘classic’ gothic novels spanned from 1764 to approximately 1820, with the publication of Maturin’s Melmoth the Wanderer. Some well-known examples include:

  • The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794)
  • The Adventures of Caleb Williams by William Godwin (1794)
  • The Monk by M. G. Lewis (1795)
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Gothic Novel/Fiction: Key Characteristics

GOTHIC NOVEL/FICTION A popular romance from the 1760s to the 1820s, it significantly influenced later fiction, including ghost and horror stories. Tobias Smollett’s Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753) is an early example, using terror and cruelty as main themes. Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764) is better known. Most Gothic novels are tales of mystery and horror, intended to chill and curdle the blood. They contain strong supernatural elements and feature:

  • Wild and desolate landscapes, dark forests, ruined abbeys, feudal halls, and medieval castles.
  • Dungeons, secret passages, winding stairways, oubliettes, sliding panels, and torture chambers.
  • Monstrous apparitions and curses.
  • A stupefying atmosphere of doom and gloom.
  • Heroes and heroines in dire straits, wicked tyrants, and malevolent witches.