Authors who focused on the Gothic genre typically included similar traits into their works. There are a variety of characteristics they incorporated, including the following:
Characters: Gothic literature typically contains a specific cast of characters who represent the various ideas the author presents in the text. Common characters found within the genre include anti-heroes, fallen heroes, tyrannical villains, the "damsel in distress," fallen female, Byronic hero, servants, and religious figures.
Setting: Classical Gothic settings typically include structures such as castles, expansive manors, and expansive yet isolated regions that are devoid of life. There is usually a suggestion of decay or deterioration reflected in the setting that mimics a significant plot point in some way. The setting often provides a reflection of the internal nature of the main characters while highlighting the duality that exists between man and their environment. Authors utilize the setting as a means of creating an atmosphere of trepidation and fear.
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Main Ideas: While there are a variety of themes present within Gothic literature, there are several main ideas authors incorporate to help develop the meaning of the work. Some of these thematic ideas include the following:
- Terror and Horror: Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe once noted that terror grows out of suspense while horror grows out of disgust. Throughout the Gothic genre, authors consistently incorporate suspense that often arises due to a seemingly supernatural occurrence while creating a sense of disgust as to how their characters act/react throughout the text.
- Justice and Revenge: Typically, there is an initial action that drives the protagonist to right the wrong. At times, the action that needs to be righted is committed by the protagonist themselves. Often, the one who is being targeted is not the one who committed the crime. Regardless, there is the belief that someone must pay for the offense.
- Good vs. Evil: Gothic novels often aim to reveal the darker side of human nature. Good can be directly pitted against evil, or a character might be fighting their own battle internally between these forces. Ultimately, Gothic novelists present ideas that question the reader's understanding of good and evil, positing if there truly is an absolute understanding of the concepts.
Sublime: As a response to the ideals of the Enlightenment, the Romantics focused on an appreciation of natural beauty, rather than what is produced by science. Writers took this appreciation of nature and detailed the emotional impact it elicits, thus creating what is now known as the sublime. However, rather than appreciating the emotional response to natural beauty, Gothic writers emphasize the irregular and chaotic forces, often manipulating the natural world to highlight the power it has to inflict trauma and fear.
10 Elements of a Gothic Novel
Most Gothic novels include several similar components that help authors develop the meaning of their work. These elements typically include the following:
1. Setting: Novels are typically set in locations that no longer resemble the greatness they once did, as they have become run-down and decrepit. Outside of the physical structures, the environment itself tends to be foreboding and marked by darkness and isolation. The setting often represents the internal moral decay impacting the characters within the novel.
2. Romance: Authors often explore the nature of love and the power it has. Love not only has the ability to bring people together, but it can also drive them apart; the emotion can cause irrational behavior that drives characters to commit terrifying acts to earn or maintain that connection. For example, in Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte warns about the self-destructive nature of love while also recognizing its ability to transcend death.
3. Supernatural Forces: Whether real or perceived as real, authors use unexplained events that go against scientific norms to suggest something is occurring unnaturally, either metaphorically or literally. There is a suggestion that what is happening within the story is in some manner not of this world.
4. Emotional Extremes: Characters within Gothic novels are often overly emotional, which can make them both strong-willed and stubborn. They typically respond emotionally to something they are not able to handle internally. Due to these emotions, characters may act against common sense or in defiance of others.
5. Protagonist (Anti-Hero): Protagonists typically possess the qualities of an anti-hero, which is someone whose goals are driven by the best of intentions, but the methods they use to accomplish those goals are morally questionable. They are also often isolated and trapped due to their motives or actions.
6. Female Victims: The "damsel in distress" motif often finds its way into Gothic literature. There exists a female heroine who is often lonely and/or oppressed. However, whereas the damsel is often saved, women in Gothic novels are abandoned (either purposefully or by accident) by the protagonist, leaving them neglected or ignored.
7. Visions and Nightmares: Through the use of visions and nightmares, Gothic authors are able to deliver insight into the psyche of their characters. They reveal their inner desires or hidden fears, which may be the driving force behind their actions.
8. Madness: Due to the lack of a psychological and scientific understanding of the human psyche, Gothic novels explored behavior that could not be explained. Authors would often pair madness with the moral decay of the protagonist. Lunacy would plague them as they continued to commit questionable acts. In doing so, their condition would help in the creation of suspense.
9. Weather: Authors utilize the weather within Gothic novels as a means of echoing the moods of the characters. Whether through the use of fog to suggest ambiguous thought, a violent storm to reflect anger, or clear skies that represent a sense of clarity, the weather helps add depth to the characters.
10. Prophecies and Curses: As a means of foreshadowing future events, authors incorporate prophecies or curses to help build suspense and develop ominous atmospheres. They usually provide insight into how the past will negatively impact the future.
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