Gothic Revival Section
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Gothic Literary Components
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Components of Gothic Literature
The gothic was originally called this due to the setting, rather than due to the ambience. The setting was usually a medieval castle or, on a lesser scale, a remote location such as the Middle East. However, the tools with which one creates the element of terror or horror eventually began to define gothic literature. This tends to be true even when these tools are not being used to create the elements listed above.
The tools one would use to create the gothic novel would of course be the location. Castles and dark mysterious settings are still appropriate, as are churches and graveyards. The experiences of the characters within the story, such as encounters with ghosts, zombies, vampires or werewolves and the prerequisite screaming, fainting, moaning, and questioning of the experience itself contribute as well. Some of the ambient elements one might find in gothic literature would be the use of candles (particularly ones which might go out at a critical moment), fog, a full moon, changes in the weather, wicked weather in general, blood, twilight, and gargoyles.
The gothic can deal with the macabre, though it does not need to, but must deal at least in the fantastic, supernatural, mysterious or sublime. Often included are very violent expressions of love, anguish, terror or hatred, sometimes including the pleasurably terrifying relationship, as might be found in the modern or romance gothic.
The gothic tends to approach the plot as if a veil or fog is slowly being moved, there is the element of a mystery that must be solved in order for the story to reach the necessary end. It does not become the centre theme of the story, as with the mystery genre, but instead is the tool or vehicle for the story and theme to be displayed. The gothic reaches into the darker recesses of the human psyche and pulls out the things we fear the most and deals with them in an artful way. Dilemmas relating to psychology, love, science, religion or many other of the great questions of society are dealt with, and questions are often asked but not answered. Sometimes there will be some sort of closure, like the fall of the villain or the solving of a mystery. Yet, even with this closure, the reader is often left feeling unsettled. And that I think is the point of the gothic.
