![]() These pieces looked back to medical Europe, using this period to craft the overall tone that the writer was looking for. The earliest tales and poems in this style were written in the 18th century. Rather, it meant something closer to “barbarous,” reaching back to the Middle Ages. But, at that time the word “gothic” didn’t mean what it does today. The first example of the word “gothic” being used in regards to litter was in Horace Walpole’s story “The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story” published in 1765. ![]() When considering whether or not something is “gothic” the time period in which it was written is often taken into consideration. These stories, novels, and poems were not devoid of romance either, or elements of travel and adventure. Works that are usually considered “gothic” include elements of melodrama, terror, mystery, dread, sorrow, dark and stormy settings, and even threatening and/or supernatural beings or elements. What other terms do you use to talk about frightening fiction? Share in the comments.The name “gothic” provides the reader with a lot that they need to know to understand what this genre is all about. Terror is the feeling a stranger may be hiding behind the door horror is the squirt of blood as the stranger’s knife sinks in.” Terror is the sounds of unknown creatures scratching at the door horror is seeing your roommate eaten alive by giant rats. Last year, Lincoln Michel contributed a brilliant essay on the difference between the two: “Terror is the feeling of dread and apprehension at the possibility of something frightening, while horror is the shock and repulsion of seeing the frightening thing. Terror and Horror – Terror and horror are often used interchangeably, but the two terms are actually quite different. It is interesting to see the ways in which these terms overlap, and it’s important to note that their exact “definitions” can be hard to nail down because of the way they have changed over time. In its earlier iterations, the term “grotesque” was used in a way that overlapped more with “the uncanny,” referring to works that blurred the line between the real and the fantastic, such as Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” in which the human protagonist is transformed into an insect. Gothic fiction often has elements of the grotesque, such as Mary Shelley’s monster in Frankenstein or the off-kilter characters in Flannery O’Conner’s stories. Very much like the uncanny, the grotesque draws its power from the combination of the familiar and the unfamiliar, or the familiar distorted. The Grotesque – Nowadays, when people talk about “the grotesque,” their meaning is closer to its adjectival form: “very strange or ugly in a way that is not normal or natural.” The grotesque in literature focuses on the human body, and all the ways that it can be distorted or exaggerated: its aim is to simultaneously elicit our empathy and disgust. And what’s exciting about this for writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, is that it invites us to practice uncertainty.” A preview: “The sensation of uncanniness is, at its core, an anxiety about the stability of those persons, places, and things in which we have placed our deepest trust, and our own sense of identity and belonging. The Uncanny – What exactly is the uncanny? We can think of no one better to explain this slippery term and its history than Marjorie Sandor, who contributed an essay on the uncanny earlier this month. The Gothic tradition continues today in the works of such writers as Joyce Carol Oates and Julia Elliott. ![]() Gothic literature has evolved over the years to include subgenres such as Southern Gothic literature, which takes place in the American South and is associated with much-beloved authors Flannery O’Conner and William Faulkner, among others. The genre itself was named after the architecture that inspired it: the medieval castles and ruins in which much of Gothic literature takes place, and which often play a vital role in the narrative’s plot. Gothic Literature- Merriam-Webster defines Gothic as: adj., “of or relating to a style of writing that describes strange or frightening events that take place in mysterious places.” Gothic literature all started with with Horace Walpole’s novel Castle of Oronto in 1765, and the tradition was continued by writers such as Ann Radcliffe, and in classic horror stories like Frankenstein and Dracula. Here at TMR, we love scary stories, and it is useful to examine the vocabulary we use to describe the fiction that frightens us. Today, we are pleased to present the Halloween edition of our Literary Terms series. ![]()
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