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Gothic Genesis: an Overview JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 Gothic Genesis: An Overview Aadil Zeffer Ph.D. Scholar, Department of English, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Email: [email protected] Dr. Vani Khurrana Assistant Professor, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Email: [email protected] Abstract: The Gothic fiction is a style of writing which is characterized by certain elements like death, gloom, horror and high emotions such as fear and suspense. Sometimes the Gothic literature deals with abnormal states of mind, which is not a phenomenon of only medievalism or modernism rather it finds relevance today as well. Gothic literature originates from several aspects like artistic precedents, history or culture. It is said to be born in the second half of eighteenth century, precisely, 1764. It flourished in the nineteenth century and have relevance even today. Keywords: Gothic fiction, horror, history, relevance. Introduction: The word ‘Goth’ described the Germanic tribes who sacked and ravaged ancient Rome and certain parts of Europe in third, fourth and fifth centuries and from here ‘Gothic’ came to mean barbarous. The word can be defined in other ways also such as a building that has a different architecture like arches, high vaulted ceiling etc.which was prevalent in Europe between the 12th to 16th centuries. The word is also used to describe adventurous or mysterious stories which usually happen in dark and lonely places. Thirdly, Gothic is also sometimes referred as an ornate style of writing. Horace Walpole, first used the term Gothic in his 1795 novel, The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, and from here, descended a literary genre (Gothic) which is still in vogue today. Even the title itself gives us a certain hint of a gothic element. Gothic fiction is said to be born in the second half of eighteenth century, precisely, 1764. It flourished in the nineteenth century and have relevance even today. The setting is very important in Gothic literature as it evokes an atmosphere of dread and horror and there is a sort of archetype, a pattern to the characterization of a Gothic hero. Then comes the villain, who is a paragon of evil and the action usually takes place in or around an old castle which Volume XIII Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No: 574 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 most of the times seem abandoned. The castle often contains dark rooms, hidden staircases, secret passages, trapdoors and ruined sections which lends its own haunting flavor, an experience of claustrophobia and mystery. As we know, Gothic work is pervaded by fear and a threatening feeling. Most of the times, the plot itself is woven around a mystery, such as disappearance, inanimate objects coming to life, walking of ghost or some other inexplicable element. Then there is some role of prophecies which is usually confusing or obscure. The characters have dream visions which are seen as a portent of coming events. Bloodletting, crying, emotional speeches, high emotions, which means that the narration may be highly sentimental. The metonymy of gloom and horror as the Gothic elements suggest some element of mystery or the supernatural. For instance, blowing rain, clanking chains, crazed laughter, eerie sounds, howling wind, doors grating on rusty hinges, footsteps approaching, doors suddenly getting shut and the ruins of buildings. Generally speaking, Gothic exaggerates the darker side of the human psyche, and outwardly, it presents the thought which may linger in the back of one’s mind. The Gothic literature represents the existence of the darker aspects of life. A Brief History of Gothic Literature: Initially, the settings in Gothic fiction were that of Eastern Europe, as this part of Europe was not that much explored and known. Due to its remoteness people had little information contrary to the Western Europe, which was more civilized and known. Gothic as a concept originated in Europe. Literature in the 16th century was not created in isolation from the thought currents in the social sphere. Writers such as Edmund Spenser (1552-1559), Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), and William Shakespeare (1564-1616), thought about the magical power of art which could be associated with civility or virtue but it could also have the demonic qualities as in the work of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus (1592). The seventeenth century was a time of intense trouble in almost all areas of life, be it domestic relations, culture, politics, religion or science. The great poems like Spenser’s Faerie Queen (1590) and Paradise Lost (1667) deal with the Fall of Man and its tragic consequences. Gothic as a genre took its birth in the 18th century, developed in the 19th century and continues to prosper even today. A brief survey of the Gothic fiction is given as under: Gothicism in different Literatures: Gothic literature originates from several aspects like artistic precedents, history or culture. The Gothic tradition developed in the Romantic literature. In the eighteenth century, the theological, political and social landscape of Europe changed, which served as a stimulus for the Gothic movement. The Gothic narratives composed during the eighteenth century were greatly a response to anxiety, brought about by events like the French Revolution, thus bringing an overall change in the social and political structure of the society. The Gothic literature depicted fears and horrors about what could be lost and Volume XIII Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No: 575 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 what could go wrong, in case the desired changes are not brought about. Through these narratives, writers can express the anxiety generated by the political and social disorders. Therefore to increase the participation of the society and wish for a change becomes a need. In the Romantic era, many prominent writers contributed to the Gothic tradition, which includes John Keats (1795-1821), Lord Byron (1778-1824), Mary Shelley (1797-1851), Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), and S.T. Coleridge (1772-1834), William Godwin (1756-1836) and others. Since its inception, the Gothic genre has undergone various adaptations and changes and has played an important role in depicting evil and darkest fears of human society. The credit for founding the Gothic novel goes to English writers. Ann Radcliff (1764-1823), Horace Walpole (1717-1797), C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) and Sir Walter Scot (1771-1832) wrote the finest Gothic novels and their works showed the Gothic sensibility. On the other hand, writers such as James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) and Charles Brown (1922-1999), developed the American Gothic tradition. English Gothic Literature: In Christopher Marlowe’s (1564-1593) play, Doctor Faustus (1604), we find several elements of Gothic tradition like supernaturalism, ghosts and angels. Clarissa (1748) by Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) narrates the tragic story of its central character (heroine). Horace Walpole (1717-1797) is widely recognized as an important figure in Gothic fiction. His The Castle of Otranto (1764) introduced the introduction of mystery and supernaturalism and is generally regarded as the first Gothic novel in English. William Godwin (1756-1836) is an important contributor to the Gothic tradition through his work Things As They Are: or The Adventures of Caleb Williams (1794) The novel borrowed heavily from the Gothic fiction of the day. William Blake’s (1757-1827) wrote Songs of Experience through the Gothic style of darkness. William Beckford’s (1760-1844) Vathek (1787) is also considered as an important contribution to the Gothic tradition. Next comes Joanna Baillie (1762-1851), who has written many Gothic works. For example, her novel, Witchcraft (1836) uses the Gothic to assess the values and morals of her time. An important writer in the Gothic tradition is Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823). Through her novels, she explored the psychology of fear and suspense. Her novel The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), contains the classic Gothic elements like hidden secrets, a troubled heroine and a haunted castle. Some critics consider her as the queen of Gothic novel. James Hogg (1770-1835) a well known Scottish novelist, whose The Private Memories and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) feature Gothic and supernatural elements. Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) exhibit a number of affinities to the Gothic literary mode. His The Pirate (1822) is an example in this direction. About Matthew Lewis Gregory (1775-1818), it is said that If Ann Radcliffe is a paragon of ‘female Gothic’, Lewis will be its form. The horror novel, The Monk (1796) by Lewis created a genteel of sensation and suspense.Charles Maturin’s (1780-1824) novel, Melmoth the Volume XIII Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No: 576 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 Wanderer (1820) is praised for its graphic description of suffering and horror and is considered as a fine example of Gothic fiction. Jane Austen’s (1795-1817) Northanger Abbey (1818) is also studied an important part of Gothic tradition. Mary Shelley’s (1797-1851) gothic novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus (1818) is recognized as a work of philosophical and psychological resonance. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) an English novelist, who loved the Gothic tradition. His novels Bleak House (1853), The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), Little Dorrit (1857) Great Expectations (1861), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) and Mutual Friend (1865) come under the Gothic domain. Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), a skillful novelist, whose works Jane Eyre (1847) and Villette (1853) , depict the struggles of every day life and contain certain gothic elements such as mystery and the supernatural. Emily Bronte’s (1818-1848) novel, Wuthering Heights (1847) contain the mystery and horror of a Gothic novel, which brought her recognition. Willkie Collins (1824-1889) is known for intrigue and suspense.
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