

“Frankenstein” contains a notable example in Victor’s dream of his lover, Elizabeth. Hyde." The dream motif, in which dream sequences can convey the subconscious, also features in gothic literature. The motif of the doppelganger, characters that reflect the duality of human nature, appears notably in Stevenson’s "Dr. Many examples of gothic literature contain similar motifs, or devices that convey a thematic impact. Lord Byron featured gothic heroes in many of his works, including “Childe Harold” and “Manfred.” Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” contains a prominent gothic hero in Heathcliff. Gothic literature popularized the notion of the anti-hero, a flawed protagonist who incorporates dark or monstrous elements. A literary tableaux - a description of a static scene - can establish mood or convey symbolism. Shifting narrators - such as those in William Faulkner’s Southern gothic “As I Lay Dying" - give different perspectives on the plot.

Gothic literature contains experimental techniques such as shifting narrators and literary tableaux. The development of gothic literature paralleled that of the novel as art, and reached its apogee in the first half of the 20th century. William Bedford’s “Vathek,” set in the Middle East, helped popularize Orientalism, a 19th century fascination with Arabic and Asian cultures. Exotic LocalesĮxotic settings featured in some of the earliest gothic works, and remained a key element throughout the genre’s history. As the genre matured into the 20th century, writers began to portray the internal horror of psychosis, as in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Poe’s “The Telltale Heart,” which examines the psychology of guilt, stands as an earlier example of this tendency. Themes of madness and emotional distress characterize the psychological emphasis of gothic literature. Hyde” and Ann Radcliffe’s “The Mysteries of Udolpho” also provide examples of gothic horror. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” with its graveyards, gloomy castle and iconic monster, became a bestseller upon its first single-volume publication. Many of gothic literature’s most influential works make heavy use of horror elements. This appears in the trope of the doomed romance, as in Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” or in the appearance of a demonic lover figure, such as the bloodthirsty vampire in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” Horror Also, fictional characters like Dracula, Edward Hyde, The Invisible Man and others became popular.In the chaste Victorian era, Gothic literature provided an outlet for the exploration of sexuality. It was during this time that characters like Sherlock Holmes, Barry Lee, Sexton Blake, Phileas Fogg and others were originated. The second half of the 19th century saw a rising popularity in the demand for books and articles which dealt with nature.Īnother type of literature was the old Gothic stories. The Illustrated London News which began in 1842 was the world’s first weekly newspaper and it frequently published articles and examples regarding nature. In the early Victorian years, Philip Gosse and Sarah Bowdich Lee were the most famous nature writers. The works of American writers like Henry David Thoreau and Susan Fenimore Cooper had impressed the Victorian writers. Nature writing was another form of literature. The Oxford English Dictionary which began in the Victorian era became the most significant historical dictionary of the English language. This book explains the theory of evolution which shook the ideas of the Victorian people about themselves and the world. Though scientific books were not considered to be a part of literature, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was popular.

In the field of dramatics, farces, musical burlesques, comic operas competed with Shakespearian dramas and the serious dramas written by James Planch and Thomas William Robertson. The famous collection of Victorian comic verses is the Bab Ballads. Poets like Alfred Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Robert Browning were few of the famous of the famous poets produced in the Victorian period. Poetry was a bridge between the romantic period and the modernist poetry.
