Different categories of novels
Different authors use various writing styles and literature to bring out their ideas in the novels. There are different categories of novels such as romantic, thriller, and gothic; all these categories have specific styles that have to be incorporated to make the stories relevant. The use of a particular literature enables the readers to differentiate the various types of novels. Consequently, this paper seeks to highlight the circumstances encircling the development of a gothic novel.
Gothic Literature and its association with monster stories
Gothic Literature is mostly associated with monster stories, which include vampires and ghosts that have lived in the readers' thoughts since the 18th century. These characters continue to change the world of fiction even today. Gothic novels focus on major themes and portray unique techniques writers utilize to come up with a frantic psychological experience for the readers. Themes such as the power of the supernatural, terror versus horror, and the conflict between good and evil are among the examples used by authors. Reading these novels in most cases requires someone to be fearless because some of the scenes are absolutely terrifying. If the reader cannot withstand the experience, he/she might not realize the dark beauty of the monster stories (Hume, 284).
The uniqueness of Gothic novel
According to Lisa, Gothic novels should have a terrifying combination of horror and romantic themes, and incorporate key styles that go against the limitations of realism. "A Gothic novel is something of a reversed romance as it tends to things from the unwholesome side." The uniqueness of Gothic novel is brought about by how the writer is able to blend the real with the imaginary. This combination produces fear due to the suspense and uncertainty linked with the paranormal and unknown; it also portrays the characters in a more realistic manner than in non-gothic literature. Despite of the level of insanity of a situation, a Gothic novel's character always responds in approaches that correspond to normal responses to such circumstances, and even offers natural explanation for what the audience knows is mythical. This is one of the critical aspects in Gothic Literature (Rauch, 229).
An example of Gothic novel: Frankenstein
One good example of Gothic novel is Frankenstein, which focuses on the supernatural and mysterious. "Shelley, the author of the novel, uses rather mysterious scenes to have Victor Frankenstein develop a monster: the weird circumstances under which he collects body parts for the experiment and use of rare technologies for unnatural purpose." Shelley utilizes the supernatural powers of raising the dead and eerie research into areas of science that are not known to the readers. She causes the readers to question their views on Victor Frankenstein's use of dead bodies for experiment. The plot claims Lord Byron ran screaming after hearing the story for the first time, therefore, Mary Shelley achieved the desired effects of Gothic novel be creating terror (London, 257).
Gloomy settings and distant places
Lisa argues that Gothic novels also take place in gloomy areas like dungeons, old buildings, and castles with secret routes. Distant and lonely places that seem mysterious to the readers also act as part of the Gothic novel's plot. Frankenstein is set in Switzerland and Germany, which are places where most of the readers had never been. In addition, "the inclusion of the chase scenes through the Arctic regions takes us even far from England into areas unexplored by many readers."
Elements of a Gothic novel
In general, there are certain elements that must be incorporated in writing a Gothic novel; some of these elements include decayed scenery, the use of mythical actions and characters within the setting, an antagonist that is the essence of evil, and an isolated protagonist. Also, the elemental theme of the novel should apply to the real world and include real life threats such as death, murder, and horrible accidents.
Works Cited
Hume, Robert D. "Gothic versus Romantic: a revaluation of the Gothic novel." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1969): 282-290.
Lisa. “The Gothic Novel: What Is Gothic Literature?” Owlcation, Owlcation, 21 Jan. 2018, owlcation.com/humanities/The-Gothic-Novel-What-is-Gothic-Literature.
London, Bette. "Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the spectacle of masculinity." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1993): 253-267.
Rauch, Alan. "The Monstrous Body of Knowledge in Mary Shelley's" Frankenstein"." Studies in Romanticism (1995): 227-253.
