Gothic literature, to me, is already a powerful genre in itself. All of the tropes that are created and used to make the readers really sit down and think are something of wonder; but when an author takes that genre and turns it into a graphic novel, it really flips the Gothic literature upside down and takes it to a whole new level. When we read Neil Gaiman in class, we were able to see how the Gothic could be read in graphic novel form and see the differences between words and the use of pictures. Because of this perception change, I was reading this graphic novel that was full of Gothic tropes, while at the same time seeing how it affected all of the characters, which I think added to the overall "Gothic" of the tale and making it creepy. Because I was able to see the characters and see how they reacted in certain situations, I was able to really grasp the entirety of the story-- Basically I was terrified by it all, and loved it at the same time. It made a huge difference to me, being able to see these artistic pieces that went along with the story, because it added a whole new dimension to Gothic literature.
While reading, I realized that the horror and irony is really laced in with what the characters say. Sometimes, their words can be eerily morbid, which usually makes the reader think of what is happening in the scene, or ironic because they will usually say something but the opposite of what they said happening. I thin authors heavily rely on what their characters are saying to add the horror and irony to their stories.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
My Definition of the Gothic: Pt. 2
In my first posting, I very simply explained my personal definition on the idea of the Gothic. When going back and reviewing my definition, I've realized my personal views on how I perceive the Gothic can be explained in more than a few sentences. The Gothic, to me, is a very complex idea-- ranging from the supernatural all of the way down to ones personal madness.
When I talk to anyone today and mention "Gothic" anything to them, it always goes the same way: modern day Gothic ideas. Pale faces, dramatic makeup and sometimes very dramatic clothing as well; it's still Gothic, but for me I much prefer the literature and what Gothic was centered around way back when. When "Gothic literature" is mentioned, the idea of dark fortresses, a damsel in distress, supernatural entities and various other common tropes instantly come to mind. It makes me, as the reader, create an image in my mind that could be seen as eerie, maybe even horrifying. To me, the idea of "Gothic literature" is to show in dramatic ways what a persons deepest fears can do to them if they allow it to overcome them, like in "The Castle of Otranto." Every character of that story, I felt, had some fear that they all had to face; some were able to face their fear and conquer it. Yet, there were other characters who allowed their fears basically take over their lives.
Structures of Gothic literature are very interesting, also. I think a really good example of how a piece of Gothic Literature is set up can be found in Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." In this, there is a lot of detail and build up, making the story almost seem as if it is dragging, and then BOOM, numerous things start happening almost all at once. Suddenly supernatural beings come out of the woodwork trying to exact their revenge, which is exactly what happened with Roderick and his seemingly deceased sister Madeline, with the onlooker whom was narrating the story. At the end of it though, it makes the reader wonder, "did that all actually happen, or was it just the sanity of the parties who were there to witness?"
This brings me to analysis of Gothic Literature, and how I think it is all interpreted. So far, from what I have read, these tales usually have a deeper meaning and are there to make the reader really think about what they have just read, and to challenge their beliefs and ideas. A story I personally enjoy when concerning analysis and the whole "what is really happening here?" idea to go along with it was Charlotte Perkins Stetson's "The Yellow Wall-Paper." I think this really gives a good insight to the common Gothic trope and fear of personal madness, and someone giving into that madness. The story made me think and come to a certain interpretation that makes logical sense. When comparing a story like "The Yellow Wall-Paper" to say something more modern like this--
Horror has taken a whole new meaning in today's culture. It's all centered around gore and jump scares. This also ties in with what the Gothic is not. I personally believe directors of horror films think, "the bloodier the movie is, the better it will be received." This is completely twisted from what horror back in the nineteenth and twentieth (and further back) horror was perceived. Horror and fear in Gothic Literature were deep rooted; they were designed to pinpoint society's deepest fears and make them come alive. Every story we have read in class so far have done a fantastic job at doing that. I really like going back to "The Yellow Wall-Paper" because it shows the slow descent into madness, which is a "hush hush" fear (as I like to call them).
I think defining this term is extremely important for a number of reasons. When looking for common Gothic tropes in society today, it's really easy to get them confused for what today's idea of "horror" is; this is the blood, guts and every other nasty concept that can fit into a ninety minute movie. It's important to define Gothic because it's so much more complex than just a few scares here and there. It's psychological, emotional and makes the readers think. Everything Gothic has a certain complexity to it, from the reading to the architecture, and of course the dresses-- Corsets. Basically, it's easy to lose sight of what genre is which and start overlapping, but I think knowing the difference between Gothic and horror are incredibly important. To me, there ARE some similarities, but they are still very different; both have varying levels of complexity that should always be a thought in any viewer or readers mind.
When I talk to anyone today and mention "Gothic" anything to them, it always goes the same way: modern day Gothic ideas. Pale faces, dramatic makeup and sometimes very dramatic clothing as well; it's still Gothic, but for me I much prefer the literature and what Gothic was centered around way back when. When "Gothic literature" is mentioned, the idea of dark fortresses, a damsel in distress, supernatural entities and various other common tropes instantly come to mind. It makes me, as the reader, create an image in my mind that could be seen as eerie, maybe even horrifying. To me, the idea of "Gothic literature" is to show in dramatic ways what a persons deepest fears can do to them if they allow it to overcome them, like in "The Castle of Otranto." Every character of that story, I felt, had some fear that they all had to face; some were able to face their fear and conquer it. Yet, there were other characters who allowed their fears basically take over their lives.
Structures of Gothic literature are very interesting, also. I think a really good example of how a piece of Gothic Literature is set up can be found in Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." In this, there is a lot of detail and build up, making the story almost seem as if it is dragging, and then BOOM, numerous things start happening almost all at once. Suddenly supernatural beings come out of the woodwork trying to exact their revenge, which is exactly what happened with Roderick and his seemingly deceased sister Madeline, with the onlooker whom was narrating the story. At the end of it though, it makes the reader wonder, "did that all actually happen, or was it just the sanity of the parties who were there to witness?"
This brings me to analysis of Gothic Literature, and how I think it is all interpreted. So far, from what I have read, these tales usually have a deeper meaning and are there to make the reader really think about what they have just read, and to challenge their beliefs and ideas. A story I personally enjoy when concerning analysis and the whole "what is really happening here?" idea to go along with it was Charlotte Perkins Stetson's "The Yellow Wall-Paper." I think this really gives a good insight to the common Gothic trope and fear of personal madness, and someone giving into that madness. The story made me think and come to a certain interpretation that makes logical sense. When comparing a story like "The Yellow Wall-Paper" to say something more modern like this--
Horror has taken a whole new meaning in today's culture. It's all centered around gore and jump scares. This also ties in with what the Gothic is not. I personally believe directors of horror films think, "the bloodier the movie is, the better it will be received." This is completely twisted from what horror back in the nineteenth and twentieth (and further back) horror was perceived. Horror and fear in Gothic Literature were deep rooted; they were designed to pinpoint society's deepest fears and make them come alive. Every story we have read in class so far have done a fantastic job at doing that. I really like going back to "The Yellow Wall-Paper" because it shows the slow descent into madness, which is a "hush hush" fear (as I like to call them).
I think defining this term is extremely important for a number of reasons. When looking for common Gothic tropes in society today, it's really easy to get them confused for what today's idea of "horror" is; this is the blood, guts and every other nasty concept that can fit into a ninety minute movie. It's important to define Gothic because it's so much more complex than just a few scares here and there. It's psychological, emotional and makes the readers think. Everything Gothic has a certain complexity to it, from the reading to the architecture, and of course the dresses-- Corsets. Basically, it's easy to lose sight of what genre is which and start overlapping, but I think knowing the difference between Gothic and horror are incredibly important. To me, there ARE some similarities, but they are still very different; both have varying levels of complexity that should always be a thought in any viewer or readers mind.
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Yellow Wall Paper: A Literary Argument
Many things can be said about this story, and another great deal of things can be interpreted. As I read this, I realized that it was a bit like a journal writing, and that I was reading a documentation of a slow demise. As we move along in the story, we also move along with Charlotte's eventual mental breakdown.
Quite literally, she absolutely loses it. She rips the wallpaper from the wall, and was said to be "crawling" in circles and never stopping. While at the beginning, she just wrote about hating it, but there was nothing she could do about it. So, she just sat in her room and let the hate for it consume her; soon she was saying that she could "smell" the yellow of the room.
When thinking about this story, it can be quite obvious that Charlotte completely lost her marbles. But throughout the whole thing, she was saying that there was a woman in the wallpaper. I think that might mean her, as she always states that the woman can be seen crawling on the side of the "lovely road", but is often frightened by oncoming buggies and hides, which could be interpreted as that Charlotte is scared of what might happen to her if she left the house and discontinued her rest cure. As for the woman in the wallpaper, I think it's a reflection of Charlotte herself-- as being stuck in the house for almost three months-- and almost becoming apart of the house.
Quite literally, she absolutely loses it. She rips the wallpaper from the wall, and was said to be "crawling" in circles and never stopping. While at the beginning, she just wrote about hating it, but there was nothing she could do about it. So, she just sat in her room and let the hate for it consume her; soon she was saying that she could "smell" the yellow of the room.
When thinking about this story, it can be quite obvious that Charlotte completely lost her marbles. But throughout the whole thing, she was saying that there was a woman in the wallpaper. I think that might mean her, as she always states that the woman can be seen crawling on the side of the "lovely road", but is often frightened by oncoming buggies and hides, which could be interpreted as that Charlotte is scared of what might happen to her if she left the house and discontinued her rest cure. As for the woman in the wallpaper, I think it's a reflection of Charlotte herself-- as being stuck in the house for almost three months-- and almost becoming apart of the house.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Ruins...
The tropes in a gothic tale throughout the 18th century had become extremely discernible as more gothic novels had started to be written. That also goes for "The Ruins of the Abbey-Fitzmartin" also. When reading this book, I was able to spot quite a few common trope that were wildly popular during the time.
In one instance, it is noted that Anna was to wed a terrible man who she feared. As we learned in class, this was a legitimate fear of the women in the 18th century. They feared being with a man who could be lethal to them, on top of not being able to marry someone they truly love. That was another fear that was tied into this story-- Anna had to marry this complete stranger while she loved someone else.
Another fear that was addressed in "The Ruins..." was darkness. In every Gothic tale, darkness is used as a way to build suspense and really strike fear into the readers. As in the 18th century, darkness was a common fear among people, along with storms. When it was dark, that was it. The only means of light were through candlelight, which was barely effective. Along with storms, which scared the ever living hell out of people. These were some very common tropes that could be found when reading "The Ruins of the Abbey-Fitzmartin."
What really brings all of these tropes together is how the author leads the readers to deal with them. People always like to have some kind of push to get over any and all fears they have, and what better way to get it than through an author? Someone who is obviously educated in the art of word? In the end, the author uses supernatural forces and other means to "defeat" the terrible power of the story, allowing the good guys to come out victorious. This will allow the readers to think that if they want to overcome fears and stand up for themselves, they need to do what's right and they too will be victorious.
In one instance, it is noted that Anna was to wed a terrible man who she feared. As we learned in class, this was a legitimate fear of the women in the 18th century. They feared being with a man who could be lethal to them, on top of not being able to marry someone they truly love. That was another fear that was tied into this story-- Anna had to marry this complete stranger while she loved someone else.
Another fear that was addressed in "The Ruins..." was darkness. In every Gothic tale, darkness is used as a way to build suspense and really strike fear into the readers. As in the 18th century, darkness was a common fear among people, along with storms. When it was dark, that was it. The only means of light were through candlelight, which was barely effective. Along with storms, which scared the ever living hell out of people. These were some very common tropes that could be found when reading "The Ruins of the Abbey-Fitzmartin."
What really brings all of these tropes together is how the author leads the readers to deal with them. People always like to have some kind of push to get over any and all fears they have, and what better way to get it than through an author? Someone who is obviously educated in the art of word? In the end, the author uses supernatural forces and other means to "defeat" the terrible power of the story, allowing the good guys to come out victorious. This will allow the readers to think that if they want to overcome fears and stand up for themselves, they need to do what's right and they too will be victorious.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Fears and tears
A lot of elements that are present in The Castle of Otranto, to me, are a bit... outdated. It's evident in some of the aspects he uses when using fear in the story; he knew how to really hit people in their fear spot when writing this. Some of these fears that Walpole is concerned with are supernatural entities, storms, and darkness. Those are some really big factors when reading the story. I believe that these really hit home with the readers during that time because, as opposed to the changes the world has gone through since the 17th century, those were legitimate fears. The understanding of the world wasn't as vast as we know it today, darkness was even darker, and storms made everything ten times more frightening. I think that when he wrote this, he was able to really dig deep into the psyche of people during the 17th century and hit the nail on the head of what would terrify them.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Personal Definition of "Gothic"
The term "Gothic" has a variety of different terms, ranging from literature to current fashion trends. To me, the definition of "Gothic" means fear and horror. I'm not much of a fan of the fashion trends; I find them tacky. Whenever I think of the word "Gothic", I'm always taken back in time when Gothic architecture was an up and coming idea and when books were centered around the 'fear' that Gothic was said to bring.
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