gothic literature. background originated in the 18 th century genre is devoted to tales of horror...
TRANSCRIPT
Background
• Originated in the 18th
century
• Genre is devoted to tales
of horror and dark
supernatural forces
• Gothic literature was a
reaction to social
upheaval in Britain due
to economic and political
problems.
Gothic Literature addresses
• What it means to be a human being
• The outsider/outcast: the “other”
– punished for being different
• Injustice
– reactions to inequality
• Class relations
• Element of uncertainty
Components of Gothic Lit.
• The Double: A 2nd or
alternate identity
– Represents opposing forces
in human nature
– Suggests that humans have
a dual nature
• Forbidden knowledge or
forbidden power
– Hero attempts to control
supernatural powers
– Ambition leads to Hero’s fall
Components of Gothic Lit.
• Castles
– Reflect the hero’s
psychological
character
– scary/haunting feeling
• Mystery
– Lack of identity and
nameless individuals
give a mysterious feel
to cover truths
Components of Gothic Lit.• Dreams and Visions
– Reveal hidden truths of the
unconscious mind
• Graveyards/Churches/Ruins
– Suggest human confrontation
with infinite forces (no
boundaries or limits)
• Madness
– Reflects realities beyond
rational comprehension
– Mad characters speak the
truths that we wish to deny!
Importance of Setting
• The setting is greatly influential in Gothic
novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere
of horror and dread, but also portrays the
deterioration of its world. The decaying,
ruined scenery implies that at one time
there was a thriving world.
Setting Elements
• A castle, ruined or intact, haunted or not
• Ruined buildings which are sinister or a
pleasing melancholy
• Metonymy: something is used to stand for
something else
– Extreme landscapes, like mountains, thick
forests, fog and extreme weather.
Different Moods You Feel When You Read
Positive Moods
Amused
Calm
Content
Dreamy
Ecstatic
Excited
Exhilarated
Hopeful
Loving
Mellow
Optimistic
Passionate
Rejuvenated
Relaxed
Satisfied
Sentimental
Surprised
Sympathetic
Touched
Vivacious
Warm
Welcoming
Negative
Moods
Aggravated
Annoyed
Anxious
Brooding
Cold
Confused
Cranky
Cynical
Depressed
Disappointed
Dreary
Enraged
Exhausted
Foreboding
Gloomy
Hopeless
Indifferent
Irate
Jealous
Lonely
Morose
Nervous
Numb
Overwhelme
d
Pensive
Pessimistic
Scared
Serious
Sick
Stressed
Suspenseful
Tense
Terrifying
Violent
Worried
Let’s Practice
• “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe
• http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a
nnabel-lee
/
It was many and many a year ago.
In a kingdom by the sea.
That maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;-
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
Atmosphere (mood)
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than
love–
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the winged seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.
1st person point of
view
Repetition
And this was the reason that, long
ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud by night
Chilling my Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The Notebook Scene
Rhyme Scheme & Repetition
The angels, not half so happy
in Heaven,
Went envying her and me--
Yes! that was the reason (as all
men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the
cloud, chilling
And killing my Annabel
Lee.
Consonance: repetition of similar consonant sounds
But our love it was stronger by
far than the love
Of those who were older than
we—
Of many far wiser than we—
And neither the angels in Heaven
above
Nor the demons down under
the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from
the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel
Lee--
Mood
Imagery
For the moon never beams without bringing me
dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the side of the sea.
Symbolism
Assonance
Repetitive vowel sounds
Quote example
from poem
Analysis of that
example(Have you made a
connection to a picture that is painted for
EVERY word)
What is the mood generated by your
quote? (Name it!)
How does the quote
connect to the mood?(If it doesn’t connect, YOU CAN’T USE IT!)
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the sideOf my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,In her sepulcher there by the sea—
In her tomb by the side of the sea
“sepulcher” is a crypt---shows what it means to be human and the cycle of life.
Repetition of “Lee,” “me” and “sea” reiterates and repeats his emotions of sorrow and loss of his love.
“Stars never rise” connects to his motivation to live without “my life” and “my bride”
The mood generated by this quote is BLEAK and MELANCHOLY.
The mood is cold and bitter and seems to suggest that the individual telling the story is willfully tortured. This willful torture is best displayed in the last stanza when it is revealed that he sleeps in Annabel Lee's tomb.
Now let’s make a connection…
• Based on the analysis of the poem
and the mood, how does this connect
to the historical context of the time
period and gothic literature?
Connection:
• Mystery: The narrator is nameless with a lack of
identity and is a mysterious figure in the poem.
There is a mystery of how Annabel died and if
the narrator played a role in the death.
• Castle: “A kingdom by the sea” refers to a
castle. This signifies a haunting feeling to propel
the plot. The castle affects the narrator and his
emotions as a reminder of his love for her.