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Origins of Gothic Literature

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Origins and Initial Reception of Gothic Literature

Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. The novel was first published in 1897. It is arguably one of the most famous examples of Gothic literature.

Origins of Gothic literature

Origins of Gothic literature

  • Gothic literature was born out of the Romantic movement. Gothic writers took the concept of revering of the natural world and explored its darker side.
  • The first Gothic novel was Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764).
Initial reception

Initial reception

  • As a genre, Gothic literature was initially not taken very seriously.
  • Critic Sue Chaplin suggests that this may have been because Gothic fiction was “perceived to be read by women” and, as such, was considered an “inferior literary mode”, against the “higher intellectual aspirations of the Romantic movement".
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture

  • Gothic writing is inspired by Gothic architecture.
  • Antiquated buildings in isolated, rugged locations are a key Gothic feature.
    • Castle Dracula in the Carpathian Mountains and the ruined abbey at Carfax are prime examples of Gothic architecture.
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Context - Gothic Literature

1.1

Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature

1.1.1Origins of Gothic Literature1.1.2Key Ideas in Gothic Literature1.1.3Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula
1.2

Vampires in Gothic Literature

1.2.1Vampires
1.3

'Terror' & 'Horror'

1.3.1Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk1.3.2'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula
1.4

Narrative Features

1.4.1First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format
2

Context - The Victorian Era

2.1

The Victorian Era

2.1.1Fin de Siecle2.1.2The 'New Woman'2.1.3The Contagious Diseases Act
3

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1.1Chapters 1-23.1.2Chapters 3-43.1.3Chapters 5-73.1.4Chapters 8-103.1.5Chapters 11-123.1.6Chapters 13-143.1.7Chapters 15-163.1.8Chapters 17-183.1.9Chapters 19-203.1.10Chapters 21-233.1.11Chapters 24-253.1.12Chapters 26-27
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Character Profiles

4.1

Archetypal Gothic Characters

4.1.1Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters
4.2

Count Dracula

4.2.1Count Dracula: Character Profile4.2.2Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives
4.3

Other Main Characters

4.3.1Jonathan Harker4.3.2Dr Abraham Van Helsing4.3.3Dr Jack Seward4.3.4Mina Harker4.3.5Lucy Westenra
4.4

Minor Characters

4.4.1Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris4.4.2Renfield
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Key Ideas

5.1

Key Ideas

5.1.1Transgression of Boundaries5.1.2The Supernatural & Un-dead5.1.3Masculinity & Femininity5.1.4Science, Modernity & Superstition5.1.5Madness, Illness & Confinement
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Writing Techniques

6.1

Writing Techniques

6.1.1Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice6.1.2Intertextuality & Cultural References6.1.3Structure
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Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1

Initial Reception of Dracula

7.1.1Initial Reception of Dracula
7.2

Modern Reception of Dracula

7.2.1Modern Reception of Dracula

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Key Ideas in Gothic Literature