Key Ideas in Gothic Literature

Key Ideas in Gothic Literature - Rational vs Irrational

The conflict between the rational and the irrational is a key aspect of Gothic literature. People began questioning their religious doctrines with each new scientific or technological discovery.

Luigi Galvani and Frankenstein

In 1780, Italian scientist Luigi Galvani discovered was able to channel an electric current through dismembered frogs’ legs - the process of galvanism.
His discovery, coupled with the fact that she had recently suffered a miscarriage, inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein in 1818.

Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula

The dangers of scientific overreach are also explored in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886).
Dracula, on the other hand, is a monster from a land of superstition (The Land Beyond the Forest) yet his arrival in London causes scientists such as Dr Jack Seward to question all that he thought he knew and, as urged by Van Helsing, “to believe in things that you cannot.” (Chapter 14)

Key Ideas in Gothic Literature - Fears About Society

The Gothic was also a literary vehicle for exploring contemporary anxieties and fears about society.

The Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror, which lasted between September 1793 and July 1794, was a very violent period during the French Revolution.
Radicals took over the French government in 1793. Their leader, Maximilien Robespierre, declared that Terror would be "the order of the day" on September 5, 1793.
In the 11 months that followed, extreme measures were taken against people suspected of being enemies of the Revolution. About 17,000 people were executed in France.

Influence on Gothic literature

Gothic literature is influenced by the terrifying events of the Reign of Terror.
The characterisation of violent, abusive aristocrats who misuse their power and status is a typical feature of Gothic literature.

Wider societal concerns

At the end of the 19th century, there was a genuine concern for what the 20th century would hold and some of these concerns - the roles of women, the status of the British Empire, relations with Europe and the emergence of the United States of America - are explored by Stoker in Dracula.

1Context - Gothic Literature

1.1Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature

1.1.1Origins of Gothic Literature

1.1.2Key Ideas in Gothic Literature

1.1.3Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula

1.2Vampires in Gothic Literature

1.2.1Vampires

1.3'Terror' & 'Horror'

1.3.1Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk

1.3.2'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula

1.4Narrative Features

1.4.1First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format

2Context - The Victorian Era

2.1The Victorian Era

2.1.1Fin de Siecle

2.1.2The 'New Woman'

2.1.3The Contagious Diseases Act

3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1.1Chapters 1-2

3.1.2Chapters 3-4

3.1.3Chapters 5-7

3.1.4Chapters 8-10

3.1.5Chapters 11-12

3.1.6Chapters 13-14

3.1.7Chapters 15-16

3.1.8Chapters 17-18

3.1.9Chapters 19-20

3.1.10Chapters 21-23

3.1.11Chapters 24-25

3.1.12Chapters 26-27

4Character Profiles

4.1Archetypal Gothic Characters

4.1.1Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters

4.2Count Dracula

4.2.1Count Dracula: Character Profile

4.2.2Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives

4.3Other Main Characters

4.3.1Jonathan Harker

4.3.2Dr Abraham Van Helsing

4.3.3Dr Jack Seward

4.3.4Mina Harker

4.3.5Lucy Westenra

4.4Minor Characters

4.4.1Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris

4.4.2Renfield

5Key Ideas

5.1Key Ideas

5.1.1Transgression of Boundaries

5.1.2The Supernatural & Un-dead

5.1.3Masculinity & Femininity

5.1.4Science, Modernity & Superstition

5.1.5Madness, Illness & Confinement

6Writing Techniques

6.1Writing Techniques

6.1.1Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice

6.1.2Intertextuality & Cultural References

6.1.3Structure

7Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.1.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.2Modern Reception of Dracula

7.2.1Modern Reception of Dracula

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