Gothic Literature

Gothic

writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, fear, and dread.

tropes

significant or recurrent themes; motifs

rationalism

belief in reason and logic as the primary source of knowledge

foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

omen

an event regarded as a portent of good or evil

supernatural

beyond what is natural or observable; not explainable by the laws of nature

industrialism

a social or economic system built on manufacturing industries.

grotesque

unnatural, distorted; bizarre; misshapen or deformed

uncanny

strange, mysterious, weird, beyond explanation

sublime

of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe

mood

how the reader feels or responds to a piece of text

atmosphere

the emotions imposed on the reader by an author

irony

the intended meaning or expectation is subverted by the final meaning or outcome

situational irony

occurs when the outcome of a work is unexpected, or events turn out to be the opposite from what one had expected

dramatic irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't

verbal irony

a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning; related to sarcasm

Southern Gothic

a literary genre depicting life in the southern US and featuring grotesque themes and imagery

characterization

the act of creating and developing a character

juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

onomatopoeia

the use of words that imitate sounds

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

metonymy

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it