Consider atmosphere and setting in the 19th century stories you have read, and discuss how the authors have created fear and atmosphere.
English Coursework Consider atmosphere and setting in the 19th century stories you have read, and discuss how the authors have created fear and atmosphere. I am going to discuss how three Gothic stories written by authors in the19th century create fear and atmosphere. The three stories which I will be considering are The Monkeys Paw, by WW Jacobs, The Body Snatchers, by Robert Louis Stevenson and also The Signal Man, by Charles Dickens. The gothic genre was very popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries and was a very fashionable aspect of lives in that era. Almost all gothic stories included similar aspects which made the atmosphere spooky and scary. Most gothic stories included elements such as grave yards and dead bodies creating a sense of death and killing of people. The weather in gothic stories is often the kind that scares you for example thunderstorms, fog and almost all gothic stories are set in the dark of the night. Some gothic stories may include a supernatural aspect, curses, spells, wishes, ghosts , this was very popular in this era because the Victorians were very in touch with the supernatural side of their lives and believed strongly in the presence of ghosts and life after death. Gothic stories would usually include elements of surprise and realism to make the story more believable. A gothic story will always be full of suspense and tension to make the
Explore Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the Body Snatchers as both gothic and mysterious texts.
EXPLORE STEVENSON'S DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE AND THE BODY SNATCHERS AS BOTH GOTHIC AND MYSTERIOUS TEXTS. The novels Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, written in 1885, and The Body Snatchers, written in ______ can be seen as novels with a gothic genre as well as mystery stories. They allow the reader to become captivated and absorbed within the text so that they can find out the intriguing nature of the novel, coming across as the story unfolds via clues and hints as to what twists are involved in the plot and characters to unveil the mystery. In the era these novels were written, they were the first in their kind in terms of the gothic genre and as mysterious texts where the turn of events or the characters behaviour was not predictable. They can be considered as novels which look at the darker side of a persons capabilities, this was a new concept to the Victorians in the 19th Century. The book, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde raises issues of and supports the concept of the dual nature of man, Victorian hypocrisy, the bestial nature of man and the experimentation with science and drugs. The issues within the book created a whole new genre in the nineteenth century for such books including The Body Snatchers and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which can also be categorised into this genre. In this essay I will explore Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as a mystery and a gothic story. I will include
To what extent can Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea and Jamaica Kincaid's Ovando be classified as Postcolonial Gothic texts?
To what extent can Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea and Jamaica Kincaid's Ovando be classified as Postcolonial Gothic texts? Before starting this essay, it is important to acknowledge the fact that the term 'postcolonial gothic' is quite difficult to define accurately. For the most part of this essay, I will be taking for granted the fact that these texts are essentially postcolonial in form, in so far as they are texts that have 'emerged in their present form out of the experience of colonization and asserted themselves by foregrounding the tension with imperial power.'1 It is with this certainty in mind that I will be looking more specifically at the gothic elements of the pieces, which separate the texts from other typically postcolonial works. Nevertheless, certain distinguishing postcolonial features will arise throughout the essay and this will be especially explicit when I look at the contextual aspects of the pieces. Turcotte identifies the fact that 'it is certainly possible to argue that the generic qualities of the Gothic mode lend themselves to articulating the colonial experience in as much as each emerges out of a condition of deracination and uncertainty, of the familiar transposed into unfamiliar space.'2 As such, the idea of displacement presents itself clearly though the two texts. In Wide Sargasso Sea for instance, we feel a strong sense of Rochester's
With particular reference to the construction of Mr Hyde, discuss how portrayal of the character places the novella into the Gothic Horror genre.
With particular reference to the construction of Mr Hyde, discuss how portrayal of the character places the novella into the Gothic Horror genre. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, a time where the "Gothic Horror" story was at its fullest expression, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde continues to remain one of the most well written, exciting and terrifying Gothic Horror stories to date. The Gothic Horror story has adapted over time, first being associated with dark, mysterious forces of the personality which were though of as uncivilised and therefore medieval and Gothic. However, it was then being used to describe the mysterious, the fantastic and occasionally, the horrific, appealing to the emotional side of human experience and throwing off the shackles of reason. Gothic Novels all shared similar settings, which were not just castles but anywhere that created a dark and mysterious atmosphere, and by the nineteenth century, Gothic Horror began to develop into ordinary human beings in familiar environments, to make the reader even more inclined to believe the unbelievable; that such dreadful events could actually happen; and this is exactly what Stevenson has done. Stevenson wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at a time where science was still relatively new; Darwin's theory of evolution had turned what was a very religious world
Examine how a sense of mystery, terror and suspense is created and maintained in 'The Old Nurse's Story' By Elizabeth Gaskell. You should consider specifically, how successful the story is as a piece of Gothic fiction.
GCSE Coursework Assignment: The Pre-Twentieth Century Unit Examine how a sense of mystery, terror and suspense is created and maintained in 'The Old Nurse's Story' By Elizabeth Gaskell. You should consider specifically, how successful the story is as a piece of Gothic fiction. The Gothic Novel is a type of prose fiction, first introduced around the 1760s by Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story (1764). This style of writing was popular until the mid 1800s. Primary examples of the Gothic Novel are William Beckford's Vathek in 1786, and perhaps the best known, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein of 1817. It was only into the 19th Century that the Gothic Novel started to appear a little outdated, as Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey in 1818 satire of the genre showed. The stereotypical view of women harboured in Gothic fiction, discussed later, became less and less apparent as time drew on, views of women changed, and more of the authors were female. The main characteristics of the Gothic tradition are its medieval context, with the typical settings of large, sprawling mansions and castles, harbouring hidden tunnels, secret areas, dungeons and unexplored rooms. Outdoors were desolate moors and twisted, dead trees, and events usually took place at nighttime or when it was snowing. This bleak setting reflected the macabre atmosphere of the stories, which usually involved
With close reference to the setting of 'Psycho' and 'Edward Scissor hands' discuss how the directors use elements of the Gothic tradition.
ENGLISH COURSEWORK SOPHIE HARTFIELD 0SJR ROSEBERY SCHOOL With close reference to the setting of 'Psycho' and 'Edward Scissor hands' discuss how the directors use elements of the Gothic tradition. The gothic tradition is rooted in many great works of fiction such as, 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Dracula'. It comprises many distinct features including Gothic architecture, lighting and the colour black. Setting is a very important aspect of the gothic tradition. In the two film texts studied 'Psycho' and 'Edward Scissor hands', the directors have used the gothic tradition to create interesting effects. To define the word gothic when being used in the form of a novel, one can say that it contains supernatural or horrifying events. Alfred Hitchcock the director of 'Psycho', uses many effective camera shots throughout the film to add depth and tension to the atmosphere of the scene that the viewer can easily relate to. For example when Marion the leading female role is traveling on the highway in her car towards the 'Bate's Motel', prior to her arrival the scene shows a very open and light space around her. There is lots of other traffic on the same stretch of road and gives a presence of safety in numbers to the viewer. As the sunset starts to emerge the lighting dims and Hitchcock uses a medium close-up shot of Marion in the car, the focal point being her face that is the only
Victorian Villains in Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Victorian Villains in Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde This essay is looking at the nature of Victorian Villains. In doing this I shall consider extracts from three pre twentieth century novels; Great Expectations, Oliver Twist both written by Charles Dickens and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by R.L Stevenson. The Victorian Villains could be described as a stereotypical figure and this is what my essay will focus on, discussing the different aspects of atmosphere and setting, the appearance and behaviour of the male villains, their language and actions and finally there reactions of other characters to them. Firstly, I will discuss atmosphere and setting and note how all extracts share common traits/elements. In the Oliver Twist, extract the setting is firstly described as "obscure" which states that it is unclear in the pub. Charles Dickens then says that the pub is "situated in the filthiest part of Little Saffron Hill - a dark and gloomy den" there is irony in this sentence as a Saffron is very expensive. A "flaring" gas-light also burns all day in the wintertime, besides this no ray of the sunshines into the pub in the summer. The text above creates a startling atmosphere, inside the pub it would be dark unclear and the air would be strongly impregnated by the smell of alcohol. In the second extract, (Great Expectations) the atmosphere is rather
Consider the writers' intentions in writing their Gothic stories - To what extent do you consider them to be effective horror stories?
Consider the writers' intentions in writing their Gothic stories. To what extent do you consider them to be effective horror stories? What is horror? Horror is a way of coming to terms with anxieties in each person and in a society as a whole. But horror also plays a role of intensifying the imagination and gives people the adrenaline rush that comes with being scared. Several factors contribute to the creation of different emotions and feelings. Stevenson uses a multitude of ways to give the overall effect of mystery and horror rather than a sudden, obvious indication. This reveals how Stevenson differs from previous gothic writers. The first thing to observe when reading a book is when it was written. This greatly influences the way the book has been written and the impact that it made on people of that time. Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde book may not seem to terrifying now with films such as the Exorcist coming out. But for the people and era of that time Jekyll and Hyde was a book to be reckoned with and was definitely a bookmark to how gothic stories should be written. The way in which it revolutionized the way that gothic books are, is that the setting and atmosphere were different then previous gothic books. With previous books the only thing they needed to include was that it was dark, foggy, gloomy, isolated area that most likely contained a castle and was set in
Treasure Island - Jim Hawkins it's narrator in the first person.
JIM HAWKINS The first-person narrator of almost the entire novel. Jim is the son of an innkeeper near Bristol, England, and is probably in his early teens. He is eager and enthusiastic to go to sea and hunt for treasure. He is a modest narrator, never boasting of the remarkable courage and heroism he consistently displays. Jim is often impulsive and impetuous, but he exhibits increasing sensitivity and wisdom. As the narrator of Treasure Island and the instigator of its most important plot twists, Jim is clearly the central character in the novel. Probably around twelve or thirteen years old, he is the quiet and obedient son of the owner of an inn near Bristol, England. As events unfold throughout the novel, Jim's character changes dramatically, as he shows increasing cleverness, courage, maturity, and perspective. In the first chapters, Jim is an easily frightened boy who is closely associated with his home and family. Scared by the crusty old seaman Pew, Jim runs to his mother for protection. After his father dies and he embarks on the adventure, Jim starts to think for himself and shows increasing initiative. Jim makes repeated mistakes, but he learns from them, which signals that he is maturing. He grows up quickly during this trip, starting as the cabin boy but eventually naming himself the new captain after he reclaims the ship from the pirates. Although he is
Chapter 4 in 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' is one of the novels most significant points
Chapter 4 in 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' is one of the novels most significant points as it makes Hyde's sheer ferociousness and brutality evident to the reader for the first time. Up to this point, the reader is only aware of the potential of Edward Hyde through the vague descriptions of him and the very brief trampling of the young girl. The reader witnesses the murder of Sir Danvers Carew by Hyde, from a maidservant's viewpoint. Due to this, it is fair to say that the reader gains a more restricted view of events through the maidservant's eyes and will acquire a limited picture of events, which will go a long way towards letting the reader build up an image of the scene for themselves. This chapter goes a long way in getting an insight into Hyde's actions and his general mindset which reaffirms David Stevens views in 'The Gothic Tradition' in which he describes the novel as a combination of 'horror with astute psychological insight'. One of the first striking points to notice about the chapter is its title which instantly hints to the reader that it will have a sinister tone to it as it will be centred on a 'murder case'. The chapter title is also quite unexpected as the previous chapter is titled 'Dr Jekyll was quite at ease' placing the reader into a sense of security which is quickly destroyed by the following chapter. The fact that the chapter is