Creative Writing: Gothic Literature

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Creative Writing

Gothic Literature
List as many synonyms as
you can for the word spooky.

What feeling does the word


spooky evoke?

Let’s learn how to make a


story spooky!
Today, we are going to:
Identify the key features of Read and analyse an
Gothic Literature excerpt from the Gothic
text, A Tell Tale Heart

Explore literary devices used Use elements of a


in Gothic stories Gothic narrative to plan
our own Gothic story
What does Gothic mean?
Gothic literature is a genre of writing that
features dark themes, such as mystery, horror
or the supernatural.
Features of a Gothic Text
There are four distinct features that
indicate whether a text is Gothic:
1. 2. 3. 4.

Eerie Mysterious Supernatural A sense of


Setting Characters Elements Foreboding
Tension
Edgar Allan Poe
A well-known Gothic author is Edgar Allan Poe.
He was an American author best known for his
poems and short stories. Poe was a key figure in
the Gothic and Romanticism literary movements in
America during the 1800s. His work is considered
very influential, specifically his horror short stories.

One of his most famous works was a short story


called The Tell-Tale Heart (1843).
The Tell-Tale Heart
The story is written in the first-person narrative. The
narrator explains that he’s killed a man because of the
man’s ‘pale blue eye’. For a week, our narrator watches the
man as he sleeps each night and then finally kills him and
hides the body under his floorboards. He begins to hear the
imaginary heartbeat of the man, ‘louder and louder’, and
eventually admits to the crime. Throughout the story, the
narrator tries to convince the reader he’s not mad.
Features of The Tell-Tale Heart
1. Eerie Setting 3. Supernatural Elements
The story mostly takes place in the The man’s heartbeats are
victim's small, dimly lit room, which heard even after his death,
intensifies the suspense. haunting the narrator.

2. Mysterious Characters 4. Sense of Foreboding Tension


We don’t know much about the The narrator goes to great
narrator or the victim in the story as lengths to describe his plan,
they are not given any physical and the story pace picks up
attributes apart from the old man’s eye. faster and faster.
Spooky by Design
There are many literary devices authors
deliberately use to ensure a spooky atmosphere
and uneasy feeling in Gothic texts.
Let’s examine the literary devices used in a Gothic
narrative, and how Poe uses them in The Tell-tale Heart.
GOTHIC DEVICE 1:

Building Tension It grew quicker and quicker, and


Building tension refers to an author’s louder and louder every instant.
ability to make readers feel what the The old man’s terror must have
characters feel. In Gothic texts, the feeling been extreme! It grew louder, I
is usually worry, fear or suspense. say, louder every moment!
It grew louder — louder — louder!
Poe builds tension by repeating certain
words throughout the story. Consider what
‘It’ is referring to in the excerpt on the right.

What is the impact of building


tension in this text?
GOTHIC DEVICE 2:

Pace Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I


Pace refers to the tempo and speed at heard all things in the heaven and in the earth.
which the story unfolds. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I
mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily —
In this text, Poe uses pace and tempo to how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
reveal the narrator’s sanity.
I felt that I must scream or die! — and now —
Compare the opening (first) paragraph again! — hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! —
to the closing (second) paragraph, and “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I
notice the use of punctuation. admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here,
here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart!”
What is the impact of
pace in this text?
GOTHIC DEVICE 3:

Foreshadowing
Now this is the point. You fancy me
Foreshadowing is an indication or mad. Madmen know nothing. But you
warning of something happening in should have seen me. You should have
the future. seen how wisely I proceeded — with
what caution — with what foresight —
Poe uses foreshadowing in the first with what dissimulation I went to work!
few paragraphs by showing the
narrator’s insistence on his sanity.

What is the impact of


foreshadowing in this text?
GOTHIC DEVICE 4:

Onomatopoeia And then, when my head was well in the


room, I undid the lantern cautiously — oh,
so cautiously — cautiously (for the hinges
An onomatopoeia is a word that creaked) — I undid it just so much that a
describes a sound and sounds like single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye.
the sound, for example, ‘bang’.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I
Identify the onomatopoeia in each knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It
paragraph. was not a groan of pain or of grief — oh,
no! — it was the low stifled sound that
arises from the bottom of the soul when
What is the impact of
overcharged with awe.
onomatopoeia in this text?
Planning a Gothic Narrative
Gothic stories have a unique structure. Let's brainstorm and plan a
Gothic story by first comparing the narrative structures below.

Narrative Structure Gothic Narrative Structure


Element 1 + 2: Orientation - character and setting Element 1 + 2: Orientation - character and setting

Element 3: Rising Action Element 3: Tension Building

Element 4: Climax Element 4: Climax

Element 5: Resolution Element 5: Ambiguous Ending


GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #1:

Setting Consider this...


Use your 5 senses to
Settings in Gothic stories are brainstorm a spooky setting.
crucial to establishing an eerie
Sight:
mood and atmosphere.
Taste:
Gothic stories are often set in Smell:
isolation, at night and in the cold.
Hear:
For example, The Tell-Tale Heart is Touch:
set mostly at night, in an old house.
GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #2:

Characters Consider this...

Characters in Gothic stories are


Brainstorm your main
often mysterious and intriguing.
characters’ characteristics.
Our narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart
What qualities will they
behaves in an unusual and panicked
have that make them
manner, and there’s no description of
intriguing?
his physical attributes. It could be
difficult for the reader to connect
with or understand him.
GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #3:

Tension Building Consider this...


Gothic stories are filled with typically negative tension, such
as fear or pressure, that increases as the story goes on. Which technique
will you use to
You can use these techniques to build tension in your story: build tension?
Select at least one.
Pace and tempo
Foreshadowing
Revealing information strategically

The pace within The Tell-Tale Heart gets faster


as the text goes on, building tension and
suspense, leading to the narrator’s madness.
GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #4:

Climax Consider this...

The climax in gothic literature often What will your


involves the revelation of hidden secrets secret be?
or the uncovering of forbidden knowledge.

The climax of The Tell-Tale Heart is when


the narrator murders the man. He has been
talking about preparing for the murder for
most of the story, but it is not fully revealed
until this moment.
GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #5:

Ambiguous Ending Consider this...

Most Gothic stories end with some How will your


ambiguity, leaving aspects open to story end?
interpretation. This creates a lingering sense
of mystery and unsettlement, allowing
readers to contemplate what it means.

The Tell-Tale Heart ends with the narrator


confessing to the police. It is unclear if the
victim’s heart was really beating, or if the
narrator was overwhelmed with his own guilt.
Let’s Recap
Gothic texts include dark themes such as mystery
and horror. Gothic texts typically include:

Eerie settings
Mysterious characters
Supernatural features
A sense of foreboding
Let’s Recap
Gothic literary devices include: Gothic text structure:

Building Tension 1. Orientation


Pace 2. Building Tension
Foreshadowing 3. Climax
Onomatopoeia 4. Ambiguous Ending
Let’s get planning for your
very own spooky Gothic story.
References
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Tell-Tale Heart."
The Pioneer, vol. 1, no. 1, 1843, pp. 33-37.
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