Republic of uzbekistan samarqand state institute of foreign languanges faculty of foreign languages

Terror and Horror: Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe once noted that terror grows out of suspense while horror grows out of disgust. Throughout the Gothic genre, authors consistently incorporate suspense that often arises due to a seemingly supernatural occurrence while creating a sense of disgust as to how their characters act/react throughout the text.

Terror and Wonder: 10 key elements of Gothic literature

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  Set in a haunted castle or house. ...
  
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  A damsel in distress. ...
  
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  An atmosphere of mystery and suspense. ...
  
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  There is a ghost or monster. ...
  
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  The weather is always awful. ...
  
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  Dreaming/nightmares. ...
  
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  Burdened male protagonist. ...
  
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  Melodrama.
  

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  Justice and Revenge: Typically, there is an initial action that drives the protagonist to right the wrong. At times, the action that needs to be righted is committed by the protagonist themselves. Often, the one who is being targeted is not the one who committed the crime. Regardless, there is the belief that someone must pay for the offense.
  
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  Good vs. Evil: Gothic novels often aim to reveal the darker side of human nature. Good can be directly pitted against evil, or a character might be fighting their own battle internally between these forces. Ultimately, Gothic novelists present ideas that question the reader's understanding of good and evil, positing if there truly is an absolute understanding of the concepts.
  
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  Sublime: As a response to the ideals of the Enlightenment, the Romantics focused on an appreciation of natural beauty, rather than what is produced by science. Writers took this appreciation of nature and detailed the emotional impact it elicits, thus creating what is now known as the sublime. However, rather than appreciating the emotional response to natural beauty, Gothic writers emphasize the irregular and chaotic forces, often manipulating the natural world to highlight the power it has to inflict trauma and fear.
  

What are Gothic elements used for?
Often, Gothic writers use melodrama or “high emotion” to convey a thought. This exaggerated, impassioned language helps convey the panic and terror inherent in many characters. Themes of madness and emotional distress were seen in many of the 20th century Gothic novels that depicted the condition of psychosis.
While Gothic novels started to gain traction in the late 18th century and found their greatest success in the 19th century, contemporary authors still incorporate Gothic characteristics today. Listed below are both classic and modern examples of Gothic literature as well as the characteristics that help define them as such.