Summary:
Discusses Gothic literature, a popular writing tradition of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Explores how writer Edgar Allen Poe used the gothic theme in many of his books and stories. Examines Poe's story, The Tell-Tale Heart." Describes how he uses a psychological approach to gothic literature.
Gothic literature was a popular writing tradition of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is still used today. Gothic literature explores the wicked, perverse and dark desires. Gothic conventions can include burial alive, ghosts, hysteria, ruined bodies, tales within tales, undead characters, underground spaces, and more. Gothic themes are guilt, sex, violence, death, and cosmic struggle. Gothic stories or poems should inspire terror or horror. Edgar Allen Poe was one of the many well-known Gothic writers. In his stories he uses a variety of themes to carry out the gothic theme.
In the story, "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe uses a psychological approach to gothic. "I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him." Simply, the narrator tried to make the victim think he liked him. He did this so the man would have absolutely no suspicion he was going to kill him. In other words he was playing mind games.
In the "Tell-Tale Heart," Poe shows his fondness for evil again. "I cut off the head and the arms and the legs." He often talked in his writings about how he would kill. This is a good example of his evil conventions. "I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye could have detected anything wrong." He goes on in this story by killing a man and putting his dead body under the planks in his floor. Another one of Poe's genius ways in hiding a dead body. Lastly, Poe also uses the gothic theme of guilt in this story. "I admit the deed! Tear up the planks." The police came to the house and the narrator felt he was in trouble. Finally, he confessed to where the body was because of his guilty conscience.
Edgar Allen Poe's, "Masque of the Red Death" also has many gothic themes. A bloody disease called the Red Death has ravaged a country. Prince Prospero thinks he can hide from this plague and throws a ball to celebrate his victory over it. First, Poe uses several words in this play conveying horror such as fatal, bleeding, blood, redness, and chambers, which are all clue to death.
The seven rooms in the house also conveyed stages in life ending with death. These rooms were set up from east to west. This meaning that the sun comes up in the east and goes down in the west, and death comes in the darkness. "In this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet--a deep blood color." The guest's avoided this room because it was a sign of death.
The giant clock also was symbol of horror in the story. "Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang." Every hour the clock would ring it was so loud that the orchestra would stop playing and the guest's would freeze, almost waiting for something bad to happen. This is how Poe would distract the mood. Not only this but it was placed in the last vacant room.
The gruesome costume of the unexpected guest also symbolized horror. The mysterious guest had a mask that looked like the face of a corpse. His face revealed spots of blood, which suggested the Red Death. "His vesture was dabbled in blood-and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror."
Poe often used irony in his plays. In "The Masque of the Red Death" it was Prospero. His name means financial prosperity, which is ironic to the story because he tried to use his money and fame to stay alive but it did not work. No matter how beautiful and big his house was there was no escaping death for him.
In conclusion, Edgar Allen Poe was an amazing writer when it came to gothic literature. He used many themes and conventions to carry out the definition of gothic writing. He deserves much credit for his writings, which will always be forgotten.
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