What are common characteristics of Gothic literature?
Gothic literature differs from text to text, as pieces need only contain a few of the classic elements in order to be classed as Gothic.
These elements include, but are not limited to:
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Heroes and heroines, or damsels in distress
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Elements of the supernatural
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The use of "doubles" i.e. characters which mirror other characters, storylines which mirror other storylines
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The uncanny ("I feel like I've seen this before")
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Dark, stormy,and gloomy settings; such as a haunted castle, an abandoned house, or some spooky moors
Think Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights - that sort of thing - and you're on the right track.
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Answered by Sophie S. • English Literature tutor
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