ShmoopTube

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We know Gothic literature can be a scream, but let's do

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a quick review of what makes a text fit into this genre, and let's try to keep [Hand tosses book into 'Gothic literature' box]

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our voices down there people, seriously... the neighbors are starting to

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complain. Well the purpose of Gothic literature is to scare the bejesus out

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of the reader, while also throwing all rationality to the wind. Stories in this

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genre focus on death and the events surrounding death to the point that

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living characters may appear kind of dead, or dead characters may come alive

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as ghosts or zombies or bloggers. Well if AMC had been around a hundred years ago

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well they would have been all over this kind of stuff, you know "The Schmooping Dead" [Wild west cowboy and zombie]

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But Gothic tales are about more than just death, they're also about all sorts

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of the negative emotions that sometimes lead to death fear, despair, grief

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hatred, anger all that good stuff so um.. yeah it's not all a downer right? Well now

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while you the reader might be hoping for a spot of sunshine in chapter 10 to

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brighten the mood you aren't going to find it. Settings in Gothic literature

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are usually gloomy as all get-out they also tend to be saturated by things [Thunderstorms behind scary empty house]

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you can't see like past violence and secrets. In fact Gothic settings are so

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detailed that they can often be considered characters in their own right

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but the setting is the character you just don't get the film credit.. Well

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another trademark of Gothic literature is the presence of the supernatural... and

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you have to say it like that. We're talking ghosts, haunted houses, crazy people

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and a Grand Poobah of all things dreary the grim reaper. Finally all good Gothic

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stories have a duality in them. On one hand the literature in this genre tends [Two boxers, 'good and evil' in boxing ring]

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to imply that there isn't much separation between good and evil, between

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dreams and reality and between rationality and madness. On the other hand story arcs

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focus on breaking through the surface reality, to the true reality beneath. Well [Hammer smashes door to reveal outer space]

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this barrier may be represented in the text by something physical like a door

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or a key or a bran muffin, now that you've had a brief and speedy review of

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what makes Gothic literature Gothic while feel free to hit the books and

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open yourself up to a whole new world of sadness...

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