Critical Approaches to Gothic Literature

Gothic literature refers to type of a fictional genre that first gained popularity in Europe during the late 1700s. It combines various elements such as horror, fiction and romance. Gothic literature arose as a form of dark romanticism and covered themes such as fear and self-destruction, lunacy, personal torment, the supernatural, and graphic morbidity. Majority of gothic stories are set in castles and usually either have a significant supernatural component or hint at a possible supernatural incident that is revealed later. Similar to other works in Romanticism, gothic literature focuses on extreme emotions with respect to the sublime. It also touches upon the theme of eventual decay and collapse of anything created by humans. This book presents the critical approaches to the study of gothic literature. It addresses the varied aspects of this branch of literature in a detailed manner. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language, and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.