Gothic Lit & Romantisism

*Gothic Literature-
Def: grotesque characters, bizarre situations, violent events. 19th century Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
*Romanticism-
writers saw limitations of reason, celebrated the individual spirit, emotions, and imagination=basics of human nature. splendors of nature more inspired by this than fear of God. Wanted to know more about super natural. Washington Irving. Works exhibit typical romantic preoccupation. (changing puritans).
*Transcendentalism-
Transcendent forms of truth exist beyond reason and experience. Every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own through intuition.
*Cavernous gothic cathedrals, irregularly placed towers, high stained-glass windows, inspire awe & fear, Gargoyels-fear of evil spirits (mascot of gothics). Imaginative distortion of reality that Gothic represents threshold of the unknown-shadowing region where fantastic, demonic & insane reside (gothic territory) dark side of individualism.
*Romantics see hope.
*Gothics see potential evil.
*Dark medieval castles, decaying ancient estates provide setting for weird/terrifying estates (Poe)
*Male is insane, female is beautiful and dead (or dying) (Poe)
*Extreme situations; live burials; physical and mental toture, retribution from beyond the grave (Poe)
*Extreme situations people reveal true natures (Poe)
*Human heart under fear, greed, vanity, mistrust, & betrayal (Hawthorne)