Gothic

Literature
 Today, we are going
to:
Identify the key features Read and analyse an
of Gothic Literature excerpt from the
Gothic text, A Tell Tale
Heart
Explore literary devices Use elements of a
used in Gothic stories Gothic narrative to
plan our own Gothic
story
 What does Gothic
mean?
Gothic literature is a genre of writing that
features dark themes, such as mystery,
horror or the supernatural.
 Features of a Gothic Text
There are four distinct features
that indicate whether a text is
1. 2. Gothic: 3. 4.

Eerie Mysterious Supernatural A sense of

Setting Characters Elements Foreboding
Tension
 Edgar Allan Poe
A well-known Gothic author is Edgar Allan
Poe. He was an American author best known
for his poems and short stories. Poe was a
key figure in the Gothic and Romanticism
literary movements in America during the
1800s. His work is considered very influential,
specifically his horror short stories.

One of his most famous works was a short

story called The Tell-Tale Heart (1843).
 The Tell-Tale Heart
The story is written in the first-person narrative. The
narrator explains that he killed a man because
of the man’s ‘pale blue eye’. For a week, our
narrator watches the man as he sleeps each night
and then finally kills him and hides the body under
his floorboards. He begins to hear the imaginary
heartbeat of the man, ‘louder and louder’, and
eventually admits to the crime. Throughout the
story, the narrator tries to convince the reader he’s
not mad.
 Features of The Tell-Tale
1. Eerie Setting Heart3. Supernatural Elements
The story mostly takes place in The man’s heartbeats
the victim's small, dimly lit are heard even after
room, which intensifies the his death, haunting the
suspense. narrator.
2. Mysterious Characters 4. Sense of Foreboding Tension
We don’t know much about the The narrator goes to
narrator or the victim in the story great lengths to describe
as they are not given any physical his plan, and the story
attributes apart from the old man’s pace picks up faster and
eye. faster.
 Spooky by Design
There are many literary devices authors
deliberately use to ensure a spooky
atmosphere and uneasy feeling in Gothic
texts.
Let’s examine the literary devices used in a Gothic
narrative, and how Poe uses them in The Tell-tale
Heart.
 GOTHIC DEVICE 1:

Building It grew quicker and quicker,

Tension
Building tension refers to an author’s
and louder and louder every
instant. The old man’s terror
ability to make readers feel what the
must have been extreme! It
characters feel. In Gothic texts, the
grew louder, I say, louder
feeling is usually worry, fear or
every moment!
It grew louder — louder —
suspense.
louder!
Poe builds tension by repeating
certain words throughout the story.
Consider what ‘It’ is referring to in the
Whatexcerpt
is the impact
on the of building
right.
tension in this text?
 GOTHIC DEVICE 2:

Pace Above all was the sense of hearing

Pace refers to the tempo and acute. I heard all things in the heaven
and in the earth. I heard many things
speed at which the story unfolds.
in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken!
and observe how healthily — how
In this text, Poe uses pace and
calmly I can tell you the whole story.
tempo to reveal the narrator’s
sanity. I felt that I must scream or die! — and
now — again! — hark! louder! louder!
Compare the opening (first) louder! louder! —
“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no
paragraph to the closing (second)
more! I admit the deed! — tear up the
paragraph, and notice the use of
What is the impact of planks! — here, here! — it is the beating
punctuation.
pace in this text? of his hideous heart!”
 GOTHIC DEVICE 3:

Foreshadowing
Now this is the point. You fancy
Foreshadowing is an indication me mad. Madmen know nothing.
or warning of something But you should have seen me.
happening in the future. You should have seen how wisely
I proceeded — with what caution
Poe uses foreshadowing in the — with what foresight — with
first few paragraphs by showing what dissimulation I went to
the narrator’s insistence on his work!
sanity.
What is the impact of
foreshadowing in this text?
 GOTHIC DEVICE 4:

Onomatopoeia And then, when my head was well

in the room, I undid the lantern
cautiously — oh, so cautiously —
An onomatopoeia is a word that cautiously (for the hinges creaked)
describes a sound and sounds — I undid it just so much that a
like the sound, for example, single thin ray fell upon the vulture
‘bang’. eye.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and
I knew it was the groan of mortal
Identify the onomatopoeia in terror. It was not a groan of pain or
each paragraph. of grief — oh, no! — it was the low
stifled sound that arises from the
What is the impact of bottom of the soul when
onomatopoeia in this text?
overcharged with awe.
 Planning a Gothic
a Gothic story by firstNarrative
Gothic stories have a unique structure. Let's brainstorm and plan
comparing the narrative structures below.

Narrative Structure Gothic Narrative

Element 1 + Orientation - character and Element 1 + Structure
Orientation - character and
2: setting 2: setting

Element 3: Rising Action Element 3: Tension Building

Element 4: Climax Element 4: Climax

Element 5: Resolution Element 5: Ambiguous Ending

 GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #1:

Setting Consider this...

Use your 5 senses to
Settings in Gothic stories are brainstorm a spooky
crucial to establishing an eerie setting.
• Sight:
mood and atmosphere.
• Taste:
Gothic stories are often set in • Smell:
isolation, at night and in the
• Hear:
cold.
• Touch:
For example, The Tell-Tale Heart
is set mostly at night, in an old
house.
 GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #2:

Characters Consider this...

Characters in Gothic stories are

Brainstorm your main
often mysterious and intriguing.
characters’
characteristics.
Our narrator in The Tell-Tale
Heart behaves in an unusual and
What qualities will they
panicked manner, and there’s no
have that make them
description of his physical
intriguing?
attributes. It could be difficult for
the reader to connect with or
understand him.
 GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #3:

Tension Consider
this...
Building
Gothic stories are filled with typically negative tension,
such as fear or pressure, that increases as the story
Which technique
will you use to
goes on.
build tension?
You can use these techniques to build tension in your Select at least
• Pace and tempo
story: one.
• Foreshadowing
• Revealing information strategically

The pace within The Tell-Tale Heart gets

faster as the text goes on, building tension
and suspense, leading to the narrator’s
madness.
 GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #4:

Climax Consider this...

The climax in gothic literature often What will your

involves the revelation of hidden secret be?
secrets or the uncovering of forbidden
knowledge.

The climax of The Tell-Tale Heart is

when the narrator murders the man.
He has been talking about preparing
for the murder for most of the story,
but it is not fully revealed until this
moment.
 GOTHIC STORY ELEMENT #5:

Ambiguous Consider this...

Ending
Most Gothic stories end with some
ambiguity, leaving aspects open to
How will your
story end?
interpretation. This creates a lingering
sense of mystery and unsettlement,
allowing readers to contemplate what it
means.

The Tell-Tale Heart ends with the narrator

confessing to the police. It is unclear if
the victim’s heart was really beating, or if
the narrator was overwhelmed with his
own guilt.
 Let’s Recap
Gothic texts include dark themes such as
mystery and horror. Gothic texts typically
include:
• Eerie settings
• Mysterious characters
• Supernatural features
• A sense of foreboding
 Let’s Recap
Gothic literary devices Gothic text structure:
include:
• Building Tension 1.Orientation
• Pace 2.Building Tension
• Foreshadowing 3.Climax
• Onomatopoeia 4.Ambiguous
Ending
Let’s get planning for
your very own spooky
Gothic story.
 Assignment
The Tell-Tale Police Report: Create a detailed police
report from one of the police officer’s perspective.
Students will include a detailed account of the
‘suspect,’ the crime scene, the evidence, and
witness testimonies.
Write a Prequel or Sequel: Write a prequel or a sequel
to the story. If students choose prequel, they explain
how the narrator came to live with the old man and
what came to make him so fearful of “the eye.” If
students choose sequel, they will explain what
happens after the speaker confesses his crime.