Gothic Romanticism & Edgar Allan Poe Elements of Gothic Writing: Emphasis on setting Exterior: landscape Interior: houses Castle-like architecture Characters are brooding, secretive Buried family secrets Long history of family tied to place

Theme the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. A simple theme can often be stated in a single sentence.

Examples of themes in The Crucible The Crucible illustrates the role that hysteria can play in tearing apart a community. In an environment where reputation plays such an important role, the fear of guilt by association becomes particularly insidious.

Motif recurring structure, contrast, or literary device that helps to develop and inform the text’s major themes

Eyes are considered to be window to the soul One of Poe’s most common motifs

Heart As consistent with the Romantics (literary movement), Poe places greater emphasis on the HEART (representing emotion and experience) than on HEAD (representing intellect, rational thought, and scientific reasoning)

? Unnamed Narrator Unnamed narrator frequently tells stories (narrator not meant to represent Poe) Lack of specific identity gives him an EVERYMAN quality

Premature Burial/Suffocation “Life-in-death” motif the idea of being enclosed with the dead while still part of the living

Dreams/Dreaming Dreams are the porthole into the inner workings of the mind Poe’s narrators may awaken from dreams and question whether they are awake or not Reside in a state of twilight. . . Rarely are dreams soothing or pleasant

Two Sides of Oneself Duality of man (man is both good and evil; light and dark can be contained in same person)

Time/Clocks Many of his stories are set in ambiguous times and places, making them universal and contemporary to the reader of any era Poe frequently uses HOURS and times of day (especially 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 12:00)