2. So…why do we like the Gothic? What do we get out of the goose bumps?

3. A way to examine the darker side of life A way to examine the darker side of life A way to question our doubts and beliefs about A way to question our doubts and beliefs about Mortality/Immortality Mortality/Immortality Morality/Immorality Morality/Immorality Reason/Emotion Reason/Emotion Order/Disorder Order/Disorder Mind/Body Mind/Body Masculine/Feminine Masculine/Feminine Sanity/Insanity Sanity/Insanity A way to safely experience dread or horror, which can be cathartic, thrilling, and enjoyable A way to safely experience dread or horror, which can be cathartic, thrilling, and enjoyable

4. Time of political and social unrest Time of political and social unrest Revolutions in America and France Revolutions in America and France Riots in England Riots in England Nobility lose ground Nobility lose ground Loss of social identity between classes Loss of social identity between classes Advances in science cause new questions of ethics and morality Advances in science cause new questions of ethics and morality

5. A new and fearful genre for a new and fearful time. A new and fearful genre for a new and fearful time. spectre of social revolution is manifested in the supernatural spectres of the Gothic. spectre of social revolution is manifested in the supernatural spectres of the Gothic. A crumbling way of life emerges as a crumbling and haunted Gothic manor A crumbling way of life emerges as a crumbling and haunted Gothic manor the loss of social identity becomes the Gothic hero/heroine search for identity the loss of social identity becomes the Gothic hero/heroine search for identity

6. Setting in a castle with secret passages and hidden staircases. Setting in a castle with secret passages and hidden staircases. Dungeons, crypts, spooky basements, attics Dungeons, crypts, spooky basements, attics Extreme landscapes Extreme landscapes Extreme weather conditions Extreme weather conditions An atmosphere of mystery and suspense An atmosphere of mystery and suspense

7. Omens, portents, visions. Extreme sense of isolation A sense of Other Magical or supernatural beings and events Women in distress- fainting, screaming, needing to be rescued Women threatened by a powerful, tyrannical male

8. Ancestral Curse Ancestral Curse Body Snatching Body Snatching Cemeteries Cemeteries Dreaming/Nightmares Dreaming/Nightmares Entrapment & Imprisonment Entrapment & Imprisonment Mist & Fog Mist & Fog Possession by Demonic Forces Possession by Demonic Forces Revenge Revenge Somnambulism Somnambulism Werewolves, Witches, Zombies, Vampires Werewolves, Witches, Zombies, Vampires

9. Powerful love Powerful love Uncertainty of reciprocation Uncertainty of reciprocation Unreturned love Unreturned love Tension between true love and fathers control Tension between true love and fathers control Lovers parted against their wishes Lovers parted against their wishes Illicit love or lust threatens the virtuous one Illicit love or lust threatens the virtuous one Rival lovers or multiple suitors Rival lovers or multiple suitors

10. Time to Brainstorm List as many Gothic horror movies you can remember seeingspoofs as well as serious movies

11. Next step… List all the romance elements in these movies…in other words, what problems or complications did the lovers have? Heres an example of what I mean: In The Sixth Sense, Bruce Williss wife is seeing another man.

12. Now… List the weather conditions, lighting, sounds, sights, symbols, plot twists-- anything that you can remember that made the movie spooky.

13. Lets see how you did! (If you havent started yet, now would be a great time to take notes!)

14. Wind, especially howling wind Wind, especially howling wind doors grating on rusty hinges doors grating on rusty hinges footsteps approaching footsteps approaching lights in abandoned rooms lights in abandoned rooms characters trapped in a room characters trapped in a room ruins of buildings ruins of buildings thunder and lightning thunder and lightning Rain, especially blowing sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds clanking chains gusts of wind blowing out lights doors suddenly slamming shut baying of distant dogs or wolves crazed laughter

15. The metonymies of gloom and doom work for both written works and film… But, for film alone, additional help is needed to convey the atmosphere…

16. To add atmosphere, suspense, tone, foreshadowing, and characterization (among other elements) in film: Camera Angles Camera Angles Lighting Lighting Color Color Motion Motion Transitions between scenes Transitions between scenes Special effects Special effects Sound Sound

17. In both literature and film, the vocabulary helps to create atmosphere! To convey a sense of MYSTERY: diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, miracle, omens, ominous, portent, spectre, vision To convey a sense of MYSTERY: diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, miracle, omens, ominous, portent, spectre, vision For FEAR, TERROR, or SORROW: afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehension, apprehensive, concern, despair, frantic, frightened, fright, mournful, miserable, melancholy, shrieks For FEAR, TERROR, or SORROW: afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehension, apprehensive, concern, despair, frantic, frightened, fright, mournful, miserable, melancholy, shrieks To show LARGENESS: enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast To show LARGENESS: enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast

18. For literature, the vocabulary helps to create atmosphere! (contd) To convey a sense of SURPRISE: alarm, amazement, astonished, shocking, staring, surprise, thunderstruck, wonder To convey a sense of SURPRISE: alarm, amazement, astonished, shocking, staring, surprise, thunderstruck, wonder To show HASTE: anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impetuously, running, suddenly, sudden To show HASTE: anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impetuously, running, suddenly, sudden To show ANGER: anger, angrily, enraged, furious, fury, incensed, provoked, rage, raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathfully To show ANGER: anger, angrily, enraged, furious, fury, incensed, provoked, rage, raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathfully

19. None of these lists is complete, but they are a good place to start! For additional information go to: www.virtualsalt.com And click on Elements of the Gothic

20. Lets see how these elements work in film!