1. The Dark Side of Individualism Historical Background Gothic tradition: 18 - 20 th century

2. What is Gothic? Related to darkness, gloom, and mystery Inspired by gothic architecture of the middle ages Draws out the dark side of humanism

3. Gothic Architecture Created in the middle ages. The style was thought to instill a fear of God in the people The gargoyles were placed on cathedrals to ward of evil demons Pointed arches, flying butresses, high stained glass windows, gargoyles Middle ages: cathedrals  19 th c. America: in many households

10. Literature Romanticism unleashed the imagination  Gothic ideas Looked at the potential evil within humans Darkness and the supernatural Setting: dark medieval castles, ect. Examples of gothic literary characters: Dracula, Frankenstein, supernatural beings, demons

11. Edgar Allen Poe: Master of American Gothic Literature Believed people only revealed their true natures in extreme situations such as live burials, torture, and retribution from beyond the grave Dark, creepy setting Many of Poe ’ s main characters (speaker) are insane and the female characters tend to be beautiful and dead (The Raven)

13. Gothic Literature fades in America CIVIL WAR Real horrors = a desire to read horror wanes when the people are faced with the actual horrors of war Realism becomes the preferred literary style

14. Gothic Revival 20 th Century Begins again in the American South Gothic Revivalists: William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Truman Capote, Flannery O ’ Connor. Medieval decaying castle  delapitated plantation Ghostly figures  ghost of the past hounding sinners to madness and death

15. Contemporary Gothic Vampires, monsters, mind games Authors: Anne Rice, Stephen King Thriving in today ’ s America People are fascinated by the dark side of humanism

16. EMO

18. Art More passion in their paintings of nature Lack of unity More Chaotic Thomas Cole 1801-1848 Hudson River School