Introduction to
Gothic literary History
In order to understand the conventions that define the gothic, it is necessary to first examine the history of the gothic as a genre. As a genre, the gothic is a relatively new creation. Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto, published in 1764, is considered to be the first Gothic novel. After Otranto, the Gothic genre flourished, with novels like The Monk, Frankenstein, Mysteries of Udolpho, Zofloya, and countless others coming out in print. The widespread popularity of the gothic novel is nothing short of extraordinary. From its onset in 1764, it quickly became one of the dominant, if not the most popular genres, of the later half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century.
It was not without its critics though. In 1797, appearing in the The Spirit of the Public Journals, an anonymous author wrote a scathingly witty review of the gothic, arguing that as a genre, it is evidence of literature's commercialization and of culture's degradation. At the author's most blunt, they wrote, "Every absurdity has an end, and as I observe that almost all novels are of the terrific cast, I hope the insipid repetition of the same bugbears will at length work a cure" (602). Despite its polarizing status, the gothic genre only continued to grow until it reached its peak in the nineteenth century with Frankenstein. Though the gothic began to taper out in the later half of the nineteenth century, gothic novels, and novels with gothic elements continued to be written.
What defines the gothic though, is its combination of horror and romanticism, in a very set way. The conventions of the gothic, which will be addressed later, were numerous, well known, and strictly followed. People either devoured these conventions or despised them. And while the conventions may have been set, the authors began to push the boundary of fair society in ways that were not as common, for representations of rape, murder, incest, and other supposedly "unseemly" events, were being described in more detail than most expected. While some loved this explicit naughtiness, others looked down upon it, as the anonymous critic above did. Regardless of how one feels personally about the gothic, as a genre, it has had a lasting impact, both in terms of what it did for popular literature of its day, and how it continues to affect modern day genres such as the southern gothic.
The importance of the gothic with regards to Dickinson, is that it had existed for nearly seventy years by the time Dickinson was born. Twelve years before she was born most of the incredibly influential and important gothic novels, like Frankenstein, had already been written. Though Dickinson may have been living in the Victorian age, and as such she may be classified as a Victorian poet, it is important to remember that the influence of the gothic was still around, as it had no more disappeared as a genre than romanticism had. The names of these movements are of course different and there are distinctions to be made between them, but if one turns to the works of Dickinson, one will likely be haunted by the figures of ghosts, death and goblins, all of which are representative of the gothic that lives on in Dickinson's poetry.
It was not without its critics though. In 1797, appearing in the The Spirit of the Public Journals, an anonymous author wrote a scathingly witty review of the gothic, arguing that as a genre, it is evidence of literature's commercialization and of culture's degradation. At the author's most blunt, they wrote, "Every absurdity has an end, and as I observe that almost all novels are of the terrific cast, I hope the insipid repetition of the same bugbears will at length work a cure" (602). Despite its polarizing status, the gothic genre only continued to grow until it reached its peak in the nineteenth century with Frankenstein. Though the gothic began to taper out in the later half of the nineteenth century, gothic novels, and novels with gothic elements continued to be written.
What defines the gothic though, is its combination of horror and romanticism, in a very set way. The conventions of the gothic, which will be addressed later, were numerous, well known, and strictly followed. People either devoured these conventions or despised them. And while the conventions may have been set, the authors began to push the boundary of fair society in ways that were not as common, for representations of rape, murder, incest, and other supposedly "unseemly" events, were being described in more detail than most expected. While some loved this explicit naughtiness, others looked down upon it, as the anonymous critic above did. Regardless of how one feels personally about the gothic, as a genre, it has had a lasting impact, both in terms of what it did for popular literature of its day, and how it continues to affect modern day genres such as the southern gothic.
The importance of the gothic with regards to Dickinson, is that it had existed for nearly seventy years by the time Dickinson was born. Twelve years before she was born most of the incredibly influential and important gothic novels, like Frankenstein, had already been written. Though Dickinson may have been living in the Victorian age, and as such she may be classified as a Victorian poet, it is important to remember that the influence of the gothic was still around, as it had no more disappeared as a genre than romanticism had. The names of these movements are of course different and there are distinctions to be made between them, but if one turns to the works of Dickinson, one will likely be haunted by the figures of ghosts, death and goblins, all of which are representative of the gothic that lives on in Dickinson's poetry.