English 10 – Gothic Literature Writing Name: ______

DUE DATES: Pre-writing happens in class on day one (today). Further writing happens class day two, drafts of full stories are due class day three, and final drafts are due class day four.

Demonstrate you know what Gothic literature is by creating some! The next few days will be spent composing an original story that contains elements of Gothic literature. You can use the table below to keep track of how many elements you have incorporated in your story.

Requirements:

q  At least two pages in length, typed, double-spaced, no more than five

q  Inclusion of at least four elements of Gothic Literature (three are required)

q  A clear setting that established mood and tone

q  At least one main character who faces a conflict whether it is physical or in their mind

q  A clear theme or message the story sends (not necessarily a moral, but something about human behavior, how life works, or how the universe functions)

Gothic Elements Review

Element
Setting in a castle or other secluded locale; often with an attic, dungeon, basement, or secret passageways
Atmosphere of mystery and suspense to establish mood
q  wind, especially howling
q  rain, especially blowing
q  doors grating on rusty hinges
q  sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds
q  footsteps approaching
q  clanking chains
q  lights in abandoned rooms
q  gusts of wind blowing out lights
q  characters trapped in a room
q  doors suddenly slamming shut
q  ruins of buildings
q  baying of distant dogs (or wolves?)
q  thunder and lightning
q  crazed laughter
An ancient prophecy connected with the setting (like a castle) and its inhabitants; sometimes a legend
Omens, portents, visions; perhaps a dream a character has, or the picture of a character falls off the wall, or …?
Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events: Normally inanimate objects coming to life or moving; ghosts, supernatural beings; dramatic, amazing events
Characters overcome by extreme emotion; sorrow, anger, insanity, jealousy, paranoia; crying, emotional speeches; breathlessness and panic
Women in distress; suffer from fainting, screaming, sobbing; danger threatens them either emotionally or physically; usually a lonely, oppressed figure
Women are threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male; king, lord, domineering father, etc.; woman commanded to act against her will
Feeling of gloom and horror through the setting; weather, description of surroundings
Use of vocabulary of the Gothic
q  Mystery - diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, magician, miracle, necromancer, omens, ominous, portent, preternatural, prodigy, prophecy, secret, sorcerer, specter, spirits, strangeness, talisman, vision
q  Fear, terror, sorrow - afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive, commiseration, concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded, dreading, fearing, frantic, fright, frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror, lamentable, melancholy, miserable, mournfully, panic, sadly, scared, shrieks, sorrow, sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified, terror, unhappy, wretched
q  Surprise alarm, amazement, astonished, astonishment, shocking, staring, surprise, surprised, thunderstruck, wonder
q  Haste anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden, suddenly
q  Anger anger, angrily, choler, enraged, furious, fury, incense, incensed, provoked, rage, raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathful, wrathfully
q  Largeness enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast

POINTS: 50 total; 5 points for each work day in class (15 total); 10 points for a full rough draft on the date due; 25 for the final draft.