Although always descriptive and colorful, nearly all gothic stories provide dark themes such as despair, death, and loss. ... You can tell with these words of staleness and dreariness that the narrator is in a place of loneliness and death, which is very common in gothic literature. ... The words "dull," "dark," and "soundless" foreshadow the evil about to happen, and the ominous clouds set the tone for the rest of the story. By describing the scenery of this story in a dark and gothic tone, Poe lets the reader know what the events later on may unfold. ... When...

• Word Count: 803
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Her use of the "dark element" of the ghost, the many nightmares by characters, allusions to the devil, and the many references to the dead all include themes associated with the gothic novel. Her use of these reoccurring ghosts intensifies the darkness of her work and emphasizes the beliefs of the supernatural. ... The gothic novel intrigues our interest in the dark and uncanny, with supernatural and unexplainable phenomena. ... The terrifying dreams, the appearances of Cathy as a ghost, her haunting of Heathcliff after her death, the suggestion of Heathcliff as a horrible figure that posses...

• Word Count: 294
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Edgar Allen Poe is best known for the dark and gothic nature of his writings. Poe's stories of death and decay can be seen in much of his work including "The Black Cat, " and "The Fall of the House of Usher. " In both of these stories, the main characters and settings are similar in the way that they both are telling of diseases eating away at the person; however, one disease is physically eating away at a family, and the other is a disease of insanity. ... Another critic says, " ˜The Black Cat' is perfect eerie and dark. ... In "The Fall of the House of Usher " the story begi...

• Word Count: 948
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Charlotte's bitterness towards the school where two of her siblings passed away is very evident in her portrayal of Helen's death at the school. ... Both are handsome, but also with dark past secrets. Emily Bronte goes as far as describing Heathcliff as both, "a gift of God," and, "as dark almost as if it came from the devil," (Bronte, E 77). ... Both Bronte sisters romanticize the alcoholic and violent characteristics found in their brother, in order to give their characters a heroic yet dark quality. ... Soon after, like Heathcliff, he perished, deciding that de...

• Word Count: 603
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography

The gothic genre is a type of movie and novel that includes lots of darkness, haunting, evil spirits, death, and other scary factors. ... Typically, to depict impending doom or death, the editor would use a high-angle shot to act like a higher power is looking down on the character. ... The movie did include some elements of the gothic genre, such as a haunted house, mass murders, darkness, black cats, women in distress, and undead beings. ...

• Word Count: 737
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• Grade Level: High School

In the tale "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator is brought into an eerie world "DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn" (204). ... As the narrator is running away at the end, a blood red moon shines brightly through the fissure that rapidly opens and a fierce wind blows up the whole mansion, and the deep, dark tarn closes abruptly without a sound over the remains of the House of Usher. ... The way the narrator describes the mansion by how dark and eerie its surroundings are. ... The narrator also describes the landscape of being full ...

• Word Count: 769
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

At the point in which Vivaldi goes into the house chasing the dark cloaked man, he comes out as white as a sheet, as if he had seen a ghost. ... When the stage is set, Radcliffe makes Vivaldi's pursuit of the dark figure an exciting tale. ... Like all other characters in gothic novels, her imagination starts to get the best of her when she sees dancing shadows and hears noises in the dark. ... Obviously she was going to believe that every little action Spalatro did was part of her death warrant. ...

• Word Count: 829
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

His death results from his passionate devotion and unrequited love for Dorian. ... Homosexual acts were punishable by death until 1861 and it was only legalized in the UK in 1967, Basil's death was inevitable as he exclaims in the first chapter "I have show in it the secret of my own soul.... " This shows how Dorian has changed as he is not affected by the death of Sybil Vane and he wants' to forget about the past and enjoy the pleasures which life brings. ... Basil's death was inevitable as he tried to change Dorian back to his former but this backfired and Dorian en...

• Word Count: 855
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The Fall of the House of Usher "During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens- is the opening in "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe (1). This sentence sets the mood of this gothic tale of death and the supernatural. ... The presence of the "mansion of gloom" causes the reader to think that only evil and death shall come from the house (2). ... The story takes place in autumn; this season is often times related to death. ... The main feel of story is death and evil. ...

• Word Count: 733
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

(Pg. 63) Even though Cathy knows Heathcliff's dark side better than anyone, this description of her new lifestyle confirms that she mistakenly trusts that he will always be her protector and under her spell. ... We are expecting Heathcliff to have limits on his revenge in order to win Cathy back, but his intent is so dark, and his obsession so great, that to destroy Cathy is to destroy himself. ... Bronte then leads us to Heathcliff's inevitable death by a broken heart and the absence of any will to live. ... Heathcliff finally finds victory and the peace that eluded him in life thr...

• Word Count: 855
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Poe does not stray from his opening structure of a gloomy description of the "dank tarn" and "dark rooms" of the house to the gloomy ending marked by dark and horrific events (2,3). ... ", as the two are reunited in death, the mind can not live or die without its physical component, the senses (10). ...

• Word Count: 1147
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Comedy is used throughout the film in order to take the focus off of evil and darkness for a split second and bring the audience back to reality. ... As Burton states, he wanted to "Reunite with Death." ... The color red is usually associated with death and the supernatural which all ties back to how Burton wanted to "Reunite with Death" (Burton). ...

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A result of this visit is the death of Lanyon because of his exposure to the true evil of Dr. ... His original experimentation was to free his dark side and allow himself to partake in activities and be free of guilt from them. ...

• Word Count: 903
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School