Gothic Elements and Romantic Writers Essay Example

things were. Poe has achieved in drawing a line between imagination and reality. Poe believed that human beings could be both good and evil hence they need to struggle to ensure that their evil nature is not overtaking them. To demonstrate this, Poe’s character Roderick seem to be struggling with evil powers which drove him mad, making him bury his sister alive. In my view, gothic elements were definitely appropriate if true human nature was to be demonstrated.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” demonstrates dark romanticism is talking about the puritan punishment of sexual sin (Dergisi, p. 223). Hawthorne objective in the literature was to demonstrate human psychology and evil nature and in this case, Gothic elements were applicable. He describes the Castle-House section with romanticism as “room with moonlight falling onto the carpet”, considering the filtering of the moonlight through the window induces imagination and reality of the scenario. On the other hand, supernatural nature is hinted in descriptions of the scarlet letter A, the forest, and the comet. In addition, Hawthorne describes Mistress Hibbing as a witch who later in the story invites Hester to dance with a dark man in the forest which is illustrated as a witchcraft arena. Given that human psychology is mixed with both good and evil describing guilt and sin will involve both romantic and horrific experiences.

As much Washington Irving’s work has not been deemed as completely gothic compared to those of Hawthorne and Poe, “Rip Van Wrinkle”. However, a major supernatural event occurred in his story where Rip drinks a magic liquor which makes him go to sleep for twenty years waking up to find everything else changed.

I think by using the gothic supernatural sleep in his story, Irving was able to demonstrate how change cannot be avoided, and neither is past forgotten.

Gothic elements clearly bring out the true nature of the setting for stories and gives the audience a touch of how thinks are. In my view, true nature of human and its surrounding is filled with love, happiness and on the opposite side evil, horror, and even madness. Therefore to demonstrate this in literature work gothic elements become attractive.