Gothic time periods

• Age of Enlightenment

  [1685-1815] Period marked by an emphasis on reason, science, and individualism, significantly influencing literature and culture
• Enlightenment

  Contrasted gothic as reason and rationality were favoured over mystery and emotion
• Themes promoted in the Age of Enlightenment


  • Progress
  • Individualism
  • Secularism
  • Utopianism
• Gothic

  Sees themes of decay, social constraints, supernatural, dystopianism
• Reason

  Relies on logic and science
• Emotion

  Irrational and subliminal exploring human fears, passions and the supernatural
• Rationality

  Uses science and philosophy
• Mystery

  Explores what cannot be explained through settings that are usually gloomy and mediaeval
• Gothic genres' settings

  Often depicts decaying settings, ancient ruins and a sense of decline which contrasts the themes of progression in the Age of Enlightenment
• Enlightenment

  Leaned towards secularism and questioned religious dogma whilst gothic literature revived interest in the supernatural with themes of haunted landscapes, curses and otherworldly beings
• Enlightenment thinkers

  Often envisioned a perfectible society whilst gothic fiction frequently depicted dystopian scenarios where human nature's darker sides and societal flaws are magnified
• Gothic fiction

  Frequently depicted dystopian scenarios where human nature's darker sides and societal flaws are magnified
• French Revolution


  [1789-1799] Period has a profound impact on the gothic genre
• Key themes of the French Revolution in Gothic

  • Chaos and disorder
  • Fear of the unknown
  • Tyranny and Oppression
  • Violence and Horror
  • Class struggle and social change
  • Ruins and Decay
  • Psychological Turmoil
  • Subversion of tradition
• Gothic often

  Includes plots of lawlessness and upheaval mirroring societal breakdown
• Fear of the unknown

  Is embodied in Gothic through the trope of terror and characters facing uncertain futures
• Gothic

  Reflects the fight against power and tyranny for characters facing unjust forces
• Graphic violence and public executions of the French Revolution

  Found echoes in the gothic genre's vivid descriptions of brutality and horror capturing the reality of revolutionary violence
• French Revolution

  Shows the tensions between different classes which gothic frequently highlights through the corruption of the aristocracy
• Romantic period


  [1800-1850] Slight overlap with other significant gothic periods
• Other significant gothic periods overlapping with Romantic period

  • Age of Enlightenment [1685-1815]
  • Queen Victoria reign and the height of industrial revolution and the British empire and the decline in religion and the power of the Church [1837-1901]
• Romanticism


  Emphasised intense emotion and imagination, which Gothic literature amplified through its exploration of fear, passion, and the sublime
• Gothic novels

  Often featured heightened emotional states, with characters experiencing terror, love, and madness in exaggerated forms
• Romantic period


  Celebrated the beauty and power of nature, which Gothic literature depicted as both awe-inspiring and terrifying
• Gothic settings

  Frequently included wild, untamed landscapes, stormy weather, and imposing natural features that reflected characters' inner turmoil and the sublime's overwhelming power
• Romanticism's focus on the individual and personal experience

  Influenced Gothic literature's portrayal of solitary, often alienated characters
• Protagonists in Gothic novels

  Often faced isolation, whether physical, psychological, or social, highlighting themes of individual struggle and self-discovery
• Romantic fascination with the mysterious and the supernatural

  Was central to Gothic literature
• Gothic novels

  Often included elements such as ghosts, haunted houses, and inexplicable phenomena, merging Romanticism's interest in the unseen and the unknown with Gothic horror
• Romanticism's celebration of rebellion against societal norms and conventions

  Paralleled the Gothic genre's exploration of transgressive themes
• Gothic literature

  Frequently featured characters who defied social, moral, or natural laws, exploring taboo subjects and the consequences of breaking boundaries
• Victorian era's strict social norms around gender and sexuality

  Influenced Gothic literature's exploration of repressed desires and forbidden relationships
• Gothic novels


  Often depicted transgressive sexual themes and strong, unconventional female characters, challenging societal norms and highlighting the dangers of repression
• Rapid growth of cities and industrial landscapes

  Created a backdrop of progress and alienation
• Gothic literature

  Often portrayed industrial settings as dark, polluted, and dehumanising, highlighting the sinister aspects of technological advancement and the loss of connection to nature
• Decline of religious certainty

  Led to a rise in themes of doubt, supernatural horror, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe
• Gothic literature

  Often focused on decay and ruin, symbolising the fragility of human achievements
• Gothic settings

  Included decaying mansions, overgrown gardens, and abandoned industrial sites, reflecting both a nostalgia for the past and a critique of contemporary society
• Expansion of the British Empire

  Introduced Gothic literature to exotic locales and colonial anxieties
• Gothic stories

  Often featured distant, mysterious lands and cultural clashes, reflecting both fascination and fear of the unknown. These settings added an element of the exotic and the uncanny to Gothic tales