This is because Gothic literature has specific characteristics like: creepy settings - In Gothic fiction, the setting is a character in its own right. Effective character description examples from a range of authors from Victorian to modern times show the many ways to convey characters personalities, desires, strengths and shortcomings. A good character description can really make fictional characters come to life . This is a prime example of the Gothic trope of modernity blended with antiquity: it's not only Van Helsing's medical prowess, but his knowledge of folk remedies and ancient legends . The term Gothic originates with the architecture created by the Germanic Goth tribes that was later expanded to include most medieval architecture. The word 'genre' comes from Greek and means type. 1. The contemporary understanding is similar but has widened to include a variety of genres, such as paranormal and horror. She wore gloves too. Consider: How is this person viewed by another character? Do they seem dangerous, alluring, secretive, suspicious? Describing characters through conversation isanother way to make your characters feel like real people. The sound of thunder deafening my ears as my heart skipped a beat. Im not for the narrative description of Dickens, makes me retch. It reached out of his head and enfolded him in its swampy armssent its stealthy, suckered tentacles inching along the insides of his skull, hoovering the knolls and dells of his memory, dislodging old sentences, whisking them off the tip of his tongue. Arthur Kipps: Lawyer Sent to Eel Marsh House to sort through legal documents, encounters the woman in black. Although his friend is dead, the house may be very much alive. Moreover, the characters' dreams and visions also foretell their future to the reader. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. His face was almost completely hidden by. How long have they been this way? Why do you waste your talent on us, here?, great great any book for description of physical appearance in narrative, Great list. Use this as an example of how physical appearances arent always the most important thing. She didnt encourage familiarity. This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 147 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. He was a sarcastic brute, Andrew said. Horror. The novel depicts the anti-hero Victor Frankenstein, who is driven to near insanity by his thirst for knowledge, resulting in the creation of the iconic Frankensteins monster. Old hats fell down over her eyes. When Jane goes to work for a mysterious man named Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall, strange things begin to happen, including curious noises and mysterious fires. 6 What are the characteristics of the Gothic hero in Frankenstein? And one day he had asked: What is your name?Stephen had answered: Stephen Dedalus.Then Nasty Roche had said: What kind of a name is that? He looked up at me from where he was seated on his bunk, and his eyes were hot and bright and moisture was beaded across his upper lip. The word genre comes from the Latin genus which means kind. A strange weight was on her limbs. Her elbows stuck out like wings, and a huge white enameled tub occupied the space above her head, somewhat miraculously holding steady while her head moved in quick jerks to the right and left., A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. Gothic literature can trace its roots to Romanticism, a movement that swept through Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Byronic hero has been likened to Byron himself, and is a melancholy man, often with a dark past, who . And I have one to add. But are there really dark forces at work, or is it all in her mind? But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The narration shortly flashes forwards to Stephens school days, and it is narrated in the sharp language of cheeky schoolboys: Rody Kickham was a decent fellow but Nasty Roche was a stink [] Nasty Roche had big hands. A popular example of Gothic romance is Jane Eyre, while the term Gothic horror might apply to the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Write a description of them and the setting where they live. A Brief Introduction to Gothic Literature. Here's a list of 10 titles that are not to be missed: When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. You want your reader to be asking questions about this character, to not only learn something about them but to create mystery. It was all black, no gray;so was his long, mixed-up whiskers. Dr. Jekyll A respected Doctor who experiments too far with his potions. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. The only non-green thing about him was the pair of scruffy black walking boots on his feet. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a8fd3a98f4ec56d0f8b19fb1dd71a0ef" );document.getElementById("aa59038899").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Love the compilation. Let's analyse the features of the typical Gothic mansion in Gothic literature. Describe personality through speech and dialogue, 7. Im just way off today.She found herself looking at Lane as if he were a stranger, or a poster advertising a brand of linoleum, across the aisle of a subway car. Examples include rain, storms, a chill in the air or howling wind. Typical gothic themes are the supernatural, science, revenge, religion, breaking societal norms and the battle between good and evil. <> I used this with a Year 9 group who did a mini-essay on how Dickens creates mood in the final extract, and I am also planning to ask them to use two of the extracts, alongside a non-fiction extract, to synthesise 'What is Gothic fiction'? It facedor seemed to facethe whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor., My brother Bens face, thought Eugene, is like a piece of slightly yellow ivory; his high white head is knotted fiercely by his old mans scowl; his mouth is like a knife, his smile the flicker of light across a blade. Every time we went walking, birds would follow us around. He had a green army jacket tied around his waist and a green canvas bag slung over his shoulder. The passage is from Elric of Melnibon:, It is the colour of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. Among the examples of the grotesque characters include: physically distorted and mentally deficient characters, with cringe-worthy social traits. What made them like this? For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may portend his death. There warnt no color in his face, where his face showed;it was white; not like another mans white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make abodys flesh crawl a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white. However, some aspects of the descriptions will remain the same, this is done to keep the general structure the same, while still randomizing the important details. As a woman of high society, she pays careful attention to read analysis of Noem Taboada Catalina Catalina is Noem 's cousin. Corruption and downfall take center stage in this Gothic novel with two interweaving plotlines. When Dickens introduces a character, he often uses an extended metaphor or comparison to humorous effect. He held a Camel cigarette between his yellowed fingers, and the floor around his feet was covered with cigarette butts., She has bright, dark eyes and satiny brown skin and stands tilted up on her toes with arms slightly extended to her sides, as if ready to take wing at the slightest sound., He was abominableand the most alluring, tortured soul Id ever met.(This isnt describing him physically, but it is giving insight to how the main character views him), A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. Thank you for this, very helpful! He fell for an eighteen-year-old girl with one of those deepdown, spooky loves that made him so sad and happy he shot her just to keep the feeling going. Gothic is a sub-genre of literature that focuses on combining fiction with other dark elements such as horror, death, and suspense. While these works continue to be adapted for modern audiences, new tales are being told all the time. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Woolf combines concise, clear physical description (all humps and hollows) with a deeper sense of personality, revealed through how characters feel about one another. Another main characteristic of Gothic literature which would be easier to define is the Damsel in Distress setting, either this damsel being threatened by a man or just the circumstance that they find themselves in. Virginia Woolf shows how multiple viewpoints can build a persons many sides through an ensembles perspectives. Morrisons opening character description is excellent because it tells us plenty about Violets past. The obvious example here is Dracula, where innocent people are turned into bloodsucking vampires Setting 8. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. In England, the gothic style was known as the Perpendicular Style, and in German, it was known as Sondergotik or special Gothic. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. Nancy Downs is the quintessential '90s goth and she leans into the aesthetic hardwith her thick eyeliner, spike collars and all black ensembles. His hat was laying on the floor anold black slouch with the top caved in, like a lid., Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin, and bony; and his hair was red beneath the black cap. He couldnt play cricket; he poked; he shuffled. Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get: By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture 1. Set in a remote country estate, High Place is full of sinister family secrets and hushed whispers that unravel with each new page. Describing your character in an innovative way will help retain the readers interest. - Christine, on Character description examples: Creating people not caricatures, Character writing: Complete guide to creating your cast, Adjectives for description: 60 precise words, Direct characterization: 6 tips for precise description, How to write an adventure story: Creating amazing journeys, Creating dynamic characters and static types: 7 ideas, How to write deep POV: 8 tips and examples, How to write a murder mystery: 7 tips to captivate readers, Types of stories: 7 story archetypes (and ways to use them). With the sun at his back, shadows marked the depressions beneath his cheekbones. Metonymy is when sounds are used to let a reader know something terrible is about to happen. Sell custom creations to people who love your style. 1 Vlad Dracula 2 Lestat 3 Armand 4 Louis ADVERTISEMENT 5 Angelique Bouchard Dark Shadows 6 Claudia 7 Angeline 8 Elsa Collins 9 Quentin Collins 10 Carl Burner 11 Sam Wheat 12 Dracula 2000 ADVERTISEMENT 13 Vlad (Dracula Untold) 14 Josette 15 Daphne Collins 16 Akasha (Queen of the Damned) 17 Latasha 18 Bernadette Carington 19 Adrian 20 Werewolf For a split second, air seemed to have escaped my lungs, leaving me feeling faint and gasping for breath. When considering Gothic characters that rule the night, we usually think of ghosts, or Dracula. For a brief moment sadness consumed me; I was absorbed with a sense of remorse. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth, and at fifty-four was still a very fine man. The Haunted House (1859) by Charles Dickens, An Introduction to Gothic Revival Architecture, 'Jane Eyre' Questions for Study and Discussion, Ph.D., English Language and Literature, Northern Illinois University, M.A., English, California State UniversityLong Beach, B.A., English, Northern Illinois University, "The History of the Caliph Vathek" (1786) by William Thomas Beckford, "Melmoth the Wanderer" (1820) by Charles Maturin, "Salathiel the Immortal" (1828) by George Croly, "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) by, "Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood" (1847) by James Malcolm Rymer, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. His face was almost completely hidden bya long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes,glinting like black beetles under all the hair., I deliberately thought of him, my violinist, point by point, that with his long narrow nose and such deep-set eyes he might have been less seductive to someone elseperhaps. When at last he began to speak, it sounded almost as though he were singing, sadly, in a dream., I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be., He is himself his own World, his own Universe; of any other than himself he can form no conception; he knows not Length, nor Breadth, nor Height, for he has had no experience of them; he has no cognizance even of the number Two; nor has he a thought of Plurality, for he is himself his One and All, being really Nothing., Her long platinum blond hair fell in loose waves past her shoulders, with a few black peekaboo strands. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. 2 0 obj Virginal Maiden - young, beautiful, pure, innocent, kind, virtuous . I've been asked to write a story as an assignment. This shows how you can make the style of narration itself suggest changes in a characters age, vocabulary, world view (this could be subtler than Joyces use of the device). Thank you for doing this. She is childish, adult, reasonable, unreasonable usually one when she. Hes been a favorite of mine for decades. Im glad you liked the latter more action-based examples. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holidayTrinity day. She wouldnt have needed to hunt. Common Characters in Gothic Literature -Stock Characters Tyrants Villains Bandits Maniacs Byronic Heroes Persecuted Maidens Femmes Fatales Monks Nuns Madwomen Magicians VAMPIRES (Dracula) Werewolves Monsters Demons Dragons Angels/Fallen Angels Revenants Ghosts Perambulating Skeletons Wandering Jew Devil A brief outline of the street the character lives on including name. He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Character description generator. Your own personal thoughts on the character as well. Get a detailed guide to character description with exercises and videos and create a memorable cast. He wore soft sleek dark blue gloves over his hands, gloves which perfectly cleaved to his fingers, and legs were covered by thick soft cashmere stockings all the way to his beautiful pointed shoes., His brown hair was cropped, and it showed off the striking symmetry of his face. Many gothic fiction stories take place a century or even further in the past. ), He was abominableand the most alluring, tortured soul Id ever met., A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. Burgess, Adam. Gothic Tracery Tracery refers to a series of thin stone frames, inlaid in window openings to support the glass. Thats a pity, Dickens characterization is so vivid if you can look past his Victorian/fussy prose style. Nancy Downs "The Craft" 1996. He wasnt exactly muscular, but he wasnt weedy-looking eitherthere was an air of hidden strength about him, a graceful strength that showed in his balance, the way he held himself, the way he walked., Kinky tousled curls, only a minimum of makeup, large brown eyes behind round wire-rimmed glasses. A big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh. On the contrary, a character who inspires merely disgust is simply a villain or a monster. Now think about the character you came up with in Activity 1. She ran, then, through all that snow, and when she got back to her apartment she took the birds from their cages and set them out the windows to freeze or fly, including the parrot that said, I love you.. Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book youll ever buy. Back in Medieval times, this form of building was called 'the modern style'. There was a world of character in that face, more than enough to make her fascinating-looking instead of just attractive., Brian Paulson was rake thin, with smooth hair the color of tin and a wet fleshy handshake. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down., [Miss Havisham] had shut out infinitely more; that, in seclusion, she had secluded herself from a thousand natural and healing influences; that, her mind, brooding solitary, had grown diseased, as all minds do and must and will that reverse the appointed order of their Maker, For such and extraordinary athleteeven as a Lower Middler Phineas had been the best athlete in the schoolhe was not spectacularly built. Describe characters through multiple POVS Virginia Woolf shows how multiple viewpoints can build a person's many sides through an ensemble's perspectives. What is an example of a gothic character? ., For those of you who want to write a novel, visit this post: 12 Steps to Write a Bestselling Novel., When the old king saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly about, flung himself on the ground and died., He was commonplace in complexion, in feature, in manners, and in voice. Dirt seemed so worked into him that the lines of his face were like writing., And then the hot air congealed in front of him, and out of it materialized a transparent man of most bizarre appearance. Thanks for reading and sharing your perspective . The hero of a Gothic narrative is not a Homeric hero setting out on a lofty quest; he is just a noble young gentleman trying to win the hand of the heroine. This quiz includes images that don't have any alt text - please contact your teacher who should be able to help you with an audio description. All his movements were large and perfectly balanced, like those of a wild animal, and when he appeared in a room like this, he seemed a wild animal held in a cage too small for it., I thought she was so beautiful. Standing at six-four in his socks, he moved everywhere with a slight and nautical sway, but even though he was broad across the chest there was something centered and reassuring about him, like an old ships mast cut from a single timber., in addition to being fun, smart, and quick-wittedin a feisty way that always kept me honestshes quite easy to look at, with never-ending legs, toned arms, curly brown hair, and eyes that tease and smile and glint all at the same time., Sterling Mulkern was a florid, beefy man, the kind who carried weight like a weapon, not a liability. Reading these enabled me to rewrite the descriptions for my two leading characters. It should have as the main male character an unusually smart, clever, insightful and thoughtful guy who is somewhat reserved and mysterious. The term has since become applicable to any medium that displays particular aesthetic characteristics, such as dark settings and atmosphere and elements of the supernatural. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-gothic-literature-739030. The castle is the main setting of the story and the centre of activity. Gothic aesthetics was raised by Edmund Burke, referring to beauty of negative, gloom and even dark characteristics. Salinger shows how what characters say (and mid-dialogue gesture) reveals a lot about personality and desire. "A Brief Introduction to Gothic Literature." When you describe how a character looks, think about how appearances hint at personality. Where she or he resides. Further on, Mrs. Ramsay notes Tansleys pompous and academic way of speaking (his continual efforts to prove his intellect due to being from a working class background and his admiration of Mr Ramsays own accomplishment). The whole show dont tell thing. Thanks Im using these for students to make character drawings from. Gothic elements include the following: Setting in a castle. And this one: Mr. It was hard to say., Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged, but then no one would have thought of getting close enough to Mrs. I have never seen self worth and failure described as part of a persons face. What a well-formed mouth he had, and how the narrow eyes, the detailed deepened lids gave him such a range of expression, to open his gaze wide, or sink in cunning street., As Ive already said, the memory of Lucass walk brings a smile to my face. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reillys supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D.H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Rebecca weaves a classic tale of a wealthy widower and his new, young wife, whose name is never revealed. Im glad you hit the many varieties. In Margaret Atwoods Booker-winning novel The Blind Assassin (2000), for example, Atwoods narrator Iris opens the story remembering her sister Lauras death. ThoughtCo. Ann Radcliffe paved the way for women in the Gothic genre with her groundbreaking and scandalous The Mysteries of Udolpho. endobj Here are the 16 character archetypes that you can use in your writing. Amateur character description example #1. Grammar isnt the best but this was helpful. I had no home. Privacy Policy. As for his clothes just rags, that wasall. Showing both what Zooey and Lane say to each other and the frustrations and feelings they put in actions rather than words creates a believable sense of both people having rich, complex inner lives. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged, but then no one would have thought of getting close enough to Mrs. He kept as still as a stone. Ive always been weak with that, and in doing research came across this article. It adds depth and complexity to characters and their relationships when different facets surface depending on who theyre with (and on whose point of view you are reading). One way to make characters distinctive is to compare them. Age of person. Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in which something (like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). Describe characters through multiple POVs, 3. stream Her straight, boyishly cut hair fell onto her brow haphazardly and hid beautiful arched brows that framed her large, expressive eyes. She wore a black aba, the hood thrown back to reveal the attachments of a stillsuit hanging free at her throat. Everything about him suggested valor and power and a firm handshake., The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. I dont think I ever saw Mrs. My students are working on writing characters right now, so Im having them look through your list to see examples of a job well done Thanks! It's the darkest portion of Dark Romanticism, emerging soon after the Romantic literary era. Gothic character's name. And while she definitely went mad throughout the film, we'll never forget this iconic character from one of the biggest cult classics of all time. I couldnt tell the color of his eyes, but I hoped they were brownThe guy had straight, sculptured shoulders that made me think swimmer, He stood, which put him eye to eye with the dark-haired woman whose brilliant, burning gazepoured into his worthless soul like boiling tar, whose mouth frothed with furyand whose hand now curled, knuckles white, around a steak knife.(The author gives a lot of details about the characters emotions, but there is not one specific detail about neither of their appearances. It shows Violets grief using a very specific event (the funeral of her cheating husbands murdered mistress). An ancient prophecy is connected with the castle or its inhabitants (either former or present). High, even overwrought emotion. The benchmark for pure Gothic fiction is perhaps the first example of the genre, Horace Walpoles "The Castle of Otranto" (1764). Here are five examples of gothic horror novels and short stories that contain the most important markings of the genre.
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