Back in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Gothic
Novels were popular in Europe. Gothic novels have unique characters that make
them different. Some of these characteristics include: Horror, supernatural,
suspense, and structure. In The Picture of Dorian Grey, the structure of
the book has similar characteristics to other Gothic novels. The way the book
is structured is the description. How the book describes everything for example,
“The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer
wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden” (Wilde 19). The depth of detail
the description is found in Gothic literature. Another way the book is
structured is the point of view. The point of view in The Picture of Dorian
Grey is in third person, same in Frankenstein. The point of view in
these books creates a setting that makes it feel different from other types of
literature when combined with other elements. In order for a Gothic novel to be
a Gothic novel it must have certain elements combined to create the correct
atmosphere for the book.
I think that the third person point of view also makes the novel have a more suspenseful tone since it doesn't just describe the scene from one person's point of view and describes it in more detail. I feel like the suspenseful tone that it creates causes the novel to be darker and have more of the gothic literature feel to it.
ReplyDeleteThe novel is structured in a way that helps the reader understand what is going on in the novel, while not revealing too much info. By structuring the novel this way the author keeps the reader informed while keeping the reader's interest and this also keeps the reader thinking about what will occur next in the novel. Also both the third person point of view and the use of description, supports and balances the novel's structure. This is why gothic literature is different all other forms of literature.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the structure does have a lot to do with the suspenseful nature of the book and hides what will happen next very which continues to make the reader continually flip the page as well keeping their mind racing as they try to anticipate the outcome.
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