Gabrielle Blake
Mr. Williams
British Literature
25 March 2018
Key Elements of Victorian Gothic Literature
Vampires, monsters, telepathic thinking, and split personalities were all brought to the public by Victorian Gothic novelists. Gothic novels are characterized by having elements of the supernatural, spooky settings, hyperbolic emotion, and elements of nature. Victorian sensation literature can be portrayed by women in distress, insanity, and complex narrative. Frankenstein, Dracula, and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” all fall under the description of Victorian Gothic literature. Frankenstein is about a man who defies nature and creates life and then has to go through the consequences. Dracula is about a vampire who wreaks havoc on a group of unlikely friends. “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” tells the odd story of a man who was able to split his personality into two distinct parts but cannot control it. The literary techniques used in these three books helped to create classics that will leave you thinking and in chills. Gothic and Victorian sensation elements created the most memorable novels, and created a whole new genre of books that symbolically dealt with society.
The Victorian element of gothic psychology is key to driving realistic suspenseful plots in all three novels. In the article “Ghosts of the Mind: The Supernatural and Madness in Victorian Gothic Literature” by Stephanie Craig, states, “By taking the position that the