Sample answers to question 4 on varieties of the Gothic

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 . . . In light of the aforementioned treatments of the gothic as a literary genre, it is reasonable to infer that there are many reasons for the genre’s continued popularity.  Notice that one of the three stories, “The Young Goodman Brown” has religious undertones.  One reason for this may be that religion, whether denying or condemning the dark side of human nature, prompts curiosity in people.  As society is constructed around religious values and norms, there are few outlets or avenues for the exploration of the dark side of human nature save for the arts.  Art, novels, movies and such allow humans to explore dark and violent impulses without the consequences of actually acting on the impulses.  This serves the purpose not only of satisfying human curiosity but also of promoting an understanding of what it means to be human.

            The gothic as a literary genre is not without its limitations and biases. It is susceptible to blurring the line between fantasy and reality as well as promoting superstitions. This can be detrimental to people if they cannot distinguish fact from fiction in their day-to- day lives or come to fear things that do not exist. The gothic portrayal of light as good and dark as bad may also lend itself to racist tendencies if not kept in check. However, overall the gothic is a positive way to explore the dark side of human nature provided that its limitations are kept in check. [April Davis]

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 . . . The most striking aspect of Poe’s gothic is his attention to setting—dark, threatening, and uncertain.  He effectively terrorizes us with the suspense that evil is looming in the darkness that surrounds and envelopes his stories.  As Kayla Logan stated in her exam from summer of 2002, Poe aims “to reveal the dark, haunted mental aspects of the human psyche.”  I would add that he does this best through the technique of correspondence as he creates an association between the characters and their physical environment.  In “Ligeia,” correspondence is used to characterize the relationship of the narrator to his second wife, lady Rowena Trevanion of Tremaine.  Poe offers extensive detail in order to show a correspondence between lady Rowena’s character and the narrator’s sentiments for her—as he describes their bridal chamber:  “The ceiling of gloomy-looking oak, was excessively lofty, vaulted, and elaborately fretted with the wildest and most grotesque specimens of semi-Gothic, semi-druicidal device” (709).  He continues in a similar vein for a long paragraph which concludes with: “The phantasmagoric effect was vastly heightened by the artificial introduction of a strong continual current of wind behind the draperies—giving a hideous and uneasy vitality to the whole” (709).  (This can definitely be seen as representative of the tumultuous relationship the narrator has with lady Rowena.) . . . [Sherry Evard]