Gothic Influence Essay

Submitted By 10ezrahc
Words: 714
Pages: 3
Open Document
Gothic Influence Gothic impact in literature have always been involved with the occurrences of evil. In Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” gothic influences unveils itself in Arnold Friend, a character consumed by dreadful thoughts and desires. Arnold pursues a young female by smooth talking to her and leaving her frightening hints that there is no other option than to surrender to him, resulting in her death. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O’Connor, the character the Misfit has great gothic impact. He is an escaped criminal who comes across a family that has just wrecked their car. Because he needs items they have in their vehicle and one of the family members recognizes him, he kills them. Both of these stories illustrate gothic influences that explain Arnold and the Misfit mind set, and reasoning for their harsh acts. Arnold Friend is a corrupted man who takes delight in wickedness because he targets young teen girls. Once he has a victim he wants, he begins stalking her like prey. For Arnold the chase is fulfilling. He finds out all he wants to know about his victim and uses this information to later torment them in a way that lets his intentions be made known (Oates 344). He plays the part of a friendly, jolly young man, who often slips, allowing glimpses of his real self to break loose. In these moments his manifestation shows what he is really thinking and what he really feels. This happens as he is angered when he believes matters are not progressing in a way they should (Oates 347).
In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the Misfit is with out a doubt a vicious killer, but he is also a character who has questioned the meaning of life and his role in it. The Misfit is a man customary to violence. He knows that he has committed crimes because he has been punished for them, but he does not remember what they were (O’Connor 385). He does not understand his punishment which is why he tries to trying to gain some insight into why he is being punished from the old lady. The Misfit has no real sense of what is right and wrong. This suggests that he never has any real intention of hurting anyone, he just does what he believes is necessary for self-preservation. Arnold Friend and the Misfit are individuals who seem to have many similarities, but are actually very different characters in these two Gothic stories. Arnold Friend disguises his appearance to become more pleasing to his victims. The Misfit, however, has no need to charm or attract his nameless victims. Being appealing would indicate that he found
Show More

Related Documents: Gothic Influence Essay

Gothicism: Edgar Allan Poe and Strongest Gothic Influence Essays

In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven”, I believe the strongest gothic influence is exploration of the mind. Many emotions are explained and described in the poem, such as fear, sadness, and uneasiness. The emotions described really affect how the piece is interpreted because it shows the reaction the character has to his surroundings. Fear was a big part of the poem. He said “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me -- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt…

Words 436 - Pages 2

How Does Edward Bloor Use Gothic Elements

In the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor gothic literature is prevalent throughout the book. Gothic literature is a piece of literature that has elements that are frightening. For example the literature has elements of death, horror, and other frightening elements. These elements can come from the atmosphere, a character's interaction with others and many other ways. I believe gothic literature is a book that is written in a frightening matter. Also I believe throughout the book there are clues to the…

Words 818 - Pages 4

Gothic Elements In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, has a gothic setting that includes gothic characters. The movie is categorized as a horror film but it contains gothic inspirations. According to Kyle William Bishop, Hitchcock has experience in gothic films, but in this movie, the gothic conventions are not as obvious, as they are in his other movies, such as Psycho. He mentions the patriarchal family structure that is found in much of gothic literature. When the father dies, the mother takes on the controlling…

Words 541 - Pages 3

Gothic Art Analysis

Gothic Art for The Beginner I realize that Gothic art is not for everyone. It is perhaps the most misunderstood form of artistic expression ever produced in the art world. I have also come across comments by some of my readers that have the impression that Goth arrived on the scene with the advent of black nail polish. While I appreciate the recent resurgence of interest, and adore many of the more contemporary artists, the works of great artists like Giotto di Bondone who dates back to the 13th…

Words 612 - Pages 3

Youtube: The Female Gothic Genre

My RIP is an animation that educates my audience about the Female Gothic and how historical and cultural context connects with it. The genre that I decided to use was Youtube. I specifically used Youtube as my genre because I wanted to educate my audience in an entertaining way. Also, the conventions of Youtube, such as, the like and dislike button, share button, play and pause button, and comment section allows my audience to have personal control over their learning. These conventions of Youtube…

Words 786 - Pages 4

Essay about Church Buliding Evolution

1050-1200. The term transitional was applied for the later forms of Norman Gothic. This long period exists from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries because of the Early English and Decorated embodied styles. Next starts to come when the Gothic styling of churches started to come out. Eleven hundred-seventy to the thirteen hundreds started the Gothic trend in the Early English Period. This was the first period of English Gothic church architecture. These buildings would have a marked contrast, with pointed…

Words 1627 - Pages 7

Romanticism In Frankenstein

categorized as both Gothic and Romantic. However, I will focus on the Gothic horror side of the story. The novel has been very influential and nearly everyone, even five year old kids, know the story of Frankenstein. This amazing work has been turned into plays, movies, and even super-bowl commercials. As we all know, the wickedness, the scary characters, or just the medieval architecture, are integral parts to the wild and dark story. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein with many Gothic conventions, whether…

Words 655 - Pages 3

Chocolate Truffle Research Paper

Truffle- A chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder or chopped toasted nuts (typically hazelnuts, almonds or coconut), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape. Gelato- uses cream, milk,sugar, authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream, and generally doesn't use egg yolks Holy family- Marriage is too often conceived as the sacrament which unites a man and a woman to form a couple…

Words 188 - Pages 1

Similarities Between Jane Eyre And Edward Scissorhands

With modern day ideas of what defines gothic, it can be hard at times to separate true Gothicism from gothic culture. Although both play on the aspects of fear and anxiety in relation to love, life, and humanity, the main difference is that gothic culture tends to run from reality and hide behind fantasy while Gothicism brings fantasy into a relatable aspect of realism. Some of the best examples of Gothicism in modern day entertainment are Edward Scissorhands representing the fantasy side, Harry…

Words 717 - Pages 3

The Old Nurse's Story, Beauty And The Beast, And Rebecca

Gothic Literature is a type of literature that includes troubled pasts, eerie scenery, and supernatural elements. These elements come together to create a suspenseful story that keeps a reader, or watcher if it is in film, on the edge of their seats. Most of these stories take place in large castles or estates, and a large recurring theme in gothic stories is the concept of a forbidden wing of a house. In “The Old Nurse’s Story”the east wing happens to be the forbidden and in , Beauty and the Beast…

Words 772 - Pages 4