Gothic literature has remained one of the most influential genres in the literary canon, giving us some of the most iconic scenes of the supernatural, the monstrous, and the macabre that we know and love. Its manifestations extend beyond the conventions of writing, permeating throughout architecture, film, and cultural development into the modern day. So what is it about the gothic that makes it so overwhelmingly powerful?
To examine the gothic in our everyday life we only have to look at Edinburgh itself. From the infamous Scott Monument, labelled the “gothic rocket,” that stands tall over Princes Street Gardens, to the university’s own New College and its dagger-like spires and cobblestone courtyard, the city offers a striking cumulation of gothic architecture. Set against these haunting backdrops, it comes as no surprise that writers have felt compelled to create stories inspired by these eerie structures, capturing not only the physical atmosphere, but the dark dimensions of ourselves they serve to represent.
Some of the foremost examples of gothic literature engage with the supernatural as a vehicle for the most natural elements of the human condition. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, for example, interrogates the boundaries of scientific experimentation in creating a monster with fundamentally human characteristics. The real monsters, ultimately, are those that reject and scorn him in fear of the unknown. Many gothic novels also serve as cautionary tales. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, offers us an insight into the dangerous consequences of human vanity and self-obsession, illustrated — literally, in Dorian’s haunting portrait.
This has resonated not only in writing but through film and artwork. Tim Burton’s iconic depictions of the spectral and spooky, from classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, to his original sketches and stop-motion projects, present us with characters often quite strikingly melancholy. But in their deep-set eyes it’s often the seemingly soulless that have the most heart, generating stories through friendly skeletons and the dancing dead that remain, at their core, human.
So perhaps what draws us to gothic literature is its ability to confront us so abruptly with our own human nature, prompting an inward critique and an insight into ourselves through the visually and emotionally striking. Rather than just a scary story or a monster in a darkened castle, tales of the gothic make for a chilling, and oddly compelling, commentary on the most secluded corners of our own humanity.
“Edinburgh Scott Monument” by Saffron Blaze is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
