Home For Peculiar Children: A Gothic Analysis

In literature authors often use gothic elements to portray different revelations within their writings. These components can include the elements of suspense, violence or even psychological dramatization that can help develop the narration increasing the thematic levels of intensity and engagement. Gothic elements, imbedded into many shorts stories of the 19th century, prove to be parallel writing strategies to many literary elements found within modern day writing.
To emphasize this parallel writing structure and use of gothic elements from 19th century short stories and books of modern time, the literary work “Dr Heidegger’s Experiment” and the novel Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children share the usage of the gothic element of malicious violence. This element is used throughout many modern literary works and is especially prevalent in the
Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The author uses the strange and intriguing gothic element of psychological abnormality or issue to depict the unrelenting pressure and extent of deterioration the characters go through psychologically. While in the “House of Usher” the author notes that his friends mental condition has worsened as the author spends more time with him. “And now someday of bitter grief having elapsed an observable change come over the features of the mental disorder of my friend (Poe 5). This short story depicts parallel psychological experiences that the characters in Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children undergo; in both narratives the main character has psychological deviances from what is normal. The main character states “I still suffered from nightmares. I was twitchy and paranoid.” (Riggs 43). These quotes show the deterioration of the character’s minds, which also parallels the deterioration of their