The Influence Of Gothic Literature In The 18th Century

Dashing heroes and horrific monsters fill the worlds of Gothic writers. These stories and characters inspired generations of writers to come, illuminating the literary world with a haunting light yet to be seen. The morbid curiosity of humanity can only last so long, however; especially when such Gothic fiction comes too close to reality. Gothic literature grew in popularity in the 18th century because people wanted an escape from their lives, and were able indulge their curiosity with tales of the, often horrific, supernatural, leading to further generations of inspired writers and scientists who learned to be skeptical of what seems obvious; Gothic literature fell out of popularity, however, due to a change in taste as its darkness and
The fear of the supernatural caused by the Gothic style allowed people to question the occurrences of their stories. This increase in inquisitiveness in the stories people were reading led to more people questioning the world they lived in. These questions inspire new generations of scholars, researchers, scientists, and writers. Gothic literature, therefore, has impacts reaching far past the literary world creating inspiration for people to learn more about the world about them and create new and revolutionary
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and grew up in the height of Gothic literature. He included the gloomy settings and supernatural elements of Gothic literature in his highly acclaimed novel, A Christmas Carol. The ghosts that lead Mr. Scrooge evoke strong emotions: the ghost of the past bringing about the joys of childhood and struggles of young adulthood, the ghost of the present exposing how his current actions affect others, and the ghost of the future instilling a fear of death and sadness of the reality of his life. Dickens uses the gothic tactics of fear to illustrate a character as the hero-villain identified by Hume, and his growth from a life of evil to one of good. Arthur Conan Doyle, most notably known for writing the Sherlock Holmes novels was also heavily influenced by Gothic literature. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories are at their core, stories of mystery based on events that seem supernatural in nature but are explained by Holmes’ immense intellect. Sherlock Holmes also contains the primary element of the hero-villain, a heroic character with villainous