Literary Movements: the Gothic

In this series, BartyED’s expert English tutors describe literary movements pertinent to IGCSE, A-Level, and IBDP students of English. This week we will be discussing the Gothic. 

Defining the Gothic

Regardless of the curriculum, whether it is for the IGCSEs, A-Levels, or the IB Diploma, students should aim to have a basic understanding of key literary movements. This appreciation of the literary and historical context of the works studied in class will allow candidates to aim higher in their responses, and give them access to the highest possible bands in their exam essays. 

Firstly, it is important for IGCSE, A-Level and IB candidates to understand the different ‘veins’ of Gothic. The term may refer to a number of tangentially related phenomena, including a style of architecture popular in western Europe from the 12th to the 16th centuries, as well as a typeface most prevalent in the 13th century. However, for English literature students, it is best understood as a literary movement that developed at the end of the eighteenth century that prioritised a gloomy, horrifying and transgressive aesthetic redolent of (albeit frequently inaccurately) the Middle Ages. 

Those studying English literature at IGCSE, A-Level and IB should think of the Gothic as a movement that aimed to express the fears, desires, and anxieties of the nineteenth century, while trying to reconcile these with the more general cultural desire for order and scientific mastery over inconvenient emotions.

Characteristics of the Gothic

While the Gothic has a long and varied history, there are certain characteristics that unite the movement. Ultimately, it was/is an exploration of the extremes of human emotion. Following the age of Enlightenment, many readers and writers found that the rationality championed in these times had failed to truly make sense of the world, especially when contrasted with the brutal violence of the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars of the end of the eighteenth century. There are a number of themes and ideas frequently explored in Gothic literature, and IGCSE, A-Level and IB candidates should be aware of how these apply to the texts they are studying in class.

These include:

  • The nature of good and evil

  • The supernatural

  • The ethics of scientific inquiry

  • Passions and madness

It’s worth noting that, when it comes to the supernatural, early Gothic writers like Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe would resolve the seeming supernatural occurrences into something that can be rationally explained. However, by the time of Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker and Emily Brönte, this was largely abandoned in favour of greater ambiguity. This distinction between the older and newer generations of Gothic writers is primarily useful for A-Level and IB candidates who should aim to have a more comprehensive understanding of how the movement developed across the nineteenth century. 

Women and the Gothic

There is a wide range of smaller movements within the broader idea of the Gothic that even continue to today. From America’s Southern Gothic (perhaps best exemplified by William Faulkner), to the notion of Gothic Romance that remains a popular subgenre in Young Adult Literature, there are few escapes from the prevalence of the movement even outside of the English literature classroom! 

In the novels studied for IGCSE, A-Level and IB Diploma, students should be aware of how questions of gender are explored within the Gothic. Indeed, women’s voices have always been at the forefront of the movement. Arguably, following Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), the most significant works of Gothic literature have primarily been penned by women, such as Ann Radcliffe, Mary Shelley and the Brönte sisters. Their novels often explore the role of women, and the frustrations they face at being sidelined from public life. While many of these novels feature a love story, it would be a mistake to refer to them as simply romantic – the female protagonists of these novels are frequently rational, investigative and active characters, a marked change from the characterisation of women in other fiction of the eighteenth century. 

All students, regardless of if they are studying for their IGCSEs, A-Levels or the IB Diploma, should be attentive to these nuances in the depiction of women in their texts. Being able to comment in an informed way on the ways in which texts are impacted by their historical contexts is often a hallmark of higher level responses for examiners.

BartyED English tuition

The Gothic is a sprawling literary movement that encompasses a large range of subgenres, tones and themes. The diversity and nuance featured within the movement can lead even the strongest student to feel overwhelmed. Consequently, English learners at all levels and in all exam boards, IGCSEs, A-Levels, and IB included, should know when to reach out for assistance. BartyED offers the solution in our team of expert English literature tutors. Our experienced tutors meet the students where they are and work closely with young learners to improve areas of weakness. If you think that you or your child could benefit from bespoke English tuition, contact us today by phone (+852 2882 1017) or email (enquiries@bartyed.com). 

Mark Malone