The gothic literature

Context, principles and foundations of Gothic Literature.

The Birth of “Gothic”

In its origins, the word “gothic” was employed to make reference to the Germanic cruelty, the chaos, and also a shadowy world which was considered as a “threat” to the light and, as a consequence, to the different values belonging to this period. For that reason, the concept “gothic” transmitted negativeconnotations from its very beggining. There was a clear rejection to that related to “gothic” as a consequence of the threat values of gothic meant for traditional and classical values stablished from Roman and Greek tradition, reason why this period of time was known as “Enlightment”. Values belonging to these traditions were those of uniformity, proporcionality, order, balance…and allexpressions of art framed in this movement had to conform to these prepects. Artistic expressions of this epoque were praised because of their beauty, which mainly depended on the harmony it transmitted to the viewer. If we refer to literature, it is important to know that its main aim was that of educating and teaching rather than entertaining the reader, that is, they wanted the public to get a sense ofmorality and reational understanding, as well as instructing the reader in the discrimination of virtue and vice.

In its first stage, Gothic literature appeared as the answer to the most disconformed souls who wanted to escape from the dairy routine, people who wanted to experience forbidden feelings and sensations. Gothic literature was used as a way to cut people off, that is, to isolatepeople of this time from the Enlightment (“Ilustración”), as well as its ideals and rules. But, in general terms, there was a clear rejection against the “gothic” and everything related to it. The rejection of gothic started as a consequence of the threat values of gothic meant for tradicional and classical values stablished from Roman and Greek tradition, reason why this period of time wasknown as “Enlightment”. Values belonging to these traditions were those of uniformity, proporcionality, order, balance…and all expressions of the art framed in this movement had to conform to these prepects. Artistic expressions of this epoque were praised because of their beauty, which mainly depended on the harmony it transmitted to the viewer. If we refer to literature, it is important to know thatits main aim was that of educating and teaching rather than entertaining the reader, that is, they wanted the public to get a sense of morality and reational understanding, as well as instructing the reader in the discrimination of virtue and vice.

However, this dominance of classical, aestethical values coming from Roman and Greek traditions, turned out in a gothic past rather than in apast, a national past, based on harmony, balance and racionality. This term, “gothic”, had a derogatory conception during the Middle Ages, due to the fact that the values and elements it contained and tried to manifestate were considered products of an uncultivated, even childish mind, because they were just the opposite of the ideas of Enlightment. But some of the features of gothic, which, as Ihave already said, were initially considered in a negative way (elements like superstition, fancy, wildness or extravagance) started to be considered as potential elements or resources for the traditional aestethic production. It was the Gothic revival, by which society in this time started to be interested in medieval styles, like, for example, a new interest in antiquarianism, in the Graveyardschool of poetry and, finally, an interest in the sublime, concept to which I have already made reference to. Enlightment style did not have hardly any influence on the society and its taste, fact that allowed the “revived” Gothic to emerge from the Darkness in which it had beed immersed. Thanks to that lack of interest both in Enlightment and Neoclassical style, the events, settings, figures...