Notes on “Gothic Fiction and The Grotesque” by Maximillian E. Novak
1. Crucial, critical problems of Gothic Fiction
- The relationship of Gothic fiction to history and the past
- The connection between The Gothic and The Grotesque
- The Grotesque villain
- Gothic form
2. Novak uses the word “grotesque” in meaning seemingly normal, conventional
characters in fiction dealing with typical supernatural elements such as skeleton,
witches, ghosts, etc. over a time period.
3. Lewis, Isaac Disraeli have said the Gothic seems objectionable and unnatural [it is
not applicable to the general public’s everyday life; it can be viewed as abnormal,
weird and confusing for simplistic minds; can be hugely influential on susceptible
minds in a detrimental way].
4. G.R. Thompson is arguing about the public’s lack of education and understanding on
what the Gothic is and so feels second-hand embarrassment as a Gothic writer when
readers conjure up fale, stereotypical images of demons and trapdoors. Feels as
though “Dark Romanticism” would be a better term as it may help prevent people
from skewing on what defines Gothic Literature and therefore would be more
respected.
5. Supposedly two misleading criticisms of Gothic fiction are: Gothic fiction is a variation
of the sensibility literary movement; distinction between exploiting the use of terror
and horror in novels.
6. Something that links the Gothic to the Grotesque is the sense of fantasy [some sort
of horrifying fiction] that compels us to stay as even though we are trying to escape
this taboo narrative, we are only putting in half the effort to leave.
7. Reality was beautiful; fiction was too much/ extra - why the dream world was
dissipated.
8. Catherine Morland is almost seduced by the past and the idea of Gothic romances -
a time where individuals were extremely insightful whether they were good or bad,
whereas now there is a disproportionate ratio of “good” and “bad, possibly explaining
why Catherine is so naive and treated as a doormat throughout the novel by the
Thorpe family.
9. The idea that a landscape or a moment in the present has such a context engrained
in the past is quite appealing to the natural curiosity of humans as we are biologically
wired to be inquisitive creatures, especially when it comes to the environment we are
in and our origins.
10. The excitement associated with past conflicts and historical ferocities like war, sexual
appetites and marginalisation of those were seen as supposedly below the rest
1. Crucial, critical problems of Gothic Fiction
- The relationship of Gothic fiction to history and the past
- The connection between The Gothic and The Grotesque
- The Grotesque villain
- Gothic form
2. Novak uses the word “grotesque” in meaning seemingly normal, conventional
characters in fiction dealing with typical supernatural elements such as skeleton,
witches, ghosts, etc. over a time period.
3. Lewis, Isaac Disraeli have said the Gothic seems objectionable and unnatural [it is
not applicable to the general public’s everyday life; it can be viewed as abnormal,
weird and confusing for simplistic minds; can be hugely influential on susceptible
minds in a detrimental way].
4. G.R. Thompson is arguing about the public’s lack of education and understanding on
what the Gothic is and so feels second-hand embarrassment as a Gothic writer when
readers conjure up fale, stereotypical images of demons and trapdoors. Feels as
though “Dark Romanticism” would be a better term as it may help prevent people
from skewing on what defines Gothic Literature and therefore would be more
respected.
5. Supposedly two misleading criticisms of Gothic fiction are: Gothic fiction is a variation
of the sensibility literary movement; distinction between exploiting the use of terror
and horror in novels.
6. Something that links the Gothic to the Grotesque is the sense of fantasy [some sort
of horrifying fiction] that compels us to stay as even though we are trying to escape
this taboo narrative, we are only putting in half the effort to leave.
7. Reality was beautiful; fiction was too much/ extra - why the dream world was
dissipated.
8. Catherine Morland is almost seduced by the past and the idea of Gothic romances -
a time where individuals were extremely insightful whether they were good or bad,
whereas now there is a disproportionate ratio of “good” and “bad, possibly explaining
why Catherine is so naive and treated as a doormat throughout the novel by the
Thorpe family.
9. The idea that a landscape or a moment in the present has such a context engrained
in the past is quite appealing to the natural curiosity of humans as we are biologically
wired to be inquisitive creatures, especially when it comes to the environment we are
in and our origins.
10. The excitement associated with past conflicts and historical ferocities like war, sexual
appetites and marginalisation of those were seen as supposedly below the rest
