Horace Walpole vs. Clara Reeve: The role of the Gothic
Summary :
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Castle of Otranto
- The role of the usurper
- The key difference between the two novels
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
Abstract
gothic novels are seen as the beginning of modern horror fiction. Many devotees believed gothic novels have inspired pleasant horror in its readers. The genre is generally accepted to have been started by horace walpole and his novel The Castle of Otranto. Although walpole was an aristocrat and could afford not to depend on the income of the novel, he chose not to claim authorship of his novel because of the controversial nature of the book. In The Castle of Otranto, walpole sets the norm for gothic novels to follow. He introduces such themes as the supernatural, the tragic heroine, usurpation, hereditary curses, and a central location. clara reeve bases her novel The Old English Baron on walpole's essential gothic elements, redefines his definition of the gothic, and makes it her own. She focuses on the reason and law behind the story rather than on the supernatural and how that affects the characters. For reeve the supernatural is a means to an end, a way to entice her character to solve the mystery. For walpole the supernatural is central to the plot, and it is only through the supernatural that the true heir is unveiled.
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