I am currently taking three English courses, one of which is Gothic Literature. Onlookers fail to comprehend the impact of reading large volumes of literature on the mind and body. I seek not your pity or sympathy, so save your sarcastic “boo hoos” for someone more deserving. Reading tales of mysterious castles, and haunted armor, and the monstrously ambitious alters your perception of the limits and boundaries of reality. A shadow is no longer an unlit corner, but a possible hiding place for the wicked and supernatural. A bookshelf is no longer the home of dusty stories, but a hush-hush passageway to an alternate universe. Tales like Frankenstein, Vathek, and the Castle of Otranto pull from the bottom of your covers and awaken you in the middle of the night as if the boundaries between the fictional and physical worlds have been dissolved. Night fades into day like a twangy twilight, in the cool “witches emerging from thin air” Macbeth way (but also because you're up late doing HW).
As someone who enjoys substance-less Rom-Coms about pastry shops and impromptu trips abroad, the Gothic genre is currently challenging me as a reader. There is a darkness to the stories that becomes overwhelming at times, commenting on the lengths and limits humanity is willing to o'erleap to obtain power and knowledge. Unlike the fictional theatrics we encounter in these novels, the toxicity of all-consuming ambition certainly transcends into the real world. The best part of being an English major is gaining exposure to stories I would otherwise never pick up. While we all need our moments of mindless entertainment, cautionary tales such as these remind us of the value of humility. We risk falling to insurmountable depths when pursuing greed and power beyond our reach.
As the spooky season approaches us, I encourage you all to join me on this Gothic literature adventure across faraway lands. Business majors, Teaching majors, and Law majors alike can all benefit from the lessons contained in the Gothic genre. In a culture that seemingly demands the most from us, it is liberating to realize that we cannot know everything there is to know in the physical world. We don't need to reach the highest ranks or positions to be worthy of respect. Be kind to all, practice gratitude, and remember that if you obsess over what you don’t have, you will fail to appreciate the gift of the present.
Gothic Bucket List:
Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Castle of Otranto, Horace Walpole
Vathek, William Beckford
The Vampyre, John Polidori
The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe
Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Dracula, Bram Stoker
time is flying by so fast 😵💫 not only are stores already putting christmas decos on display (…yeah), but a third of the semester had already passed. i wish you good luck in your deep dive into gothic literature!