I.Intro

Gothic novel as one branch of the English literature and the father of horror movies origins from The Castle of Otranto(1764). More importantly, it leads habitually with darkness and horror. Gothic elements include horror,mystery, supernatural phenomenon, misfortune,death,haunted houses,and family curses.

II.Origins of Gothic novels

1.Gothic novels origined from The Castle of Otranto, written by Horace Walpole in Britain at the end of the 18th century, which created the early classical Gothic novel mode.

Its birth is deeply connected with the ideas of Cemetery Poets(墓园派诗人）at that time, as well as with Gothic aesthetic stantard raised by Edmund Burke.

The publication of the Castle of Otranto quickly raised imitations of Clara Reeve,Sophia Lee, William Beckford and the alike. Gothic style had become the most popular and expanded from Britain to the whole European countries and the U.S..

2.In 1790s, gothic novels gradually became two branches.

One is horrible Gothic Novels.

Features: This branch of gothic novels insist on traditional ways. Morbid evil are added in order to make the novel more mysterious and horrible.

Representative:

Matthew Lewis (1775-1818), The Monk (1795)

Charles Brown，1771-1810), Wieland (1798)

The other one is sentimental gothic novels.

Features: the stories still happen in the castle, but the over-mystery and extremely horrible effects are discarded. This makes the stories more logical.

Representative:

Mary Radcliffe (1764-1823), The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)

Sally Wood (1759-1855), Julia (1800)

Isaac Mitchell (1759-1812), The Asylum (1804)