Monday, March 30, 2015

What are the elements of Gothic style in "Eleonora" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe?

Most of Poe's "Eleonora" fits more neatly in the Romantic style (Gothic being an off-shoot of this). However, the setting in the undetermined past and the virginal maiden are both elements of the Gothic. The fact that the valley begins to die and lose its colors and Eleonora returns from her crypt to confront the narrator reflects facets of the Gothic preoccupation with death and the supernatural. Even the description of "the strange city" smacks of the Gothic.


"The Tale-Tale Heart," on the other hand, fits more neatly in the Gothic style. Gothic stories often use characters who are mad, and the narrator here fits that category well. The story also features a gruesome murder in the dark, and that preoccupation with fear and death are hallmarks of the Gothic style. Finally, the beating heart, either originating from a supernatural source or the narrator's own madness, is a pretty strong indication that "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a Gothic story.

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