Gothic Elements and Fear
What emotion often drives characters to lose control in Gothic literature?
Fear
Why does the narrator visit Roderick Usher?
Usher asks for help because of illness and isolation
What do the siblings’ daily routines at the start of the story represent?
Comfort and denial of change
What emotion dominates the narrator in The Raven?
Grief and despair
What is the difference between mood and tone?
Mood is the feeling for the reader; tone is the author’s attitude
In Gothic settings, what does darkness or decay often symbolize?
The breakdown of reason or sanity
What does the physical collapse of the house symbolize?
The fall of the Usher family and Roderick’s mind
What emotion drives them to abandon their home?
Fear of the unknown
What does the raven’s repeated word “Nevermore” represent?
Hopelessness and loss of reason
What type of figurative language gives human traits to non-human things?
Personification
How does Poe use sound to increase suspense?
Repetition and rhythm reflect a character’s growing panic
How does the storm contribute to the story’s tension?
It mirrors the emotional chaos inside the house
How does Cortázar use setting to build suspense?
By contrasting calm domestic scenes with eerie sounds and silence
What does The Windigo warn against?
Letting greed or hunger destroy balance and humanity
What theme do Poe and Cortázar both explore in their stories?
Fear’s power to distort perception
What happens when imagination overpowers logic in Gothic stories?
Characters act irrationally and face destruction
What does the narrator begin to feel as he stays longer in the house?
His reason weakens and fear begins to take over
What theme connects House Taken Over to Usher?
Isolation leading to loss of control
How are The Raven and The Windigo similar in tone?
Both are dark, haunting, and filled with unease
How do writers use imagery to shape atmosphere?
By appealing to the senses to create emotion and tension
How does fear become contagious in Gothic fiction?
One character’s terror spreads and influences others’ perceptions
Why does Madeline’s reappearance shock Roderick to death?
It confirms his worst fears and blurs the line between life and death
What does the unseen presence symbolize?
The power of imagination and fear to control behavior
How does the supernatural element serve the theme in both poems?
It reflects human emotions like guilt, grief, or desir
Why do Gothic authors often use unreliable narrators?
To show how unstable minds twist reality