ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

LITERATURE QUESTIONS

THE GOTHIC NOVEL

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
In what way does Radcliffe depart from Walpole’s earlier tradition?
A
She creates a strong male hero to rescue Emily.
B
She is not concerned with issues of rightful inheritance.
C
She sets the novel in present day.
D
She resolves the appearance of supernatural phenomena.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The first work to call itself Gothic was Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, later subtitled “A Gothic Story". Subsequent 18th century contributors included Clara Reeve, Ann Radcliffe, William Thomas Beckford, and Matthew Lewis.

Detailed explanation-2: -Radcliffe single-handedly changed the gothic novel; it was by her inclusion of original poetry as part of her novels and as epigraphs, as well as her elaborate descriptions of landscapes, that she elevated the form.

Detailed explanation-3: -The supernatural is a key defining element in the Gothic. Whether they invoke the supernatural directly or rely upon the imagination of the reader to provide it, Gothic writers use the supernatural to build suspense, and create special effects for the reader.

Detailed explanation-4: -The castle is eerie and ominous, plagued by creaking hinges, trap doors clanging shut, the wailing of the wind, and the life-like quality of people in paintings. Supernatural elements like ghosts, visions, mysterious suits of armor, and prophecies run through the novel.

There is 1 question to complete.