Gothic Elements in Jane Eyre

Gothic is a literary genre that is connected to the dark and horrific. It became popular in the late Victorian Era, following the success of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, in 1764. Since that time, gothic literature has become a widespread influence. Some elements that are typically gothic include ancient prophecies, mystery and suspense, supernatural events, dreams and visions, violence, and a gloomy and desolate setting. Charlotte Bronte, the author of Jane Eyre, was greatly …

…her eerie laughter. Bronte is able to integrate gothic elements with other literary genres. In fact, Jane Eyre is actually a mixture of three genres: Gothic, Romance, and Bildungsroman. The skilful integration of these genres is the very reason why Jane Eyre is a timeless classic. Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. Stevens, David. "The Gothic Tradition." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Online. Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_novel. 2 Jun. 2005.