Elements of gothic literature - Essay Example

Elements of gothic literature Gothic literature is motivated by terror. One of the basic elements of gothic literature is the setting. The literature is set on large old houses most of which are family estates (Smith. 7). The Legend of sleepy hollow is a story set in the country side around the Dutch settlement in 1790. It is set in a secluded town known as sleepy hollow. This creates the haunting atmosphere thus portraying a terrific scenario of ghosts in secluded environment. The second element is the plot of the literature.

Most of the plots in Gothic literature seek to discover secrets in mysterious and supernatural environments thus creating an atmosphere of suspense. In the legend of the sleepy hollow, the headless horseman is given the attributes of a ghost as he rides his horse without his head. The plot revolves around the headless horseman who is on the quest of finding his head after losing it in a battle. The sleeps in trees and kills children while cutting off their heads (Irving. 54). The third element of gothic literature is the stylistic choices.

Some of the elements of the literature are foreshadowing, omens, visions, dreams created by the mysterious atmosphere of the story. The legend of the sleepy hallow uses dark and ghostly atmosphere to create terrific visions to the readers and viewers. The final element of gothic literature is the psychological instincts create by the atmosphere of the story. One of the most common psychological experiences is the intense emotions. The legend of the sleepy hollow creates terror, a sense of impending doom, insanity and obsessive love.

Elements of burlesque The elements of burlesque are things that miss in the contemporary world. This includes glamour and romantic views. The legend of sleepy hollow is a fabliaux tale that explains a romantic rivalry of two men whose desire is manipulated by the desire of a lovely woman. The wild huntThe wild hunt is an old tale across northern, central and western Europe. The wild hunt is a cultural phenomenon in the German ancient culture (Margaret. 15). This is similar to the headless horse man which is also an ancient myth in according to the author of sleepy hollow.

According to the author, nobody knew who the headman was but he was believed to be a ghost of war in the ancient revolutionary wars. He raced across the world battling with the aim of recovering his head. The wild hunt tale of northern, central and Western Europe reflected on the German war of conquest. Wild hunt tale is a story of war soldiers who struggle to attain a large conquest. The legend of the sleepy hollow borrows a plot from this tale as it revolves around the searching of self governance which is symbolized by the ghostly search of the head of the headless horseman.

European folklore traditionsEuropean folklore refers to unwritten stories of the western culture. It is affiliated with the middle ages and early modern periods which have resulted to a number of traditional ethics as well as regional cultures (Thomas. 21). The culture is characterized by it Hellenistic religion and magical or cultic practices. The legend of the sleepy hollow is crafted by the European folklore traditions of the wild hunt as it relates to the culture of the ancient European culture.

The story is a designed by the gothic literature which is affiliated with the ancient European culture. The ancient European culture believed in magic and cultic practices. This led to the origin of gothic literature which is used in the story ‘The legend of hollow’.Burton’s and Fox’s critical points of elaborationTension between scientific Enlightenment and gothic is elaborated in the context of the legend of sleepy hollow as the story focuses more on the supernatural world and ignores the world of science.

Scientists’ view the film on the legend of hallow as a factious art of composition since it does not explain the origin of events. The film also focuses on the beliefs of the ancient European folklore culture which was inspired by religion thus does not relate to science.American novelists sought to adapt present European models of sentimental romance, historical novels and gothic tales to native materials. The legend of sleepy hallow is a form of apocalyptic literature as it is developed in the post-Exilic Jewish Culture which was famous among Christians in the ancient Europe.

The film portrays a Devine appointment between human beings and the spirit world. Romance is an element used to create a link between terrific emotions and the smooth emotions thus building an aspect of reality. In the legend of the sleepy hollow, the art is used neutralize the terrific atmosphere.ConclusionThe legend of the sleepy hollow is a literature that links the ancient beliefs with the modern events. This kind of art is common in the current film production industry as it creates suspense, drives emotions as well as promotes reality in fiction.

Gothic literature is a way of reviewing chronological events. Work Cited Irving Washington. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories: Boston. Digireads.com Publishing. 2010. Print Margaret Ronald. Wild Hunt: Illinois. Harper Collins. 2010. Print Smith Andrew. Gothic Literature: Edinburgh Critical Guides to Literature Series: London. Edinburgh University Press. 2013. Print Thomas N. W. The Scapegoat in European Folklore: New York. Read Books. 2010. Print