THE HISTORICAL ROOTS AND FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GOTHIC LITERATURE
Authors
Abdusattarova Shokhina Bakhtiyor kizi
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Annotation
This study explores the origins and key features of Gothic literature from its 18th-century beginnings to its modern forms. Using interdisciplinary approaches like literary analysis, cultural history, and critical theory, this research examines the social and political contexts that gave rise to Gothic fiction, its unique literary techniques and themes, and how its conventions have changed over time and across different regions. The study shows that Gothic literature developed as an elaborate cultural response to Enlightenment rationalism, employing specific narrative methods including the sublime, the uncanny, and the distinctions between terror and horror to investigate transgressive themes such as confinement, decay, and forbidden knowledge. Analysis of major works by Walpole, Radcliffe, Lewis, Shelley, and Stoker demonstrates how the genre shifted from medieval supernatural settings to urban psychological horror, mirroring evolving cultural fears. Modern scholarship highlights Gothic literature’s lasting impact on contemporary horror, fantasy, and postcolonial literature, confirming its role as a crucial way to express societal anxieties throughout history. The findings suggest that Gothic literature is not just entertainment but a cultural gauge that continually reflects dominant fears while staying true to its core aesthetic and thematic principles.
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Authors
Abdusattarova Shokhina Bakhtiyor kizi
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