ECHOES OF DARKNESS: UNVEILING THE GOTHIC IN HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS AND CRIMSON PEAK
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Dată
2024Autor
Tatu, Simona
Abstract
In venturing into the mysterious lands of Gothic literature and cinematic representations, this paper
provides a comparative analysis between an enchanting dark fantasy novel and an alluring Gothic
romance film. Rather than a traditional comparison between a book and its adaptation this paper
focuses on exploring Gothic conventions in two distinct art forms. The first is represented by a
hauntingly beautiful novel, written by Erin A. Craig, “House of Salt and Sorrows,” and the other
one is a film directed by Guillermo del Toro, named “Crimson Peak,” which is a masterpiece in
the world of Gothic films. This literary and cinematic analysis digs deeply into the Gothic aspects
found in both the novel and the film and explores the complicated connections between Gothic
motifs, symbols, atmospheres, and themes in the two forms. The decision to analyse these two
works assumes that there are certain parallels between them, on the one hand, and that both
creations incorporate many different features, on the other hand. Thus, the analysis has the
potential to provide the readership and viewership with a broad understanding of the Gothic genre.
The thesis is divided into five chapters.
For the first chapter of my work, I have considered creating a brief presentation of the beginning
of Gothic art, starting with the origin of the term, and focusing on a short historical overview of
Gothic art forms: in architecture, sculpture, and painting. I have included this artistic area in my
work because I believe it is appropriate to provide context for what Gothic art meant in the history
of mankind, which is why the chapter is very concise.
To better understand Gothic literature, especially Gothic novels, the term itself, the historical and
cultural context the circumstances in which Gothic was born in literature and the way it was
manifested over time must be understood. Precisely for this reason, the second chapter of my work
focuses on the presentation of the history and development of the Gothic novel. Since the genre is
extremely complex and very well represented by many authors, I chose to focus on the best-known
authors who contributed to the popularisation of the Gothic novel and the characteristics they
included in their writings. Of course, I cannot include all the authors, or all the novels written,
because it would be impossible to make such a broad introduction to the Gothic novel, but I choose
to present the fearful and uncertain beginnings, continuing with its glorious evolution in the
following centuries. The scope of this chapter is to provide a basic overview of the Gothic novel.
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While the second chapter portrays how the genre has developed in general, the third chapter
emphasizes the development of the on-screen Gothic. Similarly to the first chapter, this chapter
presents the historical background to the readership. As the chapter continues, some of the most
prominent film studios, directors and their works are to be listed in chronological order. The same
as in the case of the literary Gothic, it is not the point to list all the authors but to familiarize the
readers with the period in which the genre began to develop, how it has developed over time, and
who are some of the key directors of the time.
The fourth chapter focuses on providing the readership with some basic information about the
works and life of the author Erin A. Craig and the director Guillermo del Toro. Here, I will briefly
discuss their lives and early careers, and I have selected a few of their written and directed works
to present their characteristics and what sets them apart from others. Additionally, in this chapter,
I have included the extended presentations of the novel and the film.
The final chapter of my work, arguably the most important, consists of a comparative analysis
between the book and the film regarding Gothic elements. I will begin the analysis with the setting
and specific symbols, while also delving into the atmosphere and overall tone. Following this, I
proceed with an examination of the archetypal characters, highlighting both the similarities and
differences between them. A crucial point of discussion is represented by the supernatural force
and the theme of death associated with violence and the motif of ‘blood’. I will dedicate a few
paragraphs to other important Gothic motifs such as isolation, mental issues, nightmares, nature,
and preference for the past. A rather complex part will consist of the analysis of the relationships
between the characters of each story, relationships of love, hate, conjugal and family relationships,
of course highlighting Gothic features. Considering that the chosen Gothic stories belong to two
different fields, I feel compelled to include in this chapter a small analysis of the techniques of
rendering the Gothic in literature and film.