MYP 3 Language and Literature Past Paper PDF

## Can We Ever Escape The Past? ### Creativity Genre; Audience Imperatives; Point of View Personal and Cultural Expression **2 Can We Ever Escape The Past?** - Gothic literature is a testament to human creativity, and for centuries writers have used the genre as a vehicle through which we can exp...

## Can We Ever Escape The Past? ### Creativity Genre; Audience Imperatives; Point of View Personal and Cultural Expression **2 Can We Ever Escape The Past?** - Gothic literature is a testament to human creativity, and for centuries writers have used the genre as a vehicle through which we can explore and interrogate culture. **Consider These Questions:** * **Factual:** What is the Gothic? What are the conventions of Gothic literature? * **Conceptual:** Are we haunted by the past? Why do we remember? How can the past affect our lives in the present? What does Gothic literature reveal about the human imagination? * **Debatable:** Can we ever escape the past? **Now share and compare your thoughts and ideas with your partner, or with the whole class.** **In This Chapter, We Will...** - Find out what the Gothic is and learn about the conventions of the genre. - Explore how Gothic literature can be used to consider our relationship with the past. - Take action to live in the present. ### Approaches to Learning (ATL) - Thinking skills - Communication skills - Research skills - Collaboration skills ### Assessment Opportunities - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing - Criterion C: Producing text - Criterion D: Using language ### Activity: Starter: Watch, Pair, Share Gothic: The Dark Heart Of Film was a season of Gothic cinema presented by the BFI (British Film Institute). Visit the link and watch the trailer. **As You Watch, Note Down The Following:** - Your initial response to what you see. What feelings do some of the films included in the trailer evoke? - The elements or themes explored in the films. - The use and effect of the music. Join with a partner and share your ideas. What do you think the conventions of the Gothic genre might be? ### Key Words - Gothic - Collective memory - Unreliable narrator - Ballad - Femme fatale - The uncanny - Nostalgia - Wistfully ## Are We Haunted By The Past? **Søren Kierkegaard: Life can only be understood backwards**. According to the Danish philosopher and poet Søren Kierkegaard, "life can only be understood backwards"; the past, both individual and collective, contains valuable lessons which we can learn from. We cannot deny the impact our past has on the way in which we conduct our lives in the present, but what happens when we allow these past events to stop us from moving forward? Sometimes the past can seem like a safer, happier place and we look back on it wistfully, longing for those bygone moments which in our memory seem so much better than anything we are experiencing in the present. This yearning for "the good old days" is called nostalgia, and there is a risk that we could get "stuck" trying to somehow recreate or repeat those aspects of the past that we miss. But we must accept that when we remember, we remember selectively. We have a tendency to recall those exciting or special moments more vividly than those which we feel are dull or mundane, or those uncomfortable, awkward episodes which we'd rather forget. At other times we may want to forget the past and distance ourselves from unhappier times or traumatic episodes in our lives. But the past has a habit of rearing its ugly head when we least expect it and sometimes we cannot help but dwell on what has passed; we may be plagued by regret - what if we'd done things differently? - or consumed by guilt or worry about the consequences of our actions. Our bodies may be rooted in the present, but our minds are constantly flitting back to the past. But no matter how we view the past, whether through rose-tinted spectacles or veiled in regret, we must accept that we cannot change it. In this chapter we will examine how the past is explored in the literature of the Gothic through a close study of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. For this chapter, you will need a copy of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, published by Virago (2015 edition). ## What Is The Gothic? ### What Are The Conventions of Gothic Literature? - The Gothic in fiction is characterized by historical settings, an atmosphere of mystery and terror and elements of the supernatural. **In 1764 the MP and novelist Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto, a novel that would pave the way for a new genre of fiction: the Gothic.** Inspired by Walpole's fascination with medieval history and artefacts, the novel initially appeared under a pseudonym and according to a 'translator's preface' 'was found in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England'. The story was supposedly written during the era of the Crusades and to create a sense of 'authenticity', Walpole even adopted an archaic style of writing! *The Castle of Otranto* was an immediate success and readers today can identify some of the novel's core elements as staples of the genre of Gothic literature. *The novel's appeal lies in its historical setting, the atmosphere of mystery and terror, elements of the supernatural and being able to follow the story of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.* Ever since the publication of Walpole's novel, the Gothic has captivated our imagination and remains popular even today. Originally used to describe a medieval style of architecture, the term Gothic has come to encompass so much more and can be applied to literature, art, film, fashion and even a lifestyle choice! In this section we will explore the conventions of Gothic literature. ### Activity: A Gothic Timeline **ATL** - Information Literacy Skills: Access information to be informed and inform others. - Communication Skills: Make effective summary notes for studying. Visit the link below and explore the timeline. As you read the content, make some notes and create a mind map of what you learn about the conventions of the genre. **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing. ### Extension: Gothic Subgenres There are several subgenres of Gothic literature. Here are some of them: - Victorian Gothic - Imperial Gothic - Southern Gothic - Postcolonial Gothic - Gothic science fiction **Use the Internet to find out more about these subgenres and find some examples of literature for each one.** ## What Do You Notice About The Use Of Color In The Painting? Interpret What These Colors Might Symbolize? ### Activity: Gothic Literature **ATL** - Communication Skills: Read critically and for comprehension. - Critical-thinking Skills: Draw reasonable conclusions and generalizations Now that you have some idea about what the conventions of the genre are, let's take a closer look at some examples. Read the extracts below and on page 35 and complete the tasks. 1. Compare and contrast the texts with the trailer you watched earlier (page 33). Can you identify any common themes, settings, motifs or symbols?
 2. Which Gothic conventions can you identify in each text?
 3. Evaluate how effectively each text creates a sense of mystery and terror. Analyse the language and literary devices used by the writers.
 **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing ### Identify The Narrative Voice Employed By The Writer. What Is The Effect of This? **'I do not know how it was- but, with my first sight of the building, a sense of heavy sadness filled my spirit.'** _- Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Consider the Language And Stylistic Choices Made By Poe **'...its empty eye-like windows - and at a few dead trees - I looked at this scene, I say, with a complete sadness of soul which was no healthy, earthly feeling. There was a coldness, a sickening of the heart, in which I could discover nothing to lighten the weight I felt. What was it, I asked myself, what was it that was so fearful, so frightening in my view of the House of Usher? This was a question to which I could find no answer.'** _- The Fall Of The House Of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Identify The Sentence Mood Here. What Does It Reveal About The Narrator’s Frame of Mind? ## What Role Do You Think Manfred Plays In This Story? Justify Your Answer Using Language From The Extract. ### What Do You Learn About The Setting? Why Is It Well-Suited To A Story of This Kind? **'She seized a lamp that burned at the foot of the staircase, and hurried towards the secret passage. The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters; and it was not easy for one under so much anxiety to find the door that opened into the cavern. An awful silence reigned throughout those subterraneous regions, except now and then some blasts of wind that shook the doors she had passed, and which, grating on the rusty hinges, were re-echoed through that long labyrinth of darkness. Every murmur struck her with new terror...yet more she dreaded to hear the wrathful voice of Manfred urging his domestics to pursue her. She trod as softly as impatience would give her leave, yet frequently stopped and listened to hear if she was followed. In one of those moments she thought she heard a sigh. She shuddered, and recoiled a few paces. In a moment she thought she heard the step of some person.'** _- The Castle Of Otranto, Horace Walpole_ ### Analyze The Language Used To Describe The Protagonist’s Feelings. What Kind Of Atmosphere Is Created In The Extract? ### How Does Walpole Build Suspense? ## Strawberry Hill House: Walpole’s Fake Gothic Castle, Built In 1749. ## Interpret The Role Of The Weather In This Extract. **'It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.'** _- Mary Shelley_ ### How Can I Describe My Emotions At This Catastrophe, Or How Delineate The Wretch Whom With Such Infinite Pains And Care I Had Endeavoured To Form? His Limbs Were In Proportion, And I Had Selected His Features As Beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God! His Yellow Skin Scarcely Covered The Work Of Muscles And Arteries Beneath; His Hair Was Of A Lustrous Black, And Flowing; His Teeth Of A Pearly Whiteness; But These Luxuriances Only Formed A More Horrid Contrast With His Watery Eyes, That Seemed Almost Of The Same Colour As The Dun White Sockets In Which They Were Set, His Shrivelled Complexion And Straight Black Lips.' _- Mary Shelley_ ### The Different Accidents Of Life Are Not So Changeable As The Feelings Of Human Nature. I Had Worked Hard For Nearly Two Years, For The Sole Purpose Of Infusing Life Into An Inanimate Body. For This I Had Deprived Myself Of Rest And Health. I Had Desired It With An Ardor That Far Exceeded Moderation; But Now That I Had Finished, The Beauty Of The Dream Vanished, And Breathless Horror And Disgust Filled My Heart. Unable To Endure The Aspect Of The Being I Had Created, I Rushed Out Of The Room, Continued A Long Time Traversing My Bed Chamber, Unable To Compose My Mind To Sleep. At Length Lassitude Succeeded To The Tumult I Had Before Endured; And I Threw Myself On The Bed In My Clothes, Endeavouring To Seek A Few Moments Of Forgetfulness. But It Was In Vain: I Slept, Indeed, But I Was Disturbed By The Wildest Dreams. I Thought I Saw Elizabeth, In The Bloom Of Health, Walking In The Streets Of Ingolstadt. Delighted And Surprised, I Embraced Her; But As I Imprinted The First Kiss On Her Lips, They Became Livid With The Hue Of Death; Her Features Appeared To Change, And I Thought That I Held The Corpse Of My Dead Mother In My Arms; A Shroud Enveloped Her Form, And I Saw The Grave-Worms Crawling In The Folds Of The Flannel. I Started From My Sleep With Horror; A Cold Dew Covered My Forehead, My Teeth Chattered, And Every Limb Became Convulsed: When, By The Dim And Yellow Light Of The Moon, As It Forced Its Way Through The Window Shutters, I Beheld The Wretch – The Miserable Monster Whom I Had Created.' _- Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley_ ### How Does Shelley Evoke A Sense Of The Monstrous In This Extract? ## Can You Identify Any Connections With The Other Two Extracts? ## How Is The Theme Of Death Presented In This Extract? Comment On The Use Of Imagery. ## Did You Know...? '... that Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein as part of a ‘ghost story challenge’? In 1816, the ‘year without a summer’, Mary Godwin (later to become Shelley) found herself at Villa Diodati, a mansion near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Mary was aged just 19 at the time. Mary was there with her sister Claire Clairmont, Percy Shelley, physician John Polidori and their host, Lord Byron. The party of five found themselves confined indoors most evenings due to the stormy weather conditions outside. One evening, to while away the hours, Byron suggested they all try their hand at writing ghost stories. It was a nightmare that Mary had during her stay in Geneva that gave rise to the central idea of the novel and that night a monster was born!’ ## Villa Diodati, Where Frankenstein Was Born. ## Why Do We Remember? ### How Can The Past Affect Our Lives In The Present? **'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'** _- George Santayana_ Our ability to store, retain and recall information and our past experiences is what we call our memory. Our memories matter because they affect the way we behave in the present and influence the decisions we might make about the future. But we don't have to directly experience an event in order to remember it. Knowledge that we inherit through stories that we are told, or texts that we read, enables us to participate in the act of remembrance without necessarily having a memory of it. This is what sociologists term collective memory, a shared 'memory' of a historical event which plays a role in shaping our cultural or social identity. But why do we take the time to remember these events from the past which on the surface seem to have no bearing on our lives? Remembrance can allow us to exercise empathy; for example, we may never have experienced the horror or trauma of the Second World War, but our great-grandparents might have. Taking time to remember those events allows us to get a sense of what they might have felt and can help bring us closer together. We also remember so we don't forget and make the same mistakes again as a society. As individuals, sometimes it is not our own past that comes back to haunt us, but that of our loved ones. ## Since Its Publication In 1938, Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca Has Never Been Out Of Print, A Fact Which Speaks Volumes About Its Enduring Appeal. A Tale Of Marriage, Death And Intrigue, The Novel’s Gothic Elements Have Gripped Readers For Decades And In This Chapter We Will Use The Novel To Develop Our Inquiry Into The Complicated Relationship We Have With The Past. As we follow the story of our young protagonist and narrator, known only to us as the second Mrs de Winter, it quickly becomes apparent how the past, whether our own or that of another, can have such a profound effect on our lives in the present. ### Activity: ‘Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Manderley’ – Gothic Spaces **ATL** - Communication Skills: Make inferences and draw conclusions; read critically and for comprehension. - Media Literacy Skills: Demonstrate awareness of media interpretations of events and ideas. Setting is very important in Gothic literature. In Rebecca, the majority of the story takes place at Manderley, but even when the characters are far away from the estate, their minds, both conscious and subconscious, linger there still. Part 1 Read the opening of Rebecca on page 42 and complete the tasks. 1. Identify the narrative voice in the text.

 2. Explore how the text follows the conventions of Gothic fiction. Identify examples from the text which illustrate this. 
3. Look at the highlighted quotes in the text. For each one, identify the stylistic choices or language features used by the writer. You can annotate the text in your own copy of the book using a pencil. 
4. Select one of the highlighted quotes and write a PEA paragraph about how it helps establish the Gothic setting of the novel.
 5. How do you know the narrator is haunted by her past? Find evidence from the text to justify your answer. Part 2 Read to the end of the chapter and continue annotating the text. Pay special attention to: - how the writer establishes setting - any references to memory or the past - imagery of death and/or decay - how the writer creates suspense. Part 3 Visit the link and start watching from 1m 36s to 3m 23s. **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing ## Activity: The Nightmare **ATL** - Information Literacy Skills: Access information to be informed and inform others. - Communication Skills: Make effective summary notes for studying. Visit the link below and explore the timeline. As you read the content, make some notes and create a mind map of what you learn about the conventions of the genre. **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing ### Extension: Gothic Subgenres There are several subgenres of Gothic literature. Here are some of them: - Victorian Gothic - Imperial Gothic - Southern Gothic - Postcolonial Gothic - Gothic science fiction **Use the Internet to find out more about these subgenres and find some examples of literature for each one.** ## What Do You Notice About The Use Of Color In The Painting? Interpret What These Colors Might Symbolize? ### Activity: Gothic Literature **ATL** - Communication Skills: Read critically and for comprehension. - Critical-thinking Skills: Draw reasonable conclusions and generalizations Now that you have some idea about what the conventions of the genre are, let's take a closer look at some examples. Read the extracts below and on page 35 and complete the tasks. 1. Compare and contrast the texts with the trailer you watched earlier (page 33). Can you identify any common themes, settings, motifs or symbols?
 2. Which Gothic conventions can you identify in each text?
 3. Evaluate how effectively each text creates a sense of mystery and terror. Analyse the language and literary devices used by the writers.
 **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing ### Identify The Narrative Voice Employed By The Writer. What Is The Effect of This? **'I do not know how it was- but, with my first sight of the building, a sense of heavy sadness filled my spirit.'** _- Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Consider the Language And Stylistic Choices Made By Poe **'...its empty eye-like windows - and at a few dead trees - I looked at this scene, I say, with a complete sadness of soul which was no healthy, earthly feeling. There was a coldness, a sickening of the heart, in which I could discover nothing to lighten the weight I felt. What was it, I asked myself, what was it that was so fearful, so frightening in my view of the House of Usher? This was a question to which I could find no answer.'** _- The Fall Of The House Of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Identify The Sentence Mood Here. What Does It Reveal About The Narrator’s Frame of Mind? ## What Role Do You Think Manfred Plays In This Story? Justify Your Answer Using Language From The Extract. ### What Do You Learn About The Setting? Why Is It Well-Suited To A Story of This Kind? **'She seized a lamp that burned at the foot of the staircase, and hurried towards the secret passage. The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters; and it was not easy for one under so much anxiety to find the door that opened into the cavern. An awful silence reigned throughout those subterraneous regions, except now and then some blasts of wind that shook the doors she had passed, and which, grating on the rusty hinges, were re-echoed through that long labyrinth of darkness. Every murmur struck her with new terror...yet more she dreaded to hear the wrathful voice of Manfred urging his domestics to pursue her. She trod as softly as impatience would give her leave, yet frequently stopped and listened to hear if she was followed. In one of those moments she thought she heard a sigh. She shuddered, and recoiled a few paces. In a moment she thought she heard the step of some person.'** _- The Castle Of Otranto, Horace Walpole_ ### Analyze The Language Used To Describe The Protagonist’s Feelings. What Kind Of Atmosphere Is Created In The Extract? ### How Does Walpole Build Suspense? ## Strawberry Hill House: Walpole’s Fake Gothic Castle, Built In 1749. ## Interpret The Role Of The Weather In This Extract. **'It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.'** _- Mary Shelley_ ### How Can I Describe My Emotions At This Catastrophe, Or How Delineate The Wretch Whom With Such Infinite Pains And Care I Had Endeavoured To Form? His Limbs Were In Proportion, And I Had Selected His Features As Beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God! His Yellow Skin Scarcely Covered The Work Of Muscles And Arteries Beneath; His Hair Was Of A Lustrous Black, And Flowing; His Teeth Of A Pearly Whiteness; But These Luxuriances Only Formed A More Horrid Contrast With His Watery Eyes, That Seemed Almost Of The Same Colour As The Dun White Sockets In Which They Were Set, His Shrivelled Complexion And Straight Black Lips.' _- Mary Shelley_ ### The Different Accidents Of Life Are Not So Changeable As The Feelings Of Human Nature. I Had Worked Hard For Nearly Two Years, For The Sole Purpose Of Infusing Life Into An Inanimate Body. For This I Had Deprived Myself Of Rest And Health. I Had Desired It With An Ardor That Far Exceeded Moderation; But Now That I Had Finished, The Beauty Of The Dream Vanished, And Breathless Horror And Disgust Filled My Heart. Unable To Endure The Aspect Of The Being I Had Created, I Rushed Out Of The Room, Continued A Long Time Traversing My Bed Chamber, Unable To Compose My Mind To Sleep. At Length Lassitude Succeeded To The Tumult I Had Before Endured; And I Threw Myself On The Bed In My Clothes, Endeavouring To Seek A Few Moments Of Forgetfulness. But It Was In Vain: I Slept, Indeed, But I Was Disturbed By The Wildest Dreams. I Thought I Saw Elizabeth, In The Bloom Of Health, Walking In The Streets Of Ingolstadt. Delighted And Surprised, I Embraced Her; But As I Imprinted The First Kiss On Her Lips, They Became Livid With The Hue Of Death; Her Features Appeared To Change, And I Thought That I Held The Corpse Of My Dead Mother In My Arms; A Shroud Enveloped Her Form, And I Saw The Grave-Worms Crawling In The Folds Of The Flannel. I Started From My Sleep With Horror; A Cold Dew Covered My Forehead, My Teeth Chattered, And Every Limb Became Convulsed: When, By The Dim And Yellow Light Of The Moon, As It Forced Its Way Through The Window Shutters, I Beheld The Wretch – The Miserable Monster Whom I Had Created.' _- Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley_ ### How Does Shelley Evoke A Sense Of The Monstrous In This Extract? ## Can You Identify Any Connections With The Other Two Extracts? ## How Is The Theme Of Death Presented In This Extract? Comment On The Use Of Imagery. ## Did You Know...? '... that Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein as part of a ‘ghost story challenge’? In 1816, the ‘year without a summer’, Mary Godwin (later to become Shelley) found herself at Villa Diodati, a mansion near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Mary was aged just 19 at the time. Mary was there with her sister Claire Clairmont, Percy Shelley, physician John Polidori and their host, Lord Byron. The party of five found themselves confined indoors most evenings due to the stormy weather conditions outside. One evening, to while away the hours, Byron suggested they all try their hand at writing ghost stories. It was a nightmare that Mary had during her stay in Geneva that gave rise to the central idea of the novel and that night a monster was born!’ ## Villa Diodati, Where Frankenstein Was Born. ## Why Do We Remember? ### How Can The Past Affect Our Lives In The Present? **'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'** _- George Santayana_ Our ability to store, retain and recall information and our past experiences is what we call our memory. Our memories matter because they affect the way we behave in the present and influence the decisions we might make about the future. But we don't have to directly experience an event in order to remember it. Knowledge that we inherit through stories that we are told, or texts that we read, enables us to participate in the act of remembrance without necessarily having a memory of it. This is what sociologists term collective memory, a shared 'memory' of a historical event which plays a role in shaping our cultural or social identity. But why do we take the time to remember these events from the past which on the surface seem to have no bearing on our lives? Remembrance can allow us to exercise empathy; for example, we may never have experienced the horror or trauma of the Second World War, but our great-grandparents might have. Taking time to remember those events allows us to get a sense of what they might have felt and can help bring us closer together. We also remember so we don't forget and make the same mistakes again as a society. As individuals, sometimes it is not our own past that comes back to haunt us, but that of our loved ones. ## Since Its Publication In 1938, Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca Has Never Been Out Of Print, A Fact Which Speaks Volumes About Its Enduring Appeal. A Tale Of Marriage, Death And Intrigue, The Novel’s Gothic Elements Have Gripped Readers For Decades And In This Chapter We Will Use The Novel To Develop Our Inquiry Into The Complicated Relationship We Have With The Past. As we follow the story of our young protagonist and narrator, known only to us as the second Mrs de Winter, it quickly becomes apparent how the past, whether our own or that of another, can have such a profound effect on our lives in the present. ### Activity: ‘Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Manderley’ – Gothic Spaces **ATL** - Communication Skills: Make inferences and draw conclusions; read critically and for comprehension. - Media Literacy Skills: Demonstrate awareness of media interpretations of events and ideas. Setting is very important in Gothic literature. In Rebecca, the majority of the story takes place at Manderley, but even when the characters are far away from the estate, their minds, both conscious and subconscious, linger there still. Part 1 Read the opening of Rebecca on page 42 and complete the tasks. 1. Identify the narrative voice in the text.

 2. Explore how the text follows the conventions of Gothic fiction. Identify examples from the text which illustrate this. 
3. Look at the highlighted quotes in the text. For each one, identify the stylistic choices or language features used by the writer. You can annotate the text in your own copy of the book using a pencil. 
4. Select one of the highlighted quotes and write a PEA paragraph about how it helps establish the Gothic setting of the novel.
 5. How do you know the narrator is haunted by her past? Find evidence from the text to justify your answer. Part 2 Read to the end of the chapter and continue annotating the text. Pay special attention to: - how the writer establishes setting - any references to memory or the past - imagery of death and/or decay - how the writer creates suspense. Part 3 Visit the link and start watching from 1m 36s to 3m 23s. **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing ## Activity: The Nightmare **ATL** - Information Literacy Skills: Access information to be informed and inform others. - Communication Skills: Make effective summary notes for studying. Visit the link below and explore the timeline. As you read the content, make some notes and create a mind map of what you learn about the conventions of the genre. **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing - Criterion B: Organizing ### Extension: Gothic Subgenres There are several subgenres of Gothic literature. Here are some of them: - Victorian Gothic - Imperial Gothic - Southern Gothic - Postcolonial Gothic - Gothic science fiction **Use the Internet to find out more about these subgenres and find some examples of literature for each one.** ## What Do You Notice About The Use Of Color In The Painting? Interpret What These Colors Might Symbolize? ### Activity: Gothic Literature **ATL** - Communication Skills: Read critically and for comprehension. - Critical-thinking Skills: Draw reasonable conclusions and generalizations Now that you have some idea about what the conventions of the genre are, let's take a closer look at some examples. Read the extracts below and on page 35 and complete the tasks. 1. Compare and contrast the texts with the trailer you watched earlier (page 33). Can you identify any common themes, settings, motifs or symbols?
 2. Which Gothic conventions can you identify in each text?
 3. Evaluate how effectively each text creates a sense of mystery and terror. Analyse the language and literary devices used by the writers.
 **Assessment Opportunities** - Criterion A: Analysing ### Identify The Narrative Voice Employed By The Writer. What Is The Effect of This? **'I do not know how it was- but, with my first sight of the building, a sense of heavy sadness filled my spirit.'** _- Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Consider the Language And Stylistic Choices Made By Poe **'...its empty eye-like windows - and at a few dead trees - I looked at this scene, I say, with a complete sadness of soul which was no healthy, earthly feeling. There was a coldness, a sickening of the heart, in which I could discover nothing to lighten the weight I felt. What was it, I asked myself, what was it that was so fearful, so frightening in my view of the House of Usher? This was a question to which I could find no answer.'** _- The Fall Of The House Of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe_ ### Identify The Sentence Mood Here. What Does It Reveal About The Narrator’s Frame of Mind? ## What Role Do You Think Manfred Plays In This Story? Justify Your Answer Using Language From The Extract. ### What Do You Learn About The Setting? Why Is It Well-Suited To A Story of This Kind? **'She seized a lamp that burned at the foot of the staircase, and hurried towards the secret passage. The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters; and it was not easy for one under so much anxiety to find the door that opened into the cavern. An awful silence reigned throughout those subterraneous regions, except now and then some blasts of wind that shook the doors she had passed, and which, grating on the rusty hinges, were re-echoed through that long labyrinth of darkness. Every murmur struck her with new terror...yet more she dreaded to hear the wrathful voice of Manfred urging his domestics to pursue her. She trod as softly as impatience would give her leave, yet frequently stopped and listened to hear if she was followed. In one of those moments she thought she heard a sigh. She shuddered, and recoiled a few paces. In a moment she thought she heard the step of some person.'** _- The Castle Of Otranto, Horace Walpole_ ### Analyze The Language Used To Describe The Protagonist’s Feelings. What Kind Of Atmosphere Is Created In The Extract? ### How Does Walpole Build Suspense? ## Strawberry Hill House: Walpole’s Fake Gothic Castle, Built In 1749. ## Interpret The Role Of The Weather In This Extract. **'It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.'** _- Mary Shelley_ ### How Can I Describe My Emotions At This Catastrophe, Or How Delineate The Wretch Whom With Such Infinite Pains And Care I Had Endeavoured To Form? His Limbs Were In Proportion, And I Had Selected His Features As Beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God! His Yellow Skin Scarcely Covered The Work Of Muscles And Arteries Beneath; His Hair Was Of A Lustrous Black, And Flowing; His Teeth Of A Pearly Whiteness; But These Luxuriances Only Formed A More Horrid Contrast With His Watery Eyes, That Seemed Almost Of The Same Colour As The Dun White Sockets In Which They Were Set, His Shrivelled Complexion And Straight Black Lips.' _- Mary Shelley_ ### The Different Accidents Of Life Are Not So Changeable As The Feelings Of Human Nature. I Had Worked Hard For Nearly Two Years, For The Sole Purpose Of Infusing Life Into An Inanimate Body. For This I Had Deprived Myself Of Rest And Health. I Had Desired It With An Ardor That Far Exceeded Moderation; But Now That I Had Finished, The Beauty Of The Dream Vanished, And Breathless Horror And Disgust Filled My Heart. Unable To Endure The Aspect Of The Being I Had Created, I Rushed Out Of The Room, Continued A Long Time Traversing My Bed Chamber, Unable To Compose My Mind To Sleep. At Length Lassitude Succeeded To The Tumult I Had Before Endured; And I Threw Myself On The Bed In My Clothes, Endeavouring To Seek A Few Moments Of Forgetfulness. But It Was In Vain: I Slept, Indeed, But I Was Disturbed By The Wildest Dreams. I Thought I Saw Elizabeth, In The Bloom Of Health, Walking In The Streets Of Ingolstadt. Delighted And Surprised, I Embraced Her; But As I Imprinted The First Kiss On Her Lips, They Became Livid With The Hue Of Death; Her Features Appeared To Change, And I Thought That I Held The Corpse Of My Dead Mother In My Arms; A Shroud Enveloped Her Form, And I Saw The Grave-Worms Crawling In The Folds Of The Flannel. I Started From My Sleep With Horror; A Cold Dew Covered My Forehead, My Teeth Chattered, And Every Limb Became Convulsed: When, By The Dim And Yellow Light Of The Moon, As It Forced Its Way Through The Window Shutters, I Beheld The Wretch – The Miserable Monster Whom I Had Created.' _- Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley_ ### How Does Shelley Evoke A Sense Of The Monstrous In This Extract? ## Can You Identify Any Connections With The Other Two Extracts? ## How Is The Theme Of Death Presented In This Extract? Comment On The Use Of Imagery. ## Did You Know...? '... that Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein as part of a ‘ghost story challenge’? In 1816, the ‘year without a summer’, Mary Godwin (later to become Shelley) found herself at Villa Diodati, a mansion near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Mary was aged just 19 at the time. Mary was there with her sister Claire Clairmont, Percy Shelley, physician John Polidori and their host, Lord Byron. The party of five found themselves confined indoors most evenings due to the stormy weather conditions outside. One evening, to while away the hours, Byron suggested they all try their hand at writing ghost stories. It was a nightmare that Mary had during her stay in Geneva that gave rise to the central idea of the novel and that night a monster was born!’ ## Villa Diodati, Where Frankenstein Was Born. ## Why Do We Remember? ### How Can The Past Affect Our Lives In The Present? **'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'** _- George Santayana_ Our ability to store, retain and recall information and our past experiences is