What does the term Gothic mean?
Think dark, subdued, moody, misty/foggy, remote/isolated, often based on ancient buildings or religious settings perhaps - graveyards, mausoleums, tombs, churches, castles etc. The architectural style of high stone (not brick) buildings and complicated architectural styles are often, but not always, the setting for such stories, - though the stories themselves have to be 'macabre or mysterious events - unexplained events, murders, ghosts, demons, devils, body parts etc.
The term Gothic definitely denotes the words listed above. The major theme related to the word/genre are dark and negative things. The more I research into the meaning of the word I see more and more relation to Dickens story and his character Miss Havisham in particular. We are introduced to the film (2012 version) seeing dull and dingy settings including swamps/marshes and one of the prisoners slowly rising from the water as if he was the antagonist of the film. A lot of film adaptation in particular includes a lot of elements from the horror genre. This had to be portrayed as the novel itself is set in 1861 a very difficult period to live in. The major themes of the novel also included ambition and self-improvement, social class, crime, guilt and innocence. Quite serious and harsh themes as Dickens explores the class systems of Victorian of England.
Victorian Gothic related images...
Alexander McQueen for Givenchy. "Elect/Dissect", Haute Couture Fall/Winter 97/98
scanned from the book "Gothic - Dark Glamour"
scanned from the book "Gothic - Dark Glamour"
Ellen von Unwerth, From Revenge, 2002. 16"x20", Gelatin Silver Print, Edition of 15
Plate LXXXVIII. A Combination of Half-Timbered Upper with Lower Walls of Stone.
Plate LXXXV. Hall in English Castle of Gothic Architecture and Early Victorian Furnishing.
Gothic Revival was a big influential style of the 19th century. The designs were mainly based on patterns used in the middle ages, A range of civic and domestic buildings were built and furnished in the Gothic Revival style that blossomed from 1830 to 1900.
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