Gothic Elements In The Turn Of The Screw And The Other

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Gothic literature is a genre that combines elements of horror and romanticism with the intention to create feelings of mystery and suspense to add drama to the literary work. Gothic literature dates back to 18th century in England, and was particularly successful in the 19th. Also, from the renaissance up to the middle of the 18th century, the term gothic had a negative connotation, since it was linked to scary themes. The Turn of the Screw and The Others exhibit Gothic elements by showing an atmosphere of mystery, supernatural events, and a woman in distress as the central figure.
The Turn of the Screw and The Others use similar elements in order to display an atmosphere of mystery. Since the beginning, both works provoke anxiety by the feeling of mystery, since they provide imprecise information and speculations. In The Others, the most significant use of a mysterious
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In The Turn of the Screw, it is stated that “Mr. Quint is dead” (James 41). This means that the governess is experiencing supernatural events, since she is seeing Peter Quint along with Miss Jessel in the form of ghosts throughout the story. These ghosts do not actually do anything bad, and their intentions are not clearly stated, yet their effect is critical on the main characters. On the other hand, in The Others the main characters are being haunted by a family of ghosts. During the film, Anne confesses the existence of the ghosts when she tells her mother that “they're everywhere - they say this house is theirs” (The Others). Plus, Anne constantly talks to an invisible boy, Victor, and insists to her mother Grace that there are people talking, whispering, and going around the house. These ghosts have a profound effect on the minds of the protagonists, since their thoughts, actions, and behaviors are often influenced by the presence of the