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Abstract
In the beginning, the word Gothic resonated with aesthetic and artistic terms. Years later, however, the Gothic evolved into a literary genre including writers like Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Gothic continues to grow and change encompassing many mediums and contemporary writers. In the midst of the Gothic tradition, graphic novels burst on the scene with more Gothic tales like From Hell and Sandman.
The key concepts of the Gothic like, fear, the sublime, Neutral Territory, and the monstrous tend to be studied in the graphic horror genre. This thesis, however, takes those four key themes and applies them to graphic novels that reside outside of that genre. Using those concepts help readers become closer to the characters, see different sides of the characters, and develop a deeper understanding of the plot.
David B. and Charles Burns contribute to this study with their graphic novels. David B.’s Epileptic provides a unique and interesting analysis using the four key concepts described earlier. David B.’s graphic memoir shows that the Gothic elements can and should be studied in nonfiction texts. Similarly, Charles Burns’s multi-genre work, Black Hole, provides readers with numerous examples of each element.
