American Gothic – C. B. Brown and the Re-birth of a Genre Cover Image

Američka gotska književnost – C. B. Brown i ponovno rođenje žanra
American Gothic – C. B. Brown and the Re-birth of a Genre

Author(s): Marko Lukić
Subject(s): Theory of Literature, American Literature
Published by: Filološki fakultet, Nikšić
Keywords: literature; American Gothic; C. B. Brown; transition; adaptation; anxiety; re-birth;

Summary/Abstract: The transitional period which preceded the formation of a completely authentic American literary voice was influenced not only by the European mainstream literary production but also by the Gothic literary tradition which introduced specific narrative structures almost exclusively dedicated to a critical questioning of society and various social phenomena and the expression of numerous national anxieties. Charles Brockton Brown stands out as a key contributor to the successful adaptation of the Gothic genre, which until then was strongly defined by European social and cultural influences. By combining certain European features of the genre with some of the features that dominated the imagination of the emerging nation, Brown succeeded in creating a contemporary critique of the American society while at the same time giving new impetus to a genre that would in many ways define the future development of American literature.

  • Issue Year: 2010
  • Issue No: 1-2
  • Page Range: 131-145
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Croatian