Wandering Through the Old Cemetery

Shelley, M. (1818). Chapter 4. In: 'Frankenstein'. London: Harvey Mavor & Jones. p53.

As part of my initial research into the gothic unit I felt it was important to first embody the mood surrounding the conventions of gothic found within both literature and art. The true meaning surrounding gothic is frequently miscommunicated, often being blurred with the conventions of horror. In fact the term Gothic is a concept that surrounds a movement within the 19th century that embodied the gloomy moodiness associated with macabre, this facination with the dark is found within many pieces of art and literature from the period, designed to challenge the human association with the nocturnal. Gothic was also a style of architecture and described a style of building that included large archways, buttresses and stone shaping seen frequently within large churches and cathedrals. Many of which were constructed prior to the Victorian period with 12th-16th century Medieval Europe, however were revived during the 18th-19th century. In many instances classic gothic during the Victorian period was a revival of a movement that had been establishing itself throughout much of Europe for many centuries prior.

Despite not being directly linked to the gore of modern horror there does maintain a connection with classic gothic to the sense of fear. Many gothic writers such as Bram Stroker and Mary Shelley wrote for the purpose of combining fear and romance, appealing to the human desire for temptation that had long since been discouraged. In the beginning many writers such as Shelley were disapproved of due to their descriptions of grave robbing and attempted acts of God, such as creating Frankenstein's creature where he questions "Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave", concepts considered by many immoral to depict. When establishing the sense of what it means to represent classic gothic I feel it is vital to establish the mood first. In many instances old cemetery's represent the perfect example of what gothic means in regards to literature and art, they are places that combine both the unknown and decay with love. They are places that despite being filled with a sense of morbidity remain peaceful. Often I feel attitudes towards traditional gothic settings such as graveyards have become corrupted by a modern association with the fashion of 'Goth', however in connection to gothic literature they are the dramatic backdrop for both scenes of terror and romance.

These photographs in particular were taken at Southampton Common Cemetary, I feel they are helpful in visually explaining how romance and fear are combined within gothic horror. The graves are themselves objects of decay and yet they carry words of love and memoriam, in many circumstances this being their key reason for describing classic dramatic scenes within many gothic novels such as Dracula where passion and death are combined.