Gothic Elements in Stephen King's: The Shining

Gothic Elements in Stephen King’s: The Shining.

The classic elements were invented by Horace Walpole in 1764 in his novel The Castle Of Qtranto. These elements have been used in a variety of ways in different aspects books films short stories even today. Stephen King uses these elements in his novel The Shining alternating them to fit his needs.

The first classic element is the incorporation of setting in an old castle, with secret rooms scary passages, underground burial vaults. Seeming abandoned but sometimes occupied. Stephen King modernizes these elements by using a big hotel that is seemingly abandoned but sometimes occupied by scary ghosts, Kings Novel the underground burial vault takes form of the boiler room in the basement where the scrapbook of the hotels past comes to life.

The second classic element is the atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Portrays a feeling of being threatened and a fear enhanced by the unknown. King uses this element in the beginning of the novel where Danny blacks out and falls into a land of the future, when he is visited by his friend Tony. There is a feeling of suspense when this happens because at this point of the novel you don’t have enough information to understand what is happening.

The Third classic element is an ancient prophecy intertwined with the castle. Which states history and is usually obscure, partial or confusing. In Kings novel he represents this as an old scrap book with newspaper clippings notes or letters and old records about the hotel. Which in the middle of the novel Kings character is obsessed with this book and looses all interest his most valued possessions like his novel he was writing and looses interest in his wife and son.

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The fourth classic element is omens portents or visions. Kings character Danny suffers from black out that causes him to see the future with a little help from his friend Tony. The basis of the book is about Danny’s shining. Which is what the hotel wants they thrive on his shining and become stronger and stronger eventually making Danny’s dad turn against him and his wife Wendy.

The fifth classic element is supernatural or inexplicable events which is Danny’s shining. His mother takes him to a doctor and asks to see if this is all normal. The doctor said that he couldn’t find a thing wrong with him as was explaining how he is very bright for his age and he puts a lot of effort on learning how to read, this maybe the cause of stress.

The sixth classic element is high, even overwrought emotion. This is portrayed by Danny’s fear of his father hurting him and Jacks anger caused by his alcoholism and trying to over come it. The