Gothic Terror in Poe’s Short Stories

Abstract

The present dissertation focuses on Gothic terror of Poe’s short stories. Poe has come to be viewed as one of the most important American authors in Gothic tradition. Poe's stature as a major figure in world literature is primarily based on his highly acclaimed short stories, poems, and critical theories, which established an influential rationale for the short form in both poetry and fiction. Regarded in literary histories and handbooks as the architect of the modern short story, Edgar Allan Poe was the master craftsman of spine-chilling horror. His setting is greatly influential in Gothic novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere of horror and dread, but also portrays the deterioration of its world. The decaying, ruined scenery implies that at one time there was a thriving world. At one time the abbey, castle, or landscape was something treasured and appreciated.