Charles Brockden Brown: a Redefinition of the Gothic Novel

Date of Graduation

Summer 1991

Degree

Master of Arts in English

Department

English

Committee Chair

Wayne Blackmon

Abstract

The Gothic novel enjoyed its early success between the years 1764 and 1820. The genre originated in England with the publication of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto and continues until the present day as a popular and profitable form of literature. The American author Charles Brockden Brown (1771-1810) redefined the Gothic novel by proving that terror and horror can originate anywhere, even in the streets of a city such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Brown is considered to be the first American author of international acclaim. He is also the father of the American Gothic novel.

Subject Categories

English Language and Literature

Copyright

© Janice Ann Broyles

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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