The Gothic fragment is a type of

Gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

characterized by short, atmospheric stories with abrupt beginnings and ends. Widely popular in the late 1700s, gothic fragments are narratives driven by

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

motifs without explanation. Many were inspired by the works of Nathan Drake, Anna Aikin, and

John Aikin John Aikin (15 January 1747 – 7 December 1822) was an English medical doctor and surgeon. Later in life he devoted himself wholly to biography and writing in periodicals. Life He was born at Kibworth Harcourt, Leicestershire, England, son o ...

Definition and analysis

The Gothic fragment is a type of short

popular in the late 1700s, perhaps approaching the popularity of the Gothic novels of the time. Unlike the Gothic tale, fragments focus mostly on atmosphere instead of plot, and they are written mostly to astonish the reader rather than provide a moral conclusion. While some fragments attempt to explain

elements of their stories, most do not, and fragments typically start abruptly and end without resolution. In this way, Gothic fragments are largely dissimilar from Gothic novels. Although their beginnings and endings are abrupt, they are not incomplete narratives. Many fragments were published in literary magazines like the ''

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'' and the ''

Lady's Monthly Museum ''The Lady's Monthly Museum; Or, Polite Repository of Amusement and Instruction'' was an English monthly women's magazine published between 1798 and 1832. History ''The Lady's Magazine'', a women's magazine founded in 1770 with a "pseudo-genteel ...

''. Several are inspired by "Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" (in ''Miscellaneous Pieces in Prose'', 1773) and "Montmorenci, a Fragment" (by Nathan Drake, 1790). While distinctions between Gothic tales and fragments are not entirely well-defined – some stories, like "Fitzalan" (1797), tend to belong in both categories – most fragments are distinctively fragmentary.

Examples

* "Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" – the first Gothic fragment, written by

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and/or

(1773) * "A Fragment. In the Manner of the Old Romances" – story inspired by "Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by

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(1789) * "Story of Sir Gawen" – story by Nathan Drake (1790) * "The Two Knights. A Fragment" – story inspired by "Sir Bertrand: A Fragment" by W. G. (1795) * "Lothaire: A Legend" – story by Harriet Lee * "Sir Edmund, a Gothic Fragment" – story by "Fredericsberg Germanicus" (1796) * "Montmorenci, a Fragment" – story by Nathan Drake (1798) * " Raymond; a Fragment" – story inspired by "Sir Edmund, a Gothic Fragment" by the pseudonymous "Juvenis" (1799)

Definition and analysis

Examples

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Works cited