Ray Bradbury Forums
Wicked Gothic!

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29 April 2005, 08:29 AM
ophelia
Wicked Gothic!
Something Wicked... is considered a Gothic, fantasy. Frankenstein is also a Gothic novel. Are these novels similar? How is Ray's novel a Gothic piece?


Big Brother is always watching-Dr. T.J. Eckleburg out!
29 April 2005, 09:41 AM
hypno
EekerIt is gothic in a sense that the carnival that comes to town represents evil. It defies the limits of God. The caliope allows one to grow old or young, which could allow one to stay young forever.
29 April 2005, 09:41 AM
SWTWC
Yes I do feel that the fantasy in both of these books has a gothic appeal to them. In Frankenstein the idea of creating life from body parts of dead people is very morbid. The entire book revovles around death and rebirth which are two very gothic topics. In SWTWC the entire book is based on the idea of age, getting younger or older. The creations of dwarfs from full grown people and a man kept alive by an electric chair are very odd. Both books are about the control of life. coincedently I was not a big fan of either one.
29 April 2005, 09:42 AM
English IV groupie
Gothic!...I'd never thought...you know with all the freak shows creeping me out. I think the book has a color or an aura about it. Just like with Frankenstein, It was dark and freaky and that's where gothic comes in. They both have those creepy, dark characters. I think Ray wanted to make it that way. Everyone's freaked out about Carnivals. Aren't they?


Kali
29 April 2005, 09:42 AM
Jacquelin
Yeah i can definently see how this would be considered a gothic novel because its so dark, much like Frankenstein and in both stories it seems the characters get themselves in holes that they cant dig their way out of.
29 April 2005, 09:46 AM
ghettosmurf
Dark and twisted things happen --But i don't think its intent was to be gothic-- Just to show the imagination and ideas that carnivals bring to people
29 April 2005, 09:47 AM
BROKEN
Yes, both of the novel are similar in a way that they both have a sense of evil to them.In Frankenstein a human being creates another human, to me that is evil. In Something Wicked...the whole story seems evil to me. The carnival is evil because of the music and the people that work there.
29 April 2005, 09:47 AM
crowny
both are gothic and the same in the way that they both defy gods "plan" Frankenstein he recreates a life that was already taken from the world and in something wicked this way comes they have the ability to keep life forever or kill before its time.
29 April 2005, 09:48 AM
Michelle Lynn
Yeah there is quite a bit of gothic things, but it's not just the gothic that is being pronounced here! I think that it's mosly stuff that is trying to scare us and make it seem like it is real. Kind of like those Goosebumpsmovies and shows. They always have weird looking creatures that belong to weird places!!
29 April 2005, 09:48 AM
chelle
I think there are alot of dark gothic parts in Something Wicked This Way Comes but I think Frankenstein is more gothic. It just seems like a science fiction novel would be more gothic than a fantasy novel.
29 April 2005, 11:10 AM
Ripped Abs
I think Wicked is more fantasy and less gothic than Frankenstein and that's good because you get the darkness without an annoying gothic hero.


i'm awesome
02 May 2005, 07:13 AM
AVILA_B-BALL
I definately think that something wicked was written to freak people out, bradbury is crazy, I like him allot, but he is crazy
02 May 2005, 10:16 AM
ghettosmurf
it is a strange book-- all his books are out of the ordinary--he writes from a different spectrum then most of us are use to--does that make him crazy or just special?
03 May 2005, 08:53 AM
~*~April~*~
It definatly give a gothic and morbid feeling. The book it really creepy in my opinion. Carnivals are supposed to be fun and happy and the the carnical in something wicked is just creepy
03 May 2005, 02:57 PM
Audio*Bell
I do think that both of the books are a lot alike because they both have that sense of evil to them, but on the other hand Frankenstein didn't really have creepy magical stuff going on. I mean I know there was a creature brought to life, but in SWTWC there are all kinds of abnormal things floating about.