The following excerpt is taken from a work studied in the GCE syllabus:

"The moon hung low, a pale lantern over the crumbling manor, its shutters rattling like skeletal fingers. Inside, the guests laughed, their mirth a thin veneer over the dread that seeped through the corridors."

Identify the literary genre (choose from tragedy, comedy, satire, or gothic fiction) and justify your choice with two textual features.

Question

The following excerpt is taken from a work studied in the GCE syllabus:

"The moon hung low, a pale lantern over the crumbling manor, its shutters rattling like skeletal fingers. Inside, the guests laughed, their mirth a thin veneer over the dread that seeped through the corridors."

Identify the literary genre (choose from tragedy, comedy, satire, or gothic fiction) and justify your choice with two textual features.

Accepted Answer

Gothic fiction - the passage uses a decaying, haunted setting (the crumbling manor under a pale moon) and juxtaposes superficial laughter with an underlying sense of dread, both characteristic of the gothic genre.

Gce Model Questions Vol1 2022 Literature In English Question 48

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