Topic > Gothic literature and magical realism: The Nose and the Black Cat

IndexIntroductionGogol's nose as a work of magical realismPoe's Black Cat as a work of gothic literatureConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionThe stories of Gogol and Edgar Allen Poe, “The Nose” and " The Black Cat" are similar but also have their main differences, which make them intriguing subjects for an essay on gothic literature and magical realism. Suspense, flashbacks, foreshadowing, tension are all part of these two stories. Gogol and Poe both use a serious tone to make the unreal seem ordinary. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gogol's Nose as a Work of Magical Realism Gogol's story, "The Nose", is set in the period when appearance was how you got your wealth, this is the case of Major Kovalev. He was to marry a rich and very pretty woman as he had described. When he loses his nose he goes on a crazy journey trying to find it again. Major Kovalev eventually recovers, but gives up on marrying that woman and later writes an angry letter to the girl's mother, the mother has no idea what he is talking about but is thrilled for him to marry her daughter. Two weeks later his nose is back and he decides not to marry her because life is good and he is pleased with the size of his nose compared to other men in Russian society. Poe's The Black Cat as a Work of Gothic Literature Poe's story, "The Black Cat" is a tale full of twists at the least expected moment. Poe uses flashbacks to create tension, even if the tension is already there, it enters suspense comes into play and makes the story scary and mysterious. Poe gives the main character of this story a very complex lifestyle. When he was younger things like caring for animals and the tenderness of his heart was usually joke of his companions. Most likely everything he experienced as a child and throughout his life as a teenager. Making him the way he is, a drunk, an animal murderer and a wife murderer. Poe's story is different from history by Gogol, "The Nose". Although both of these stories cover many concepts, they have major differences. Gogol's story is a Magical Realism story, which means that magical realism uses a serious moment to make unreal things seem realistic. . Poe's tale is gothic literature, which means it will use darkness, mystery, suspense, tension, flashbacks, and foreshadowing. All types of stories might use these elements of Gothic literature, but they are commonly found whenever one reads Gothic literature. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Gothic literature and magical realism are an essential key to creating good stories. However, when reading or writing a story of these genres you need to make sure which one it is and how and whether they work together. Poe and Gogol's stories have some similarities, for example in both there is a mystery in the story of Kovalev losing his nose and how he gets it back. Or how Poe goes back and forth with flashbacks making you wonder why he did it and what will happen next. Works Cited Gogol, Nikolai. "The nose." Translated by Claud Field, Project Gutenberg, 2004.Poe, Edgar Allan. "The black cat." The Literature Network, Jalic Inc., 2000, www.online-literature.com/poe/24/.Mann, Susan. "Gothic fiction." The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, edited by Jerrold E. Hogle, Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp. 21-41.Garrett, Peter K. 'Magical Realism.' The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel, edited by Efraín Kristal, Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 105-122.