Gothic Horror Project

The Victorian era was dominated by Queen Victoria, who's reign lasted from 1837 to 1901. In 1840 she married her cousin, Prince Albert. Their close relationship enabled him to help her lead the country, however the development of typhoid fever caused him to die in 1861. She became depressed and decided to only wear black for the rest of her reign. Britain was one of the most powerful countries during this time and there were rapid developments in technology and medical knowledge. 

Like every era, the hair and make-up developed and changed. Pastes and powders were the extent of Victorian make-up. Products were also medicine based as women could not look after their skin properly. They were therefore suitable for people who had scars, spots or other facial issues and could be bought from an apothecary. A white face was popular during the era as it was a symbol for wealth. Women would hide their faces from the sun to avoid catching a tan. If women were to have any colour on their face it would be a simple nude/pink colour. 

Gothic Horror became known in the mid 18th century. Traditionally story lines feature elements of horror and romance as well as in-depth story lines containing a range of characters whether that being dead or alive. It was popular for Gothic horror stories to be located in strange settings to help create the mysterious and eerie feeling that the books portrayed to the reader. In my chosen book (The Turn of the Screw) the story line is set in an old country estate house. 

For my second unit, I have chosen to study The Turn of the Screw written by Henry James in 1898 from the Gothic horror book list we were given this term. The characters I will be studying were portrayed throughout the Victorian era, allowing me to research further into the era itself and my own adaptations from the characters in my book. I will take modern day techniques and styles to re-create my character. 
References

Shepherd, A. (2004) History in focus: Overview of the Victorian era (article). Available at: http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/Victorians/article.html (Accessed: 25 January 2016).

(No Date) Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/queen-victoria-9518355 (Accessed: 25 January 2016).

Fleming, R.S. (2012) Kate Tattersall adventures. Available at: http://www.katetattersall.com/early-victorian-era-make-up/ (Accessed: 25 January 2016).

BBC (2015) Spine-chillers and suspense: A timeline of gothic fiction. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zyp72hv (Accessed: 25 January 2016).

Bowen, J. (2014) Gothic motifs. Available at: http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gothic-motifs (Accessed: 25 January 2016).