Poe’s horror novels inherited 18-century Gothic novels’ tradition, from which absorbed horror artistic conception: ghostly castle which is full of dismal atmosphere, and strange, eccentric people, something happened in ancient times or in a deserted spot。 Most of Poe’s horror stories took first-person narration, and most stories happened in foreign countries。 His classic horror novels included The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, The Cask of Amontillado and so on。 However, there was scant enthusiasm on horror novels and death-themed novels in his time, but Poe was paranoid about this style。 People didn’t pay much attention to Poe’s works at that time; Poe’s values were accepted until he died。

In a word, Allan Poe is constantly revealing human psyche with the unique imagination and sharp observation in his novels。 Readers all have to face the deepest dark of their soul。 This thesis will explore reasons for grotesque’s creation, the narration tactics of Poe’s horror novels on the basis of predecessors’ achievements, the author’s life, and the study of his works。

II。 Edgar Allan Poe and His Creation

2。1 Author’s Life

Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most celebrated of American storyteller and the earliest American practitioners of the short story, was considered as a part of the American Romantic Movement。 Poe is known for his tales of mystery and absurdity。 Poe lived through and wrote descriptions of episodic unconsciousness, paranoia and confusion。 These symptoms had attributed to drug abuse or alcohol。 Poe was able to use creative genius and experience from illness to create unforgettable tales and poignant poems。 Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts and orphaned young when his mother died shortly after his father abandoned the family。 Then he was adopted by a tobacconist, but their relationship was often awkward。 He never got warm and sense of security from his family and his foster father during his childhood。 When he grew up he was sent to attend the University of Virginia, but after one semester, he left the school for lack of money。 Then he was enlisted in the West Point, but finally left the Army。 He began to publish poems in a humble way, with an anonymous collection of poems。 Gradually, Poe switched his focus on prose and spent the next several years working on literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism。 His work forced him to shuttle between different cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City。 He married his cousin Virginia Clemn, who was not yet 14, had been considered as an attempt to find the stable family life he lacked。 During this time Poe published his poem The Raven and got an immediate success in January 1845。 Unfortunately, his beloved wife died of tuberculosis two years later。 After his wife died, Poe fell apart and had been plowing a lonely furrow。 Finally Poe died at the age of 40 in Baltimore on 7th October, 1849, the cause of his death is unknown and has been variously attributed to alcohol, cholera, brain congestion, drugs, suicide, heart disease, rabies, tuberculosis, and other agents。 After Edgar Allan Poe died nearly for fifty years, his creation was gradually accepted and recognized by the literary world and he was granted the corresponding literary status。 Poe and his works influenced literature in the United States and around the world, and his works are popular throughout the world in forms of music, literature, television and films today。 文献综述

2。2 Theme and Purpose of Poe’s Creation

No matter how to classify Allan Poe’s stories, it is easy to find out that his novels are full of violence, bloodiness, death and horror, sometimes even supernatural events。 Death and Horror are the main keynote and the key conception to interpret his novels。 In his novels, we can feel the atmosphere of destruction and madness everywhere, and Allan Poe is so partial to that theme。 The reason why he obsessed himself with this sort of theme is not only because his depressed, dissocial character and his fondness for contemplation but also because he experienced too many death and frustration in life。 He was overwhelmed with these sorrows which made him prefer to choose death theme。 Poe is closely related with gothic novels precisely because this remarkable features。 Poe’s most horror fictions are regarded as gothic novels which is a type of thrilling and mystery stories。 Gothic novels are arguably the originator of horror films。 The locale of a story is usually in an old castle, or ruins and bleak cellars, or horrific grave yards。 The story line is always following the pattern of murder, violence and murky episode, even some of supernatural phenomenon, like ghost or demon。 What’s more, it is accustomed us to link gothic style with dark, horror, and death。 Traditional gothic novels pay attention to the thrilling atmosphere and external sensation。 But Allan Poe shifts the exterior sense organ horror into the horror from the feelings from heart。 Poe fades the story plot but highlights character’s inner world and mental activity。 This is why Poe is controversial, the horror and darkness in his novel is only considered as a kind of means of sensationalism。 Poe tells us that the specific content of fear is not important, what counts is the process to mental destruction and spirit adventure。