The gothic tradition in the novels of the Bronte sisters: Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre

After the reign of Queen Victoria, the 19th century is called as a Victorian Era in England. The era becomes the symbol of stability and development in many fields of life, economy, policy, social way of life and arts. However the social, economic and moral changes have led many contradictions. As usual the writers of the era are influenced by the society and depicted the contradictions in their works. The realistic and the serious topics of the Victorian Age is heightened and softened with the optimism of the Romantic Age.In this study, both realistic and romantic elements mainly the gothic elements in the novels of the Victorian period writers, especially Emily Bronte?s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte?s Jane Eyre are investigatedIn the first chapter features of the Romantic Period and the Victorian Age also the main genres of the Victorian Age are mentioned. The gothic, the development of the gothic novel and how the gothic elements are used in realistic novels are analyzed in detail.In the second chapter, how the biographies of Emily Bronte and Charlotte Bronte are reflected in their novels and how the realistic and the gothic elements are used in their novels are analyzed with the examples.In the last part of the thesis it is mentioned that although written in the Victorian Age the two novels have the realistic and the romantic elements. As a result, it is concluded that the romantic elements of the previous age are not disappeared but continued in the Victorian Age.