Ashanti Nedrick

ENGL 21002

Joseph Furlong

Research Paper

April 13th, 2021

     “Do you like the color black” ? This was a question that ran through my mind when I went to school one day wearing all black. I didn’t really pay any attention to the color I was wearing but someone did. They would ask me “Are you goth” and I would think to myself with disgust. But from that moment on, I always wondered what the goth culture was about and where it all started from. This has brought me towards the question that I want to explore. What is the meaning of the Gothic society today and how has it developed overtime? 

   The goth subculture is a community of people who are perceived as “emo” or “dark people” and are seen in different people just by the way they look such as dressing in black clothing, dying their hair black, wearing dark eyeliner, and having black fingernails as well. According to an article called “The Origin and Development of the Creative Goth Subculture” (Myllymaa, 2018) says “The origin of the word Goth is connected to the Roman Empire but has little or nothing to do with the subculture. Goths were a Germanic tribe who helped in the defeat of the Roman Empire. In contrast, the gothic novel of the eighteenth-century is a pioneer of the modern understanding of the term gothic by being a genre related to the mood of horror, morbidity and darkness.”  This shows more of where the goth subculture started from and they got it’s image. The goth subculture, which has spread to many countries in which people find it aspiring to be added into their daily lives as well. The goth subculture has made more effect on people than any other trend itself and more and more people tend to be known as dark people who might seem mad or angry. This sets an overall stereotype on these kinds of people too. Many people think that because these people wear the color black all the time in which some don’t or listen to rock music, that they are depressed,  a part of a supernatural environment or think they are a part of a cult. However, there’s more to their culture than what people would think.

      Music, aesthetics, and fashion are all integrated with the goth subculture. Gothic rock, industrial, deathrock, post-punk, darkwave, ethereal wave, and neoclassical are some of the genres of music associated with the goth subculture. In a goth article states that “This is what gothic music started as, a darker form of punk rock music with a tendency toward misanthropy, the macabre, mystery and desolation. It grew into a distinct entity from the punk movement in the late 70’s. It usually contains the hard guitars typical of rock music, but with a more apocalyptic flair and a certain theatricality of the band. Gothic rock is very different from heavy metal and death metal although you will find some confusion regarding that point. Gothic music in its narrowest definition only consists of this music type” (Smith,2009). This quote gives a description on what their music taste is and also where it came from.There are different types of music as well as style too. Deathrock, punk, and Victorian styles, as well as variations of the three, are common in the subculture, with dark clothing (often seen in the color black), pale or dark face makeup, and black hair. As said in an article, “As happens with each subculture, Goth has expanded too but sometimes change results in rebellion. Today Goth style is in many ways an anti-fashion statement, but that has not stopped it becoming trendy among popular culture and mainstream, even in Hollywood.” (Myllymaa, 2018). This shows how their fashion has developed overtime. Goth fashion now has changed into more trendy ways where we style with different looks and using dark clothing as a look.  Along with the goth subculture, comes with its curiosity on goths beliefs as well as their behavior towards people who are not a part of the subculture too. Goth people aren’t mean in any way towards people and are actually nice. They are also shy when it comes to other people and are friendly when you first meet them. Goths are a peaceful people. Although goths can seem frightening at times, they are usually warm and friendly. They are more open-minded and less judgmental than many other subcultures. Few would be outgoing, but the majority of them are reserved introverts. According to another article that says, “They are generally unaccepted by others because they are more interested in thinking about the intricacies of life. They are generally the poets of the school and they are interested in exploring feelings and expressing themselves creatively. This often makes them open to criticism and ridicule from others. As a result, the ones who don’t “fit in” with other groups come together so they at least belong somewhere.” (Hagy, 2017) This shows the perception of goths true behavior despite what others have thought about them based on looks. They are not mean but likely to be more kind than most people but it also questions their beliefs as well. What do these people believe in? Most people believe that they are a part of a cult while others believe that they don’t believe in anything at all. It is told that goths have different beliefs and religions. From a blog post by David Earl Johnson, says “The subculture is marked by its emphasis on individualism, tolerance for (sexual) diversity, a strong emphasis on creativity, a dislike of social conservatism and a strong tendency towards cynicism, but even these ideas are not common to all goths”  (Johnson, 2006). They are known to be very introverted but not all are like this. There are many goths who are Atheists while some are christans, jewish or even muslim. Goths were seen as people who believe in Satan but it’s another wrongly assumed stereotype that people think about them. 

    In the goth community, there is a wide spectrum of participants who consider themselves goth. From children to adults, it starts young somewhere and usually deals with how the person is feeling and whether or not they feel accepted into the environment that they are in as well. From an article called “Goth’s Wan Stamina” , states “Goth isn’t only for the young, either; if it suits you, you can be a goth all your life (which is certainly not true of punk — there’s surely no more depressing coiffure than the receding Mohawk). In fact, if you’re trying to look like a corpse, a gaunt face and figure can be an advantage rather than a drawback — although, after a lifetime spent avoiding the sun, some elder goths (as they’re respectfully known) remain surprisingly wrinkle-free.” (Brottman, 2007). Goths are a very diverse community of people and just anyone can be a part of this group of people as well. Goths may be as colorful, cheerful, and quirky as they like, which is why so many people are attracted to the subculture, in which may also have a strong interest in horror, paranormal monsters, or the supernatural. A lot of people think that goths are more interested in the supernatural beings and like dark creatures as well which is mainly why they are criticized a lot. An article then states, “The arguments are well-known, but if there is any general consensus, it seems to be that Gothic is a mode rather than a genre, that it is a loose tradition and even that its defining characteristics are its mobility and continued capacity for reinvention. The worst kind of criticism however has a tendency to treat it as though it were a genre, looking for the features that might define it, and producing a rather mechanical conclusion” (Warwick, 2007). Most think that they are weird in a way but it’s all based on their preferences because it’s different for anyone who considers to be a part of this subculture. This shows how goths are treated even though they are embracing their culture and who they are as a person.  

    To conclude, I think that the goth subculture is a very interesting subculture to research about. I had always thought that goth people were just weird in their own way but they are similar to everyone else as well. It was great to learn about them and hope to meet someone in this subculture too. I learned so much about their culture and more about their fashion and why they have seen the way that they are seen in society. Even today, goth people are seen as weird or shallow, or even demonic because of how the media portrays them. I feel like goths are a subculture that is also mistreated a lot and stereotyped in which people believe they are one thing when they are completely different. The next time I think of wearing black, I will consider it as a trend and not think of goths as weird people.