Was doing my A level English, and this thought just came to me:

"Not only is Evangelion full of Byronic heroes, but it also uses several other aspects of gothic literature"

Discuss.

where's your SAUCE here?

That wasn't a statement, that was a thought. On the subject of byronic heroes, here are the traits of a byronic hero:

. conflicting emotions, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness
.self-critical and introspective
.struggles with integrity
.a distaste for social institutions and social norms
.being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw
.has "dark" attributes not normally associated with heroes
.struggles with sexual identity
.a lack of respect for rank and privelege
.a troubled past
.being cynical, demanding, and/or arrogant
.often self destructive
.loner, often rejected from society

Sounds like anyone we know? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

What I'm wandering is, does anyone think that there are any other Gothic references in Evangelion?

Indigo Arcangel wrote:Sounds like anyone we know? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

It sounds like just about every anti-hero I can think of, and I'm pretty sure Byron didn't invent that trope.

BobBQ wrote:

Indigo Arcangel wrote:Sounds like anyone we know? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

It sounds like just about every anti-hero I can think of, and I'm pretty sure Byron didn't invent that trope.

No, but he did popularise it and unleash a slew of the buggers into literature. Hence the term 'Byronic Hero'.

(P.S Everyone should go read Manfred NAO )

Many of them were discussed by Schopenhauer, and Nietzche, but I do have to say that there is a connection (and if I remember correctly, wikipedia said something about it)

I am familiar with the archetype of the Byronic hero. I.e. Roy Batty in Blade Runner could be considered a Byronic Hero. I can’t say the same of Eva characters.

Well, think about it. Just about every trait that I described could be attached to Shinji, and the other characters could certainly be attached to some of them.

Just realised one correlation to Gothic literature, in specific, Wuthering Heights. Gendo is a lot like Heathcliff in motives. He loses a loved one, then tries to get revenge for it, while also reuniting with her. Oh, and there's the fact that from his early years, he certainly isn't treated very well or liked. His very first chronological appearence was after having been part of a bar fight, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had been the focus of it.