1. "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe
1.1. Gothic Style - the ancient decaying castle is eerie and moldy and the surrounding moat seems stagnant
1.1.1. Focus on the individual - Romantics tended to focus on those who were not accepted by society but were shunned. Such as Roderick Usher, and his family who were known for incest in society.
1.1.1.1. Strong feelings - throughout the story, there are a lot of feelings of fear and sorrow by Roderick Usher.
1.1.2. Poe was a Dark Romantic - they focused on sins and self-destruction. Roderick Usher's sin was that his family committed incest, and he could not bare the way to carry on his family name with his sister. This was his self-destruction.
1.1.2.1. Sicknesses: mental illnesses such as hypochondria and hyperethesia (sensory overload), which is displayed by Roderick Usher.
2. "The Minister's Black Veil" By Nathaniel Hawthorne
2.1. Gothic Style - the black veil that shields the minster's eyes and face, creating an darkness/ominous look.
2.1.1. Hawthorne was a Dark Romantic as well, and used the story to focus on the society's inability to realize their sins and hypocritical nature. While the minister wears his veil to admit to his sins, the society chooses to ignore theirs and not recognize their sins.
2.1.1.1. Strong feelings - throughout the story there are feelings of rage and disappointment shown by the townspeople against the minster, and sadness and disappointment from the minister due to the townspeople inability to see their flaw.
2.1.2. The individual against society - As said, Romantics focused on the individual and their success. The minister in this story veils himself to show the judgments and sins the others create by not accepting him due to his veil. The individual tries to point out a flaw in the society around him.