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The Addams Family


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Based on the book by Charles Addams, The Addam's Family by David Levy was aired from Sepetmber 18, 1964 to April 8, 1966 and many adaptations were made since. The story follows the life of the Addams family as they dabble in the macabre with their supernatural abilities. The family consists of the wealthy Gomez Addams who is madly in love with his wife, Morticia, their daughter Wednesday, their son Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and Grandmama and their servants. They live in an ornate, gloomy, Second Empire style mansion constantly surrounded by a mysterious, gloomy fog and atmosphere. The mansion is of gothic nature with its labrynthine layout and forbidden secrets. Interestingly, this series encapsulates a unique style of gothicism: the tragicomedy. This show employs the cultural image of a classical "haunted house," parodying Gothic conventions to celebrate non-traditional lifestyles. More obviously, the family's fascination with all things macabre gives it the title of gothic. Most gothic depictions portray the supernatural and the macabre as something terrifying. However, The Addams Family flips this expectation by embracing the eerie and unconventional. Furthermore, many gothic protagonists suffer from entrpment or isolation, but the Addamses thrive in their self-imposed separation from "normal" society. While playing into these gothic tropes, the show contests them and creates a new way of looking at the genre.

 

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Gothic Afterlives Gallery

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Submitted by Dee Cohen on Mon, 02/10/2025 - 22:06

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