ABSTRACT
The gothic novel's obsession with legitimacy and the authentic line of descent, finds parallels in Andre Breton's own intense concern with authenticity, with surrealist precursors and literary influences. As a movement deeply rooted in the romanticism of writers such as Novalis, Nerval and Baudelaire, surrealism is immersed in the world of dreams and with all that is associated with the nocturnal, continually testing the boundaries between dream and reality. It would therefore be unsurprising to discover there, a strong affinity between surrealism and the gothic, where the gothic novel – the roman noir – is itself bathed in moonlight, pervaded by mystery, and permeated by the aura of nightlife and dream. It is significant that Breton should turn to the gothic in developing his ideas on theoretical concerns central to surrealism, not only at the outset, but also regularly at key moments throughout the history of the movement.
