THE ELEMENTS OF GOTHIC NOVEL IN VICTORIAN LITERATURE
Keywords:
Victorian literature, Gothic novel, supernatural, identity crisis, repression, haunted settings, madness, imperialism, social critique, domestic space, moral conflict.Abstract
This paper explores the key elements of the Gothic novel as they are manifested and transformed within Victorian literature. Building on the foundations laid by 18th-century Gothic fiction, Victorian writers adapted Gothic tropes—such as haunted settings, supernatural occurrences, psychological torment, and the theme of the “double self”—to reflect the unique anxieties of their age. The Victorian era, marked by rapid industrialization, scientific discovery, and shifting moral and social values, provided fertile ground for the development of a more introspective and socially critical Gothic mode. Through the analysis of major literary works such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this study highlights how Gothic elements were used to interrogate issues of identity, gender, science, class, and empire. The discussion draws on various scholarly perspectives to demonstrate that the Victorian Gothic served not only as a narrative of horror but also as a cultural response to the repressed fears and contradictions of the Victorian consciousness. Ultimately, the article argues that Gothic literature in the Victorian period evolved into a sophisticated literary form capable of exposing the hidden tensions of its time. By merging the mysterious with the psychological and the fantastic with the real, Victorian Gothic novels created a rich space for exploring the darker dimensions of the human experience.
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