The Peculiarities of the Gothic Novel in Twentieth-Century English Literature

Abstract

This article aims to address the genre of Gothic literature, its evolution and place in modern culture. Gothic fiction is a controversial genre, and while for certain critics, Gothic ended in the nineteenth century, for others the eighteenth-nineteenth century period represents only the first wave of Gothic fiction. In their opinion, Gothic genre actually never ended per se, but evolved, changing to reflect different realities. Today Gothic has morphed into multiple genres and has contaminated others. This article attempts to overview the development of Gothic fiction until present day, and to identify Gothic fiction tropes, while considering their evolution.