An academic exploration of gothic literature’s definition and characteristics published on Generally Gothic. The essay argues that gothic functions as a literary ‘mode’ rather than a fixed genre, citing the Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms to emphasize its fluid, unspecific nature across various forms. The author announces concurrent readalongs of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein via Project Gutenberg, positioning these canonical texts as exemplars of gothic fiction. The piece promises to articulate ‘The Seven Gothic Signs’ as identifying markers for recognizing gothic elements, addressing the frequently asked question of what constitutes the gothic. Discussion will occur on Instagram with subsequent analysis. This contextualizes the gothic as a pervasive literary approach transcending traditional genre boundaries.
Original article published on Generally Gothic — AI-generated summary.
