Kemp, J. (2001) a glossary of Literary Gothic Terms. Web

5. The weather is always awful

Flashes of lightning accompany revelation and thunder and downpours usually prefigure the appearance of a character or the beginning of a significant event. The storms and wind that sweep through ‘Wuthering Heights‘ signify how the characters are at the mercy of forces they cannot control. In ‘Rebecca’, the weather mirrors the characters’ moods; a fog descends when the narrator, the second Mrs. de Winter is confused and depressed.

The Nightmare, 1781, Henry Fuseli / Detroit Institute of Arts, USA / © Detroit Institute of Arts / Founders Society Purchase with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Bert L. Smokler and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleischmanf / Bridgeman Images

6. Dreaming/nightmares
Fuseli, the quintessential Romantic artist is often quoted as saying, “One of the most unexplored regions of art are dreams” and writers as diverse as Walpole, Stoker and Shelley were all inspired by vivid and unsettling nightmares.
Disturbing or prophetic dreams are frequently experienced by these writers’ fictional characters as well, used as a plot device to emphasise their insecurities and fears.

Rochester, illustration from 'Characters of Romance', first published 1900 (colour litho), William Nicholson / Private Collection / © Desmond Banks / Bridgeman Images

7. Burdened male protagonist
Aristocratic, suave, moody, solitary, cynical and nursing a guilty secret, this darkly attractive and conflicted male figure surfaces everywhere in Gothic fiction. Both Maxim in ‘Rebecca’ and Mr.Rochester in ‘Jane Eyre‘ are tormented by their pasts and both their ancestral homes go up in flames.

Illustration from 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley (engraving) Theodor M. von Holst / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

This curse or damnation is a “hangover” of traditional religious ideology to chastise the character for some wrong against the moral order. Haunted or hounded figures also include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein who is both pursued by and pursues his monster, and, in turn, modern figures such as Edward Scissorhands from the 1990 movie of the same name represent a modern interpretation of this archetype. They have committed no crime, but their existence alone is enough.

Illustration from 'Le Theatre' magazine, 1900s , French School / Private Collection / © The Advertising Archives / Bridgeman Images