Gothic conventions
Characteristic elements of Gothic literature including dark atmospheres, mysterious or supernatural events, decaying settings, transgression, and psychological horror. Gothic conventions create a mood of unease and explore forbidden desires or hidden corruption.
Real World
Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1938) uses the decaying Manderley mansion and the spectre of the dead first wife to create psychological horror without a single supernatural event — the Gothic setting externalises the narrator's inner terror.
Exam Focus
Link Gothic conventions to theme and character psychology — avoid listing conventions; explain what each one reveals about the text's central concerns.
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