Gothic literature, a popular form of literature that originated in the 1700’s, is a way many writers have been able to express their emotion and love for creating stories filled with fear, horror, and the supernatural.

Gothic literature, also known as Gothic horror, is an old genre but it is still very popular today. Many of the old books from this genre are still being read and talked about, even in school. Popular examples are Frankenstein and Dracula. Some well known Gothic writers are Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, and Ann Radcliffe. These books and authors have made the Gothic genre more popular and loved over the years.

But how have these books and people impacted literature and society overall over the years? This genre gave writers a new and different way to express their feelings  in a way more traditional writing styles wouldn’t let them. Topics that have been mostly censored or shunned over the years were given an opportunity to be explored and written. 

Mr. Hunt, an English teacher and a literature teacher, had an interesting take on Gothic literature’s influence on literature saying that Gothic literature made readers more interested in villains than ever before, and that it gave a new perspective where we really pitied the villains and their tragic backstories. It turned to a time where we started looking into the life of the villains. 

As for its influence on society, Mr. Hunt said that it really influenced us to take interest in monsters and the morbid. For example we became a lot more fascinated by the backstories and the things the monsters, like Frankenstein and Dracula, go through themselves.