The Evolution of the Gothic Novel in English Literature

Authors

  • Ghada Fayez Refaat Abu Enein

    Department of English Language, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Arts, UNRWA, Amman 11623, Jordan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11700
Received: 18 August 2025 | Revised: 3 September 2025 | Accepted: 16 September 2025 | Published Online: 3 November 2025

Abstract

This study explores the development of the Gothic novel in English literature from a stylistic and cognitive-linguistic perspective. It examines the structure of Gothic narrative discourse and its expressive strategies, highlighting the pivotal role of cognitive metaphor in shaping themes of horror, mystery, and existential anxiety. Drawing on the philosophy of language, the study reveals how Gothic language encodes and reproduces cultural and psychological constructs that reflect the self's confrontation with the irrational and the unknown. Through critical readings of seminal Gothic texts, the study traces the dynamic interplay between language and aesthetic experience, demonstrating how Gothic fiction reflects evolving artistic, social, and intellectual paradigms. It discusses how early Gothic narratives, characterized by medieval settings and dark, enclosed spaces, responded to their social and political environments, particularly the tensions of modernity and class transformation. In later developments, the Gothic style deepened its philosophical and psychological concerns, engaging with notions of creation, morality, madness, and the limits of humanity. The study concludes that the Gothic novel constantly reinvents itself, maintaining its literary vitality and cultural significance through continuous adaptation to new contexts. This capacity for transformation has allowed the Gothic style to remain a resonant form of artistic expression, transcending the boundaries between reason and chaos, reality and imagination, thus ensuring its enduring presence and importance in contemporary literary discourse.

Keywords:

Evolution; Gothic Novel; English Literature; Linguistic Stylistics; Cognitive Metaphor

References

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How to Cite

Refaat Abu Enein, G. F. (2025). The Evolution of the Gothic Novel in English Literature. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11700

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Ghada Fayez Refaat Abu Enein

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.