Better late than never (so they say).
Right then, Gothic settings seem to be created by the same themes every time; a few creepy descriptions of loneliness, vulnerability, darkness and a sense of entrapment, and voila - you have reached your destination. I shall now entertain you and prove that i'm right by showing you where they are in "the castle of Otranto".
The idea of entrapment is created when the princess describes her location as the "lower part of the castle" that "was hollowed into several intricate cloisters"; which when backed up with the anxiety to find the door, creates a prison like situation. The entrapment means the princess cant escape who comes to see her.
Vulnerability is created as shes a perfect little princess, perhaps in pink,and probably quite hopeless - unless shes trained in Karate like Princess Fiona. This not only makes her more susceptible to danger, but creates greater tension as you know it's only a matter of time. The vulnerability ties into loneliness, or rather the other way round, as she has no one else to protect her for the majority of the story, making her even more vulnerable. I hate how that word is spelt.
The darkness, as said by pretty much everybody is important in the Gothic setting. By the by, just wondering, is it true that if you aren't using one of your senses, the others get stronger? Because if it is, which i'm going to say it is purely for this long, unimportant point i'm trying to make, then the wind and the noises which create suspicion as you cant see, will only be emphasised more - adding more drama and tension to the mix. The small lamp the princess uses also makes more drama because then her mind can only fill in the gaps of the majority that she can't see - if that makes sense. It does to me.
I think all of the themes - vulnerability, loneliness, darkness and entrapment all tie into each other, and help to build up the idea of a Gothic setting, as all elements are crucial if you want to get a real feel of the terrifying setting.
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