Read the following scene:

In the midst of the shadows of the dark room, she

glimpsed a shadow ducking from view. Her heart nearly

stopped as her mother materialized in front of her. Face

gaunt and bony arms reaching, her mother tried to speak

but could not form words. How could it be? She had died

five years ago.

Which characteristic of Gothic writing does this passage best illustrate?

O

A. A melancholy, gloomy tone

O

B. Nature's deadliness

O

C. A supernatural theme

O

D. Heavy use of symbolism

a supernatural theme

The correct answer is C. a supernatural theme.

Explanation:

Gothic literature refers to the type of writing that employs dark, melancholic, gloomy themes, supernatural elements, horror, fear, darkness, etc. In the excerpt above, we can see that the narrator just saw an apparition, a ghost of her dead mother who died five years before. This element is obviously supernatural, as ghosts aren't real. But this theme fits Gothic writing perfectly.

Some famous Gothic writers include Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Victor Hugo, and many others.