A quote

In the novel Frankenstein shows how gothic literature is demonstrated.A quote which gothic is played is We can see how isolated the monster feels when he says, “The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge. I have wandered here many days; the caves of ice, which I only do not fear, are a dwelling to me, and the only one which man does not grudge.”

In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein shows a lot of symbols that have a meaning to them like for example fire and light. The light symbolizes knowledge, discovery, and enlightenment for Victor meanwhile the fire in the novel represents the flame with the creature and Victor. According to http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/creating/pages/origins.htm "Consider the symbolic significance of interactions between the natural and supernatural worlds in these works. How do these works explore and define human nature through reference to the supernatural? Supernatural motifs appear throughout literature but are most prominent in the literary genre labeled “Gothic,” which developed in the late eighteenth-century as a reaction to the central ideology of the Enlightenment that valorized human reason"

-Irma Zvirkic

Gothic Literature

Usually when people think of the term "Gothic literature" the first thing that comes to mind is darkness, monsters, and haunted mansions. Well according to http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm the elements are usually more than just the darkness theres more behind all of it when reading Gothic literature... "1. Setting in a castle. The action takes place in and around an old castle, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied. The castle often contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined sections. 2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The work is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear enhanced by the unknown. Often the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event. 4. Omens, portents, visions. A character may have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may portend his death. In modern fiction, a character might see something (a shadowy figure stabbing another shadowy figure) and think that it was a dream. This might be thought of as an "imitation vision.""

-Irma Zvirkic

Elements of

Where did Goth come from

According to about.com The term "Gothic" was used in the Renaissance to describe certain types of art (and architecture -- think gargoyles) in the Middle Ages, according to Shelley Esaak's Art History 101. This art was considered inferior, just as the Romans had held themselves superior to the barbarians. In the 18th century the term "Gothic" morphed into a genre of literature that had elements of horror

Gothic architecture

The Gothic creates feelings of gloom, mystery, and suspense and tends to the dramatic and the sensational, like incest, diabolism, and nameless terrors
According to bartlebyGothic architecture is the introduction of light and height to the churches through the use of flying buttresses, pointed arches, ribbed vaulting and stained glass windows. The idea was for the church to actually become a medium between Earth and Heaven through its height and the heavenly light brought in by the use of so many windows(think of Notre Dame de Paris or Notre Dame de Chartres as your best representatives of this style.

Gothic Places

What makes a work Gothic is a combination of at least some of these elements:
a castle, ruined or intact, haunted or not,
ruined buildings which are sinister or which arouse a pleasing melancholy,
dungeons, underground passages, crypts, and catacombs which, in modern houses, become spooky basements or attics, a hero whose true identity is revealed by the end of the novel,
horrifying (or terrifying) events or the threat of such happenings