Feminism In Female Gothic Literature

Gothic literature is a type of literature that was at its peak during the fifth to fifteenth century. It is described as a dark literature most famous for its swamps, forests, castles, and the presence of the supernatural involving horror. Female gothic is simply gothic literature written by females that express female independence and the fear of male dominance, marriage, and the traditional role of being a submissive woman. The stories written by female gothic authors include frightful situations that include things such as monsters, mistreated female characters, and what happens to women when they become dominated by men. (1) Some of the most famous and known female gothic authors are Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe, and Charlotte Bronte. All of these authors have written dark stories to contribute to the feminist movement, pulling from their own personal life, their own experiences and also showing their thoughts on what should be done and what could also happen if a woman gives herself to a man or continuing to be apart of what traditional women are expected to be. One of the best known gothic female authors is Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley was best known for her novel Frankenstein. In her novel, a monster …show more content…
Through female gothic literature, feminism was expressed in a number of ways such as in their own personal lives, through what they wrote about, and also what their characters went through. Authors such as Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe, and Charlotte Bronte wanted to express this to show society what women felt like. Lost, beat down, neglected, and sooner or later they will meet their death feeling the same sadness and pain they have lived with all of their life. These authors wanted to express this and contribute to the feminist movement. They acted out of the normal way that women live and are treated to show how things should