The Gothic lens: unveiling injustice through the macabre

The one emotion that every person has felt at one point or another is fear. Usually, the source of our fear is the unknown or a fear of change. This fear was expressed in 18th century literature as Gothic fiction. In the 21st century, this genre can become a tool for minorities to reclaim narratives and dissect their experiences, displaying how a lack of change can become harmful.

Gothic fiction is a genre of writing whose history is steeped in being a reflection of that which the writer—and the culture as a whole—finds most grotesque. This creates a space that is crucial right now, with reducing media literacy due to the rise of easily digestible, short-form content.

A scroll through X (formerly Twitter) will prove that, nowadays, a discussion of any form of oppression becomes diluted and one-dimensional, with the victims’ voices often talked over. Social media, which is where most people learn about social issues, is beginning to cultivate a hive mind in its users due to its algorithmic nature.

In opposition to this, Gothic fiction provides the ideal platform for dissent and for examination. Whether this be for books or for movies, the genre itself can be- and has been-adapted by those in oppressed classes to tell their stories and include all the uncomfortable, gory details that they wish to tackle. Books like Frankenstein as well as contemporary works like the film Get Out make a case for the Gothic genre’s abilities to delve into the disturbing reality of systemic oppression, which is the oppression of people or individuals at the institutional or structural level.

By introducing the concept of systemic oppression—the condition that most marginalised communities suffer—the author introduces a shadowy figure that can never be defeated. Since the entire system is built against the characters, they are doomed from the beginning—much like a Gothic protagonist. Additionally, the inevitable struggle and the humanising nature of fear as an emotion connects readers. It makes them understand the issues they’re reading in much greater depth by demonstrating that foundational change is the only way to move forward through systemic issues.

Therefore, the Gothic genre has the chance to become the perfect reactionary platform that can restore balance to media consumption habits. Simultaneously, it encourages more in-depth conversation and brings communities together that wouldn’t typically interact. Doing so in this current moment will launch it from a fringe genre to mainstream, which will also promote the issues it constitutes to become better represented.