Atmosphere

Gothic novels emphasize horror, mystery, and the super natural. Out of the three elements of atmosphere, action, and super natural, the atmosphere is the most effective in producing a scary feeling. For example, if you see a figure shaded by the night, instead of in broad daylight, then it will have a more eerie and mysterious effect. The atmosphere sets the scene and creates the mood for the story Frankenstein. When Frankenstein, the creator of a monster made from the remains of the deceased, goes to his home town due to his brother getting murdered, he sees the monster at the scene of the murder. It was very dark, almost pitch black, which created an eerie mood and makes Frankenstein think the monster be created killed his brother. The book also explains how in the dead silence of a dark night, the monster was lurking through a village. When the residents of the village see the monster on the dark, scary night, they all get scared and run away. Due to these examples, I feel as if the atmosphere of a story has more of an effect than action or the super natural.