Frankenstein

I don't have much experience with gothic literature in the slightest, and prior to class I didn't have a solid understanding of the genre as a whole, either. Having now read Frankenstein, I feel like my definition of gothic is entirely Frankenstein, with a little bit of Scooby-Doo in the mix for the tropes. The entire mood of the novel felt somber and mysterious to me, like it was raining throughout the story, and despite knowing the basic plot before hand, I never knew what was going to happen next or what would happen when. As soon as I caught on that Victor Frankenstein was beginning his experiment, unease crept in, and worsened tenfold when the monster seemingly disappeared.

Classic Horror Tropes

Dramatic score
Night setting
Monsters
Mirrors
Creepy, abandoned houses, placed on a hill, mansions
Secret bookcases
Cobwebs
Science gone wrong
Thunder storms
Howling in the distance
Romance
Traveling to a destination
Trains, wagons
Typical spooky lab equipment- coils, sparks, "primitive" electricity
Creepy portrait paintings
Quiet, empty town
Detached music being played in another room
Candles despite electricity
Mysterious shadows