Terror and horror are pivotal themes for Gothic authors. Drawing inspiration from Edmund Burke, Ann Radcliffe made a distinction between these concepts, proposing that terror stems from suspense, while horror leads to repulsion. Essentially, a character experiences terror while anticipating a dreaded event, whereas horror is felt when the event actually unfolds. In Radcliffe’s novels, the emphasis is on terror and fear, achieved through her detailed depictions of sublime landscapes and subtle hints at the supernatural. The intense suspense she crafts evokes terror in both her characters and readers. However, she ultimately provides logical explanations for all supernatural occurrences, sparing her readers from the experience of horror.

Conversely, Lewis embraces horror in his novels. His writing explores the grotesque, emphasizing details of torture and decay. Lewis’s work vividly depicts the physically repulsive and morally corrupt aspects of his characters and settings.

Gothic literature often explores the thin line between what seems real and what is actually real. In Radcliffe’s tales, events may initially appear to have supernatural causes, but she eventually offers logical explanations by the end of the book. This allows readers to clearly differentiate between illusion and reality by the conclusion of a Radcliffe novel. On the other hand, authors like Lewis sometimes leave the boundary between appearance and reality ambiguous, creating an atmosphere that feels dreamlike or nightmarish. Readers can relate to this feeling, as dreams often feel real until one wakes up. In this foggy, dreamlike state, the dreamer struggles to distinguish between dream and reality. Additionally, some authors explore the theme of appearance versus reality by using diverse narrative structures and voices.

Nearly every Gothic novel from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries incorporates some element of confinement. Numerous scholars have observed the dominant theme of claustrophobia in Gothic literature. This often appears through the heroine's entrapment within an ancient castle. When she manages to escape her room or cell, she typically finds herself in a subterranean passage with no apparent exit. This sense of inescapability creates intense claustrophobia. Isabella's escape through Otranto is a prime example of this theme. Similarly, in The Monk, Agnes is shackled to a wall and subjected to torture. This struggle against confinement evokes both horror and terror for the reader.

Poe is perhaps the ultimate master of confinement. In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Madeline Usher is mistakenly buried alive, filling the scene with horror. Poe's The Cask of Amontillado also delves into claustrophobic containment, as Montresor lures Fortunato into a crypt under the pretense of tasting rare sherry. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the theme is portrayed differently; here, the confined object is the heart of the murdered victim, which refuses to remain hidden. Whether depicting prison cells, monastic cells, chains, locked rooms, or dark tunnels, the Gothic novel's settings are suffocating and restrictive, tapping into a profound human fear.

At first glance, themes of justice and injustice might not be immediately apparent in Gothic literature. However, a deeper examination reveals that guilt and the quest for atonement are pivotal in numerous tales. In Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto , the death of Conrad, who is the heir to his father's estate, appears to rectify a past wrong. His ancestor emerges from the grave to ensure that Otranto is transferred to its rightful heir. This illustrates the concept of ancestral sins impacting future generations; Conrad seems unaware that his claim is illegitimate. Similarly, Madeline and Roderick Usher endure the consequences of their family's sins through their own decline and eventual death, with their house collapsing around them, symbolizing the end of their lineage. Thus, the...