Abstract:
This thesis explores the function of the Gothic genre, combined with queer elements. To do this, it focuses on two Gothic queer novels: Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith (2002) and Emily M. Danforth’s Plain Bad Heroines (2020). This study uses close-reading and analysis of the novels as well as secondary literature that focus on the definition of the Gothic and how it combines with the queer. The findings of this thesis are that both novels use the Gothic to express the difficulties that women had to endure during the Victorian times. In Fingersmith, Sarah Waters expresses the hardships of marriage and gender roles by using Gothic elements but she also clearly shows how class differences played a role in these hardships. In Plain Bad Heroines, Danforth focuses more on the queer aspect by using openly lesbian couples who were restricted by societal standards. She does not mention class differences as clearly but she does express critique on the modern-day film industry and social media, highlighting how they take away a celebrity’s privacy and make a sensation out of queerness. Danforth also seems to warn the reader to always be mindful of what one reads and sees on film. The truth is often distorted by others, especially so on social media and in film.
Keywords: Gothic, queer, literature, Fingersmith, Sarah Waters, Plain Bad Heroines, Emily M. Danforth
