Gothic Fiction

The novel The Ancestor has multiple characteristics of the Gothic novel, a genre of literature that is a popular choice for horror stories. Gothic novels include a gloomy or deteriorating setting as well as a damsel in distress. Another feature of Gothic novels fulfilled by The Ancestor is the incorporation of monsters into the story line.

The novel's setting is an isolated, deteriorating castle in the mountains of Italy, primarily during the cold, dreary winter months. This is an ideal setting for a Gothic novel. Bert first glimpses the castle when Nonna Sophia shows her a picture. The castle's location is “At the center of the valley, lifting like a sinister wedding cake” (15). Describing the castle as “sinister” early in the novel instills in the reader's mind that the structure is evil. On the first morning when Bert tries to find her way to Dolores...