Liminality: spaces, characters and themes that exist between boundaries- uncertain, shifting and unsettling.

gothic fiction thrives on the in-between and explores themes of paranoia, barbarism and social anxieties

gothic novels often manipulate time and are particularly fixated on the past, examples are: Dracula connecting historical and supernatural pasts to contemporary Victorian fears, Frankenstein links past scientific traditions with contemporary concerns.

gothic settings are often liminal spaces, for example: The Bloody Chamber is based in a castle that is cut off by the tide and is described as an amphibious place.

doorways, windows and gates are particularly important in the gothic genre, they symbolise both connections and separations between reality and the supernatural, e.g. Dracula uses windows as points of supernatural invasion.

uncertain characters are another key aspect of liminality in the gothic genre, for example: Dracula appears to be human but has supernatural traits, The Marquis in TBC is a blend of both man and beast.

the gothic has been a source of entertainment but also a medium for discussing social anxieties, Carter and Stoker use Gothic elements to both thrill and challenge readers

Dracula addresses Victorian concerns around sexuality and repression, in particular the female vampires are a manifestation of all the Victorian society feared. The sexuality and transgression of these vampires meant that male readers could indulge in forbidden fantasies. Dracula reflects cultural anxieties of the fin de siècle.

Angela Carter’s feminist retelling of traditional fairy tales subvert typical stereotypes and norms. For example, in The Company of Wolves the heroine embraces her sexuality rather than being a victim. Carter challenges the male gaze whilst empowering female protagonists in her stories.

gothic literature often blends fear and humour, a tradition coming from The Castle of Otranto. Stoker uses characters like Van Helsing and Renfield as comedic relief whereas Carter’s stories are filled with irony.

Dracula reinforces conservative gender roles whereas Carter does exactly the opposite giving way for female empowerment.

Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley was influenced by Fuseli and depicts women as victims of male ambition. In The Nightmare, Fuseli shows a helpless female figure preyed upon in a darkened space much like the murder of Elizabeth in Frankenstein.

The Bloody Chamber deconstructs traditional gothic tropes and the heroines defy victimhood like the protagonist in Tiger’s Bride when she embraces transformation rather than fearing it. Carter also replaces male saviours with powerful female characters like the mother in TBC.

Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ uses gothic horror to explore slavery’s traumatic legacy, the past and the present blur with ghosts symbolise repressed memories.

the gothic is also a subversive genre, it challenges mainstream narratives and explores the unconscious. It gives voice to more marginal characters like women, the oppressed, and the monstrous.

Angela Carter’s feminist approach challenges traditional fairy tale gender roles, in her stories women reject conventional depictions of purity or villainy. Her female characters use laughter and sensuality as tools of empowerment.

Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque (where social order is upended) aligns with Carter’s stories. Laughter is both liberating and disruptive thus breaking down patriarchal structures.

Hélène Cixous’ ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ (1976) parallels Carter’a themes in her stories. Cixous critiques phallocentric literary traditions, calling for women’s writing to be joyful and sensual. Hence, Carter’s female characters embody this creative and sensual spirit.

The Tiger’s Bride critiques rigid gender roles and the commodification of women, the protagonist embraces the transformation leaving behind social restraints. This symbolises female autonomy and the breakdown of patriarchal oppression.

Carter’s work is playful, ironic and deconstructs traditional narratives. The Company of Wolves subverts Little Red Riding Hood where the girl laughs instead of fearing the wolf.

The Haunted Past: The franchise is one that is based around past killers and carrying on the legacy of Ghostface. Triggered by the murder of Sidney Prescott’s mother the whole series of films is a constant cycle of violence and every victim finds themselves haunted by the past. Particularly in the 6th film, there is an amalgamation of all the past killers and the main friend group find themselves haunted by past victims that they are all related to in different ways.

The Final Girl as a Byronic Heroine: Sidney Prescott for many of the movies is the Final Girl and she embodies many of the traits of a Byronic Heroine. She is troubled, intelligent and finds herself burdened by her past, but more importantly she is constantly pursued by an often unseen threat (Ghostface).

Masking and Dual Identity: The most obvious sign of Ghostface is the infamous mask which feeds into the idea of deception and betrayal as most of the time the killers tend to be someone in the friend group of the main character. The killers hide behind an anonymous, theatrical persona mirroring the way Hyde is almost hidden in Jekyll.

Most Scream killing sequences take place inside a person’s home or a perceived ‘safe space’. In the first movie it was Casey Becker’s home as the site of the first Ghostface killing, then Stu Macher’s house became the place for the final ‘third act’. A place of death and sin is where the final act takes place, the house has many twisted corners turning it into a deadly maze.

Power of the Unseen: Up until the big reveal at the end of each movie, Ghostface remains anonymous and this demonstrates the power of the unseen. The distorted voice, the phone calls and the stalking that viewers can’t see all build up tension and will finally climax when the final killings take place. The creation of a sense of paranoia is akin to many Gothic stories and narratives where the fear of the unknown is drawn upon to further engage viewers.

Violence and the Grotesque: The slasher films often show grotesque and disturbing scenes of when victims get killed and this is reminiscent of the brutality often explored in many Gothic novels.