The Gothic Novels of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein and Confessions of a Justified SinnerThe word "Gothic", taken from a Germanic tribe, the Goths, first stood for "Germanic", then for "medieval". It was introduced into fiction by Horace Walpole in "The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic History" and was used to describe its medieval setting. As more and more novelists adopted this Gothic setting; dark, gloomy castles on high, dangerous mountains, with supernatural howls in the distance; other characteristics of the “Gothic novel” could be identified. The most dominant characteristic seems to be the constant battle between the good side and the dark side of the human soul and how, if given a chance, the dark side of human nature will gradually develop, through the actions of the character in question, until it develops. has swallowed up the good and also raises the theme of suffering and isolation. Other key elements of “Gothic novels” appear to be the misuse or abuse of technology. For example, science is used to create new beings, whose characters turn against or abuse nature and/or God, where the character can assume the role of God, the forbidden attraction of evil, the thrill of murder and death. the novels Frankenstein, Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Confessions of a Justified Sinner all contain important truths about human nature and humanity. By examining these three texts, I will explore exactly how they fit or do not fit into the various interpretations of "Gothic" that I have outlined. The two most striking themes of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde are those of "the misuse of technology" and "the dark side of man and all its attractions". These two themes are, in fact, directly linked to each other since it is a r...... middle of paper...... Doing the monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1991. Boyd, Stephen. York Notes on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Longman York Press, 1992. Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. His life, his fiction, his monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus. Edited with an introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin Books, 1992 Stevenson, Robert Louis. The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publishing, Inc., 1991. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 1886. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1979. 27-97.Svilpis, JE "The Mad Scientist and Domestic Affection in Gothic Fiction." Gothic fiction: Prohibition/Transgression. Ed. Kenneth W. Graham. New York: Ams, 1989.