Besides the five themes of democracy, gender, culture, empire and industrialization, the sixth theme, Victorian Gothic , provides just as much insight into the Victorian era. period. This new theme appears in Elizabeth Gaskell's short story The Old Nurse's Story and in Christina Rossetti's poem Goblin Market. Both works illustrate common elements of Gothic literature, such as; old houses, mystery, horror, ghosts, fantastic creatures, unknown and oppression. The back stories of both authors provide insight into the reason behind their writings. Elizabeth Gaskell was a pastor's wife who began writing when her only son died as a way to cope with her depression. She wrote to “critique society and promote social reform” (Norton 1260). Christina Rossetii was a Victorian author who was strictly involved in the Catholic Church and had a high moral code. Her code was so strict that she never remarried and lived a quiet life. This article argues that The Story of the Old Nurse and the Goblin Bargain provides an important representation of Victorian Gothic literature using Gothic themes. Gothic addresses the fact that we cannot push irrationality out of our minds. Gothic literature departs from the traditional nature of the world to explore the unknown. There are six literary and cultural elements of Gothic fiction: castles, Catholicism, sexual oppression, wilderness, the supernatural, and the grotesque. The Victorians were known for their prudish ways, strict prudish moral code, imperial empire, gender roles, and technological advancements and scientific discoveries. These attributes allow Gothic literature to flourish. Elizabeth Gaskell and Christina Rossetti used some gothic elements such as; the surna...... middle of paper......hold their moral values ​​and emphasize the importance of brotherly love. Victorian Gothic was a literary genre that went against the social norm. Gaskell's loss of her child inspired her to write stories such as The Old Nurse Story, and she used haunted houses and oppressed women and children not only to strike dark terror into audiences, but also to highlighting the social issues that were arising during the Victorian era. Rossetti's religious background inspired her to allude to temptation and fruits in the Bible and to comment on the oppression of female sexuality in the Victorian era. Victorian Gothics not only horrify and disturb the reader, but also speak out against social injustices such as gender roles. Works Cited Christ, Carol T., Catherine Robson, Stephen Greenblatt, and MH Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, NY: WW Norton, 2006. Print.