Gothic literature focuses on the darker aspects of humanity. It was written in response to the change that authors faced in everyday life, as well as the challenges of world events. Gothic literature is a subgenre of the Romantic movement, a movement focused on honor, integrity, and justice. Physical elements, such as mysterious settings and atmospheres, along with supernatural elements create tones of high emotion and darkness in Gothic literature. Authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe embodied the spirit of this movement through famous works such as The House of Usher and The Scarlet Letter. These writings helped make Gothic literature the influential genre it is now. Other aspects of Gothic literature are the oppressed heroine and troubled women. Both of these aspects are about the same thing: female characters. Mary Ellen Snodgrass analyzes the importance of female characters in Jane Eyre. She writes from a unique feminist perspective: that the oppressed heroine in the story serves as an outlet to express concerns about women's repression in career, marriage, and treatment. Ultimately, Gothic literature is an extension of the Romantic era that blends with horror tones for authors to comment on current events and social situations such as women in society. This can be demonstrated through Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Edgar Allen Poe's The House of Usher. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Snodgrass analyzes the feminist qualities of women in Gothic literature. She cites groundbreaking feminist criticism written by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. Together with Snodgrass, they analyzed women and their role in Gothic literature. Snodgrass, Gilbert and Gubar focus on the characters of Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason Rochester, from the novel Jane Eyre. These characters are considered to be each other. Although they are opposites, their situations are similar. Their communities at school, home, and work ostracize both women. Because Bertha is a “deranged version of Jane,” she can be used as a “means to vent outrage at a repressive society that suppressed the voices of career women.” This shows that because both characters are oppressed and ostracized, they symbolize the need for positive change and creating equality. Hawthorne's character, Hester Prynne, serves to be a voice for all women as she navigates the gothic confines of being an oppressed heroine. As the main character, Prynne earns readers' sympathy. They see things from his point of view rather than from the point of view of the persecuting citizens. Although shunned by the townspeople, she is able to successfully raise a child and have a carrier. The idea of ​​a single mother providing for her and her family was a difficult idea to understand. This is a feminist message because, despite falling into the category of oppressed heroines, she is able to perform tasks that were considered abnormal for women. The gothic novel, The Scarlet Letter, comments on a social issue in society. Madeline Usher, from Poe's The House of Usher, is another example of a strong feminist message. While it may not seem like it, since Madeline is bedridden for much of the story and doesn't say a single word, it offers a very prescient message. The message is: if women don't speak out they will be buried alive. To clarify, Madeline suffers not only from mental illness but also from the inability to speak openly and participate in. 2015.