The Gothic Novels of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein and the Confessions of a Justified SinnerThe word 'Gothic', taken from a Germanic tribe, the Goths , first stood for 'Germanic' and then for 'medieval'. It was introduced into fiction by Horace Walpole in "The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic Story" and was used to describe its medieval setting. As more and more novelists adopted this Gothic setting; dark, gloomy castles on high, treacherous mountains, with unearthly howls in the distance; other characteristics of the 'Gothic novel' could be identified. The most dominant feature seems to be the constant battle between the good and dark sides of the human soul and the way in which, given a chance, the dark side of human nature will gradually develop, through the actions of the character in question, until when it has overwhelmed the good and also raises the issue of suffering and isolation. Other keynotes of 'Gothic novels' appear to be the misuse or abuse of technology. For example, science is used to create new beings, characters who revolt or abuse nature and/or God, where the character can take on the role of God, the forbidden attraction of evil, the thrill of killing and of death. the novels Frankenstein, Dr. 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 do or do not fit into the various interpretations of "gothic" that I have laid out. The two most important themes in Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde are those of the "abuse" of technology" and "the dark side of man and all its attractions". These two themes are, in fact, directly linked to each other as it is like a r...... middle of paper...... Making Frankenstein monstrous, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1992. Boyd, Stephen York Notes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein . Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. Her life, her fiction, her monsters. Methuen, London, 1988. Shelley, Mary. Modern Prometheus Hindle. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1992. Stevenson, Robert Louis . The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1979. 27-97.Svilpis, J.E. "The Mad Scientist and Domestic Affection in Gothic Fiction." Gothic fiction: prohibition/transgression. Ed. Kenneth W. Graham. New York: Ams, 1989.