Question

Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street. It was two storeys high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower storey and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper; and bore in every feature, the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.

–The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
Robert Louis Stevenson

In what way is the setting of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde typical of gothic fiction?



Which detail from the passage establishes the gothic setting?

Answer 1

Gothic fiction commonly uses dark, decaying, claustrophobic settings and sinister architecture to create an atmosphere of dread, mystery and moral corruption.

The passage establishes this with the description of the building: “a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street” — further emphasized by “showed no window, nothing but a door…a blind forehead of discoloured wall” and “marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.” These details of decay, blankness and menace create the typical gothic mood.