The origin of Gothic literature can be traced back to the
publishing of Horace Walpole's novel, The Castle of Otranto, in the
18th century. This type of literature is characterized by a dark, moody tone and a
sense of rising suspense. The protagonist almost always experiences some type of
confinement (as in a dungeon, or haunted house), as well as strange hallucinations which
cause him or her to question reality. These experiences are almost always cast in a
vengeful light, and it is often revealed that the protagonist is paying for a past
crime.
Of the three Stephen King stories you mentioned in
your question, the one that fits the themes of Gothic literature the best is
1408. In this story, the protagonist
is a writer named Mike Enslin, known for writing about haunted places though he doesn't
believe in ghosts himself. He decides to stay the night in the supposedly haunted room
1408 of the Hotel Dolphin in New York City, despite the protests of the hotel
manager.
Taking place at night in an old building, the
setting of the story is indeed Gothic in nature. In addition, Enslin finds himself
trapped in this room and subject to increasingly violent visions, as in many famous
Gothic novels. Finally, Enslin appears to pay for his skepticism of the supernatural.
Though he escaped the haunted room, he is always frightened, and is no longer able to
live a normal life.
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