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CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Grace O’Sullivan Will Catto
Lifestyle
Arts & Visual Culture
EDITOR Meg Stoneman
EDITOR Mia Stevens
DEPUTY EDITOR Anna Johnson
DEPUTY EDITOR Alegra Martin
Food
Fashion
EDITOR Lucy Stephenson
CO-EDITOR Amy Marshall
DEPUTY EDITOR Anya Dixon
CO-EDITOR Mia Flook
COPY EDITORS Ella Rapley Honey Ryder Isabelle Pethick Lydia Lewis
EVENTS Molly Hadley Sofija Slijepcevic
SOCIAL MEDIA Isabelle Ellis Olivia Henderson
PHOTOGRAPHERS Adam Liu Amelie Peters Anna Dodd Charlotte Pang Cian Mc Namara Dan Newell-Price Elena Whiteside Georg Lovric Kirkland Childs Leila Sparks Natalie Chan Poppy Milburn
FEATURED TYPE DESIGNERS Velvetyne Collletttivo Raoul Audouin Luigi Golero
ISSUE 10 GRAPHIC DESIGN Will Catto Grace O’Sullivan
COVER PHOTO Charlotte Pang
OPENING PHOTOS Isabelle Ellis
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Happy Gothic Issue! We’re very excited to be giving you another edition at the turning of the season. Firstly, it’s so important to us to say a huge, huge thank you to everyone who picked up a copy of our September issue. Producing the first piece remotely was exciting, but somewhat solitary - most of the team have only just met face-to-face, which is bizarre. However, this made it so incredibly joyful to distribute hard copies in person. The satisfaction of seeing everyone excited to see it, read, ask questions, has made it profoundly worth the work. And, obviously, we hope even more of you want to get involved! It felt fun to do a slightly dramatic theme for a more autumnal time - Gothic is such an artistic and nuanced tradition, and gives so much space to experiment. This change of season, into a state that makes England even more gloomy, is something that countless people find difficult. Winter is, sadly, a season that many of us struggle with. We hope that by dramatising this seasonal shift, sinking our teeth into the dark thrill of the Gothic, we can give you a nice distraction from any negative feelings that you might carry into the colder months. Sometimes embracing the ugliness can make it much more bearable.
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Please, stay warm and take care, All our best, Grace & Will
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INTERVIEW BY GRACE O’SULLIVAN
PHOTOS BY LEILA SPARKS
EDUCATION SESSIONS CROFT: How did you form? E.S: I met both Deejay Endo
and Kung Fu Foster at Dissonance early 2022. We came together in September 2022 at a Venue called To The Moon. We started the night playing records released in the early nineties and progressed to modern day liquid over the space of five hours. We now play there quarterly (first Friday of March, June, September and December) and celebrate our first birthday there with Dwarde, Jake Hypastep and Gand. Intimate venues are best.
CROFT: Have you always been based in Bristol?
E.S: I haven’t lived here for
long but the majority of our residents are all based in Bristol. We have three different residencies in the city (Cosies every last Thursday of the month & The Bell every first Thursday of the month plus To The Moon).
Before we started Education Sessions we wanted to make sure those people who pay homage to the scene in Bristol get the respect they deserve. It has been nice to have security with our residencies which allows us to pre-plan things and also give opportunity to those who deserve to play out again whilst having the opportunity to get paid also. Consistency is key and making sure everyone feels valued is also.
CROFT: What do you think
is special about the scene in Bristol? Is there anywhere else that you’d be interested in exploring?
E.S: The community we’ve
curated around our events couldn’t be created elsewhere. This city is very welcoming, very creative and it’s great to see such diversity in line ups/day to day life... something I rarely saw where I used to live.
If you’ve been on a night out in Bristol… You’d understand?
CROFT: If you’re allowed
to tell us, which venues are you most excited about to play soon?
E.S: Think we are fully
booked up this year but we have a massive headliner closing down our year of residencies at Cosies Thursday 30th November.
younger generation are refreshing to work with and it also reminds us older heads why we got into mixing over a decade ago. We have been very lucky to work alongside Dissonance, Mined and Distant Planet… they are an inspiration to all.
CROFT: Where do you see
the organisation in 5 years?
E.S: Stronger than ever and a CROFT: Are there any organisations/artists you’d love to collaborate with? E.S: We have thoroughly
enjoyed working with the likes of Collector Cave, the best record shop in Bristol. We couldn’t have done much without their support. We also love working with the likes of Altitude Sound, Interlude, USB Bristol. The
go to platform for those who are still interested in keeping vinyl alive in Bristol. We are going to build a website soon. We want to create opportunity without making people jump through hoops to do so.
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THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER :
WORDS BY MEG STONEMAN
INTEGRATING WITH YOUR SHADOW To start with clarity — shadow work comes from the concept of the shadow self, which originates in Jungian psychology. According to Carl Jung, the self is compromised by a persona (which is the personality and sociability we present to ourselves and others) and the shadow (which remains private, tucked away). To mindfully integrate the two together is to partake in a work of synergy, braiding the two streams of our consciousness like sweet grass, flowing alongside one another, undulating, crossing paths, and combining readily with ease. The aim of this work is to assimilate the parts of the self that a person considers unlovable and undesirable into their accepted sense of self.
Under this umbrella of ‘undesirable’, we can consider shame, guilt, embarrassment, and the taboo being housed in our body and mind. Bringing these universal and shared aspects of self into the globe of our awareness with compassion and forgiveness means that we begin to circulate attention in energetic meridians, which we often fear and attempt to reject. At heart, communing with the more ‘shadowy’ parts of yourself is a creative endeavour which uses the art of self-examination and self-reflection as the paintbrush. These efforts are made to cultivate an easeful and full-bodied sense of wholeness which we can relax into. This way of being is initiated by changing the seat from which we gaze at
ourselves; the invitation is to look and keep looking in order to ‘see more seeingly’. We can dip into this by practising residing in the role of the observer. Rather than feeling engulfed by our emotional/ mental currents, we can try to observe ourselves as we would someone else; what do you see, what patterns emerge? A new way of being is birthed from a new way of seeing; from this steady centre, we move towards not acting from a place of fear or shame but from an acceptance fuelled by curiosity and love that is unconditional. Taoism and Jung: Synchronicity and the Self To synthesise, we can say that shadow work merges the inner with the outer self. Harold Coward identifies that a large basis of Jung’s model of the ‘self’ draws upon the principles of Chinese Taoism. The bridge between the two resides in the sense of synchronicity between ‘the inner psychic realms and the external physical world’, which Jung continually thinks about, that is expressed and directly depends upon the Chinese Taoist text the I Ching (or, Book of Changes). Synchronicity is an important concept to bear in mind whilst we begin to observe the patterns in and around us. Jung coined the term to ‘describe
circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection’. Synchronistic experiences leave us with a curious sense that we should pay more attention, to dampen our self-prophetic monkey mind momentarily and consider the presence of the divine. The Secret of the Golden Flower is a Taoist book which covers Neidan (inner alchemy) Meditation, which also mixes Buddhist teachings with some Confucian thoughts. On meditation, the text (as translated by Richard Wilhelm) says that ‘the most important thing for achieving the circulation of the light is rhythmical breathing’. Intentional breath work paired with meditation unlocks the ‘secret’ of the golden flower, I am reading the secret as being the abundance of lightness that our minds are capable of. Jung drew upon this text as he found great sense of meaning there, he reads the golden aspect as being emblematic of ‘the light’ — the flower coming to denote the blossoming or opening up of the light of the mind. Meditations, breath work, bodywork and journaling done with the intention of integrating with your shadow are tools to active that golden flower, or inner light.
UNAVAILING THE ALLURE OF GOTHIC FASHION Gothicism as a concept first appeared in the early 12th century with the introduction of gothic art and architecture, but the distinctive subculture didn’t exist until the late 1970s, when it was birthed by the original punk movement that had bloomed just a few years earlier. The 80s goth image was heavily based upon the styling of musicians Siouxsie Sioux and Pete Murphy: thick liner and heavy, dark eyeshadow, frizzy backcombed hair, black clothing and jewellery adorned with occult symbolism. Goth fashion in this period inherited punk’s DIY attitude, which made it highly accessible: inexpensive items like ripped tights and
oversized clothing could be easily incorporated to play up a goth look. This style of clothing is still popular with many selfidentifying goths today, and is commonly referred to as “trad goth”, as in “traditional”. Whilst this style has certainly played into the classic gothic image, there is a degree of difference between “goth” as a music-based subculture and “gothic”, which usually refers to an aesthetic centred around the dark romanticism of the Victorian era, when a fascination with death pervaded all aspects of society.
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WORDS BY ISABEL WILLIAMS
PHOTOS BY GEORG LOVRIC
FASHION DESIGN BY FREDERIK LOVRIC LIEDERLEY
It became the custom for mourning women to wear all black after the fashion of Queen Victoria, and it is these Victorian features such as high neck collars, sheer black lace and corsetry that we commonly attribute to the gothic style.
combined the romantic flair of the Victorian period with macabre imagery. In 1992, his graduate collection “Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims” featured a red-stained silk tailcoat with human hair sewed into the lining. His later runways displayed leather corsets stitched like Frankenstein’s monster; horns sprouting from jacket shoulders; masks and lace veils that obscured the face. Alexander Wang’s 2015 Autumn/Winter collection also drew on more industrial goth influences, featuring chainmail dresses, heavy black boots and garments cut from shiny leather or PVC. As is the way with most fashion trends, these looks gradually filtered down from the runway into our high-street stores.
Although the impact of Gothicism on modern fashion is not linear, one of the key people to introduce it to the runway was haute couture fashion designer Alexander McQueen, whose designs
Since then, the label of Goth has divided into further subcategories such as cybergoth, romantic goth, pastel goth, goth Lolita, mall goth and corp goth, all of which have their own distinct takes on the classic goth look.
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Gothic style has also gone on to inspire the streetwear of separate subcultures, such as emos and scene kids. Recently, celebrities such as Willow Smith, Kourtney Kardashian, Olivia Rodrigo and Julia Fox have been reaching to the gothic for style inspiration. Since her starring role in the hit Netflix show Wednesday, Jenna Ortega has been seen sporting a number of goth inspired black outfits. Fashion has always reflected changes in our wider society, and the resurgence of romantic style often corresponds with periods of cultural stress, when our awareness of destruction and societal calamity may be heightened. The introduction of the internet means our style is influenced by our media consumption more than ever, and the popularity of gothic fashion amongst teenagers after Wednesday is hardly a coincidence.
Referring to any of these high-end or streetwear fashions as being explicitly goth would be dismissive of those who dedicate themselves to the alternative lifestyle: wearing black clothes and a bit of eyeliner does not a goth make, after all. But what they all share with traditional goth fashions is a nod to humanity’s enduring fascination with the sinister, the spooky and the rebellious.
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DEAR LONELY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, YOU ARE SEEN AND IT WILL GET BETTER Around 28% of Bristol University’s student body is international - me included. As an international student, dealing with cultural and language barriers during your time in Bristol can be very lonely. If that’s the way you feel, I want you to know that you are seen and that it will get better with time. In this article, I share with you three things which have helped me deal with loneliness in my first year. I know the feeling very intimately. Going home at night, realising that every social interaction you’ve had that day has drained you. Feeling left out of conversations because you only understand 80% of what is being said. Having to take twice as much time as everyone to read the same bit of writing. Honestly, being an international student is hard. It’s a lot of feeling awkward and like you don’t belong. All of this adds to the already difficult and lonely experience of being a young adult and having no idea how to navigate life on your own. I don’t begin to pretend that my experience encompasses the whole spectrum of how homesickness and loneliness feels for you. Two things I can assure
you, though, is that: your feelings are justified, and it will all get easier with time. My first year in Bristol was the loneliest, most terrifying year of my life. I had social anxiety, and I can still remember the anxious thoughts swirling inside my brain, telling me that everyone was secretly laughing at my accent, my mispronunciation of certain words or my awkward silence. I’m now going into my third year, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the experiences and growth that my time in the UK has given me so far. Here are 3 pieces of advice that I wish someone would’ve given me in my first year…
3. Start a hobby or join a society that genuinely excites you. You might know that societies are a big university tradition in this country. As a fresher, I was overwhelmed by the amount of student associations available. At first, I wanted to enrol in at least five of them. I ended up joining one or two but never attending the meetings because they didn’t genuinely excite me. The thing is, to be a valuable member of any society, being passionate is key. Don’t force it. As students, we get pressured to be heavily involved in student life for our CV. And even though these types of experiences are very valuable, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, thinking that you must do it all in your first year. Choose a hobby that makes you genuinely happy, takes your mind off exams and deadlines and allows you to find community among likeminded people.
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2. Don’t hesitate to connect with other international students if that helps. Yes, you are in the UK because you like British culture, and you want to improve your English among native speakers. But some aspects of our experiences as international students are easier to share with people who can actually relate. There is nothing wrong with making your life easier by surrounding yourself with people who make you feel heard and understood. Don’t
forget that if you’re studying in the UK, you most likely will get many more years to connect with Brits on a deeper level. Don’t feel like you have to do it all now if it doesn’t feel right.
WORDS BY CLARA ZIMBAN
1. Be proud of yourself If you start feeling insecure or if you compare yourself at all, remember how badass you are. It’s easy to forget this, but you are incredibly brave. You’ve moved to another country to study a subject in a language that is not your first language. Studying at uni is not easy, but you have had the guts to put yourself in an even more challenging situation. Every ounce of discomfort that you feel right now is entirely justified, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, it means you’re growing. Imagine how much you will have grown in a couple of weeks, months, or years. Be proud of yourself. You deserve your place here, you belong.
COMMITTING THE ORIGINAL FASHION SIN: CATHOLICISM & FASHION As we enter the darker months and our affinity for darker styles is revived, we find ourselves reaching for rosaries and crucifixes to accessorise. However, it may be time to re-examine the controversial reconciliation of Catholic iconography and fashion… Catholicism has been a longstanding presence in alternative fashion circles, namely the Gothic subculture. At first glance, the two seem at odds. One is conformist and traditional, and the other is anything but. However, upon closer inspection, they are a match made in heaven. Catholicism is dark and macabre. It’s concerned with death, life after death, and everything that is unexplainable and disturbing. In recent years, we’ve witnessed Catholicism extend beyond the realms of Gothic
fashion and infiltrate the mainstream. As a result, the appropriation of Catholic symbolism for purely aesthetic reasons has sparked concerns of insensitivity. The relationship between Catholicism and fashion runs deep yet has always been complex. Notable, mainstream re-imaginations include Alexander McQueen’s bitingly satirical A/W96 collection. Entitled Dante, the 1996 show saw McQueen send his models down a crucifixshaped catwalk where he paired his iconic ‘bumsters’ with a crown of thorns.
WORDS BY HOLLY EDWARDS
PHOTOS BY KARINA TESS (VIA UNSPLASH)
Dolce and Gabbana offered a more sincere rendition of their Roman Catholic heritage in their A/W13 show, which saw figure-hugging dresses adorned with intricate Byzantine artworks and other religious iconography. Perhaps the most direct dialogue between the Church and fashion took place in 2018 when the Met Gala hosted an exhibition titled Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, which included over 40 articles of
clothing donated directly by the Vatican. Despite recent popularity, to use Catholicism as a fashion statement means to enter murky territory. Canon Law 1171 (the official guideline for the Catholic community) states, ‘Sacred objects, which are designated for divine dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently and are not to be employed for profane or inappropriate use’. In a time when we are beginning to have meaningful conversations about cultural appropriation, removing Catholic artefacts outside of their spiritual purpose becomes more contentious. The issue extends beyond aesthetics. The issue of context and intention has proved to prompt the real questions. Is the designer and wearer coming from a place of sincerity and respect? Or is there a desire to subvert and
satirise? Last September, upand-coming fashion brand Mirror Palais created a stir with its SS23 show, which took place in the Church of Ascension and saw a white corset and ultra mini-skirt look completed with a Nun-inspired headdress. Last September, up-andcoming fashion brand Mirror Palais created a stir with its SS23 show, which took place in the Church of Ascension and saw a white corset and ultra mini-skirt look completed with a Nun-inspired headdress. Another fashion moment that sparked outrage involved TikTok star Addison Rae, who was pressured to remove a sultry Instagram post where she wore a ‘Holy Trinity’ triangle bikini emblazoned with the words: ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Holy Spirit’. Internet brand Praying lists the swimwear piece on their website with the description ‘an incredibly powerful healing bikini’. Viewers to their website can also expect to see a blue ‘Hail Mary’ minidress and a graphic tee displaying the words ‘God’s Favourite’. It is safe. Its branding is anything but sincere and seems to be leaning into the idea of sacrilege—but make it sexy?
With all the doubts raised over intentions, it is important to note that Catholicism doesn’t quite fit comfortably into the definition of cultural appropriation primarily because it is a dominant world religion. Catholicism also inhabits a unique position in our society. For many, irony and subversion have been a way to confront and work through religious trauma. For many fashion creators and lovers who have drawn on Catholic iconography for fashion, their relationship with the Church has been complicated, to say the least. Discussing the Dante show with Women’s Wear Daily, McQueen was frank: “I think religion has caused every war in the world, which is why I showed it in a church”. The clash of Catholicism and the fashion world speaks to deeper conflicts. How can the values of respect and sensitivity be applied to a space that is intended to challenge, provoke and push boundaries? Unfortunately, we can’t say for certain if it’s time to bring out the Urban Outfitters’ crucifix necklace this October.
THE DARK SIDE OF THE CULINARY WORLD The world of food production is a complex one, both in practical and ethical terms. But the roots of our food system, if you’ll excuse the pun, present a seemingly insurmountable, intertwining series of problems for the environment, human health, and the food itself. We’re often presented with the suggestion that vegetarian and vegan diets are better for us, and for the environment. This is true in some senses, but the reality is considerably more complex: eating vegetables and plant-based food does not automatically equal ‘better’. The agricultural industry's horror is more subtle, and insidious than other areas of the food production world. After the Second World War, chemicals which had been developed to fight bacterial infections, such as typhus and typhoid fever during the war, were repackaged and marketed to farmers as ‘miracle’ solutions
to fight the pests, insects, weeds and fungi which were causing problems in crop production. These chemicals proved staggeringly effective, cutting out many of the major disruptors to the base level of food production. Synthetic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides quickly became central to the agricultural industry on an international scale and continue to be relied upon in global food production today. There was some scepticism from farmers over the ensuing decade about the safety of these chemicals, especially as they were being used on fruits, vegetables, and other crops which were being grown for direct consumption by humans and animals, but, in these early stages, there was no research into potential harmful impacts with regards to the environment or human health. DDT is an insecticide which was
The image of these chemicals working their way through the food chain and eventually into our diets is ominous. As Rachel Carson writes, ‘in nature, nothing exists alone’. Evidently, farmers are under huge pressure to produce abundant, successful crops each year. Their livelihoods depend on it, and their work provides food for entire communities and countries. Population growth is an increasing pressure, top soil degeneration is a huge problem, as are demands for feed for an expanding meat and dairy industry (which presents its own ethical problems). For farmers, and an industry which has long relied upon harmful pesticides, the conflicting demands for an everlarger food supply, and for greater attention to be paid to the environmental
PHOTOS BY ANNIE SPRATT (VIA UNSPLASH)
It is not difficult to understand how the destructive effects of these chemicals reach far beyond the areas of crop they’re sprayed onto. They saturate and damage the soil, leach into streams and rivers, and enter the larger water cycle, disrupting aquatic ecosystems. Then of course, the crops
themselves go into factories and food production systems, and the fruit and vegetables that come to stack supermarket shelves.
WORDS BY IMOGEN RANCE
used widely to treat crops in the mid to late twentieth century. It was exposed as a carcinogen and as having extremely damaging impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Recorded symptoms in humans following exposure to DDT include vomiting, tremors, seizures, and long-term cancer-inducing effects. Despite its eventual prohibition in the US and UK, among other countries, it causes enduring problems in ecosystems today. While some steps have been taken to ban or limit the use of other harmful pesticides, their use remains prevalent worldwide despite the relative accessibility of information about their harmful impacts.
implications of current farming practices, present an impossible dilemma. Nevertheless, if current approaches are to continue, the environmental outlook is less than hopeful. The principles of organic and regenerative farming present a promising alternative. They focus on minimising synthetic chemical use, rewinding and increasing biodiversity, the use
choosing the food we buy. Opting for organic produce is certainly more beneficial for our own health and for that of the environment. To an extent vegan and vegetarian diets are preferable – the meat and dairy require huge expanses of land for grazing or ‘storing’ its livestock, as well as the land which is required to grow feed. But it depends, as if meat is locally and ethically sourced, it
of crop rotation and companion planting, and maintaining living roots in the soil all year round (this helps to stimulate life in the soil and aids with carbon recapture). The benefits of regenerative farming are reflected in the environment and the food products we buy and consume.
can benefit the landscapes and environment. Especially when the animals are incorporated into regenerative farming operations.
The direct difficulty for us as consumers comes in when
However, the financial cost can be high with all of these ‘better’ alternatives. With the background of the cost-ofliving crisis, and on already tight student budgets, the truth is that most students, and many members of the general
population can’t afford to worry about any of this as an issue. Not only does a tight budget limit choice regarding what we consume, but other financial concerns and pressures on time, among other worries, make the issues discussed in this article of little immediate concern. Nevertheless, the direct proximity of such harmful
chemicals to our food supply is shocking. Food is an essential part of our daily lives, it is the stuff we look to for nutrition, energy, and comfort. And yet there is an insidious aspect to the invisible presence of potentially harmful synthetic chemicals and other biohazards present in our food.
The food we produce and consume is inextricably tied to our environment and health. The current approaches are environmentally unsustainable and difficult to affect as consumers with limited choice due to financial constraints. The responsibility, therefore, lies with the industry, and with government and investors to support organic and regenerative farming
practices, making food not only safer and more accessible but also contributing to climate change mitigation efforts and supporting the rebuilding of a healthy, symbiotic relationship with the natural world.
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THE NAKED BODY My vision of this shoot plays with the concepts of formalware, practicality and escapism. Gearing the visual mediums of casual surroundings with the growing ‘impracticality’ of fashion together. Creating a substantial difference between the environments we survive in, and the formal ware designed for us, we play with the ideas of what formal ware is, and how we choose it to be a type of escapism for us, within those worlds.
Slivera’s mind, this concept stems from the idea of a piece of thin georgette fabric, wrapped around a female body. Embodying and accentuating the female form. with fabric sown and woven within each other, it sneaks and peeks attention through each fold, draping the entire body in cloth from the wrists to ankles, concealing, yet revealing everything.
With the full understanding that escapism is at times necessary to step aside from the stressors of our current society, this shoot was designed to face those facets of escapism and reality towards each other. Imagined through Kenan
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FASHION DESIGN BY KENAN SLIVERA
PHOTOS & WORDS BY CHARLOTTE PANG
DU MAURIER, MACHADO
INTERVIEW BY CHRIS LEONARD
PHOTOS BY GRACE O’SULLIVAN
WHEN GOTHIC TEXTS BECOME HAUNTINGLY RELEVANT When I was seventeen, I dreamt a lot about houses. I began writing short stories about how other people’s homes can be so disorienting. It was only this summer when I found Gothic literature to be so fitting to what I used to dream about and what I write about now. Gothic literature makes me think about dreams, houses, and trauma and the way it feels sometimes that you can’t really escape all three. It used to seem distant to me, consisting of several classics like Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. These all seemed laughably outdated to me for so long. It wasn’t until Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca that I
finally glimpsed what made gothic lit so fascinating. I was moving to the other side of London, to a far more posh, Catholic education. The alienation Rebecca experiences at Manderley is one I’ve felt many times – after moving, after committing to something new, coming to university. It is also common at university to dream of your first year halls after you have left. I still find the first line of Rebecca hauntingly relatable: ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ Manderley, before you even learn it is a house, becomes an icon of a space no longer inhabited, but only that preyed on that insecurity.
So what is the relationship between a dream, a house, and gothic literature? Carmen Maria Machado’s ‘In The Dream House is about surviving an abusive queer relationship. Told through the image of a ‘dream house’, she recounts how a real physical space can turn into a horrific spatial paradox. In the same way, an exciting relationship can transform swiftly into a nightmarishly abusive one. In the dream house was a horrific read. I read it all in one day. I, like the protagonist, had to escape the dream house/book as fast as possible. Gothic literature responds to what scares us most in the time it’s being created. In this
text, it is about homophobia within the queer community, domestic violence in male-less relationships, and the fear of not being able to escape and be understood. Throughout my life, I’ve had some horrible friendships and relationships. I let myself getting walked on, and bared through it because I believed that the relationship was important. All relationships, I misguidedly believed, are valuable. Again, gothic literature preyed upon this insecurity, opened it up, the wound under the scab, and let it bleed a bit more. Taboos are real and hurtful. Gothic literature works to lessen that pain and make us feel a little less alone.