The Gothic Heart of the American Revolution
What do the American Revolution and Gothic literature have in common? Both are defined by upheaval, destruction, and the weight of the past haunting the present. Gothic stories thrive in dark landscapes, psychological torment, and the consequences of ambition—elements that also shaped the Revolutionary War.
The Roots of Destruction
Gothic literature often unfolds in crumbling, abandoned places. In Mademoiselle Frankenstein, set during the American Revolution, this sense of ruin is ever-present. The world Océane Frankenstein inhabits is one of broken bodies, broken ideals, and overwhelming suffering. Like many Gothic heroines, she is caught between two worlds—the old European traditions of her ancestors and the violent, uncertain future unfolding in America.
The entire framework of the Revolution was likewise caught between the Old World and the New World. The Revolution created devastation and a world that felt as bleak and uncertain as any Gothic novel.
The Haunting of History
Gothic fiction is obsessed with the idea that the past never dies. During the Revolution, colonists sought to break free from Britain, yet they remained haunted by Old World traditions. Even after independence, the young nation struggled under the lingering influence of monarchy, war debts, and the unresolved horrors of slavery. The war’s ghosts refused to fade, shaping a new America tied to its past.
Terror in the Sublime
One of the most potent elements of Gothic literature is the sublime—the simultaneous experience of awe and terror. The Revolution was filled with such moments: soldiers marching through silent, snow-covered forests, fires blazing up into night skies, and ships emerging from misty, fairy-tale waters. So too did the vast, untamed landscape of North America itself add to the Gothic atmosphere in Mademoiselle Frankenstein. The wilderness is a place where the line between beauty and chaos blurs.
Monsters of Our Own Making
At the heart of the Revolution and Gothic literature is the question of creation—what happens when you build something new? In Mademoiselle Frankenstein, Océane is akin to the revolutionaries in that she believes in the power of human hands to reshape the world.
The Revolution was also a creation myth—a bold experiment in democracy and self-rule. Yet its violence gave rise to horrific, unintended consequences. The dream of liberty was not granted to all.
The Gothic reminds us that creation always comes at a price.
A Gothic Revolution
The Revolution was a time of horror and hope, ruin and rebirth—the very forces that drive Gothic literature. It was a war fought in the shadows, a battle against the ghosts of the past, an experiment that, like all Gothic tales, often left its creators haunted by their actions.
The Gothic is not just about the supernatural—it is about fear, uncertainty, and the thin line between triumph and tragedy. The American Revolution, in all its blood and fire, was a deeply Gothic story. And like all Gothic stories, its echoes still haunt us today.
What do you think? Can history itself be Gothic? Share your thoughts in the comments.
