Theme Of Entrapment In Gothic Literature

Gothic literature displays that the world is not always as it seems; usually through horror making the reader question the morality and truth of everyday life. Notable authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Richard Matheson, and Horacio Quiroga use violence (as well as death and blood) and entrapment in order to show how naivete and innocence are exploited and taken for granted. Moreover, the idea of entrapment comes to fruition often in gothic literature, and usually happens to those who are innocent as a means of furthering the central idea of horror. In the short story, “Prey”, written by Richard Matheson, expounds upon the idea of entrapment when the main character Amelia is running from an evil doll and “trie[s] to open the bolt. It [is] helplessly