The Reach - Gothic Elements

Gothic Elements

Typical gothic fiction uses drafty castles and gloomy estates for settings; Stephen King uses fictional Goat Island in Maine and its unforgiving winters as the ominous home for Stella Flanders and her familial community. The location takes on the role of the wilderness as used in early American gothic fiction. The remoteness of Goat Island and Stella's willingness to allow it to be her entire world is evocative of the "world within a world" that appears in gothic literature.

King uses the gothic element of foreshadowing by giving the reader glimpses of the illness that is advancing in Stella Flanders. When Stella attempts to cross the Reach and becomes lost, she likens herself to the damsel in distress; when the dead come to her aid, the supernatural characteristic strengthens the gothic influence. King’s use of unsettling words to describe the island, weather, and events further evoke gothic standards.

Perhaps the most obvious of the gothic elements used here, is that of ghosts. Ghosts often appear in gothic fiction. Their appearance is usually of a pivotal nature to the other characters in the story. Stella sees the dead and is able to interact with them, although they cause her fear because she is aware that this means that her time is short. As Stella comes to accept her death, she puts her trust in them to help her cross over. It is their kindness and comforting nature towards her that finally allows Stella to accept them and the help they can provide her with as she makes her final transition.