How does gothic literature upend some of the fundamental beliefs about science and religion people held in nineteenth century Britain and America?

The
1790s are often considered the heyday of gothic literature; however, the genre has never fallen
out of popularity since. In fact, it has seen constant revivals throughout its history, with
many important Gothic works written in the 19th century, such as Mary Shelleys
Frankenstein (1818), Robert Louis Stevensons The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), and Bram Stokers Dracula (1897).
Several momentous changes were occurring in scientific and religious thought in the era which
were reflected in Gothic literature of 19th century Britain and America.

Considering religion first, the rise of modernity had already been witnessing a weakening in
faith since the early Victorian period. The institution of the church no longer held the primacy
it did up to the 18th century. We see this anxiety about loss of faith reflected in the works of
late 19th and early 20th century writers working outside the Gothic tradition as well, such as
Matthew Arnold and T. S. Eliot. As the sea of...

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