Angela Carter's short story "The Blood Chamber" includes an abundance of effective conventions in creating a Gothic setting. The tale is tragic, where the A young girl's innate curiosity inevitably finds her in danger. Published in the late 20th century, at a time when Gothic writing was less prominent in literature, the tale could be said to be quite progressive within the genre, with its underlying critique of patriarchal society, being a particularly common theme in Gothic writing, however, being set in the French Third Republic, an era known for corruption and hedonism, and the use of classical Gothic elements in this passage, ensures that a surprisingly gothic setting is actually established to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned" Get an Original Essay Most of the narrative takes place in the Marquis's castle, a place where the Gothic setting of the story is particularly prominent. The location of the castle is extremely remote, it is "cut off from the land by the tide for half a day..." This creates an atmosphere of captivity and by including this significant detail, Carter deliberately makes explicit to the reader that the castle is far from the eyes of the outside world and is therefore difficult to escape, which is a key part of the gothic setting that is created. The ellipses used here encourage the reader to think about this detail as Carter subtly implies that it will be important later in the novel. Indeed, at the end of the novel the marquises see their mother “galloping at dizzying speeds along the causeway, despite the crashing waves,” significant in that the reader comes to the disheartening realization that if the mother's arrival had occurred even slightly more later, the castle may have been inaccessible and the Marquises may not have survived. The tone of urgency, accentuated by the use of the adjective “dizzying”, combined with the randomness of the situation contributes significantly to the gothic setting through the sense of panic that resonates in both the protagonist and the reader. Furthermore, the climate of confinement increases exponentially as the marquise's journey proceeds towards the castle, until she reaches the bedroom. Here she describes being “surrounded by so many mirrors!” which contributes to the gothic setting through the atmosphere of suppression it establishes. The excessive furnishing of the bedroom implies a corruption of wealth, common in the era in which the story is set; the French Third Republic was known for its decadence, and here Carter criticizes it, demonstrating that it gave the rich (who at the time were almost always men) a means to entice the inferiors, as the Marquis did successfully at the narrator. Carter not only emphasizes the Marquises' physical isolation, but also her psychological isolation. This is made explicit by the significant change in narrative tone as the Marquis exclaims “Enough! NO; More!" clearly conflicted and unsure about the imminent consummation of her marriage. This interior monologue is desperate and frenetic as the narrative perspective detaches, increasing the sense of psychological isolation as the Marquises are unable to escape this distressing situation. In Indeed, it is the overwhelming sense of isolation maintained throughout the story that so convincingly establishes a Gothic setting. The Marquis's chamber is a key part of the tale and its allusions to hell are remarkably successful in establishing a setting. gothic when the narrative reaches its climax..