Gothic is described as something destructive and barbaric that attracts and disrupts what is considered civilized. To some extent, then, Jackson is right. however, “the very fact of speaking about these socially unspeakable people is an ambiguous gesture (Punter p.417). » This is where the elements of superstition and the paranormal come into play. In Horace Walpole's The Castle Otranto and Matthew Lewis's The Monk, this element of the paranormal and superstition gives way to or embodies the contradiction of society that Jackson speaks of, or at least some of it. . It is important to recognize, however, that even if the message or plot of these stories is sometimes sarcastic or even impractical, they nevertheless manage to question society and its social norms. But still, even if some things are addressed, others are repeated and remain unresolved and that is what I will try to explore. What the monk and the castle of Otranto have to say about their society as well as how plot and character impact the message the reader ends up receiving. The Castle of Otranto highlights many aspects of society, but in a way the reader does not know whether or not to take it seriously; firstly, from Conrad being hit by a helmet to Matilda being killed. As Markman Ellis (p. 32) argues, “the management of these elements is somewhat unusual.” The entire plot of the story is built around a riddle, for example the prophecy which states: "The castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the true owner becomes too big for it." 'live (p. 109). » The manipulation of these supernatural elements, although constituting the basis of the main plot, distracts readers from the seriousness of reality. Manfred is pushed by the middle of paper ......ntonia and immediately falls in love with her without realizing that what he feels is the bond between brothers and sisters who recognize each other. Both novels seem to take a stand against the evocation of morality by repressing education. In The Monk, the Church and Elvira play a role in the downfall of their children. Antonio is not allowed to read certain parts of the Bible for fear of corruption. The Castle of Otranto and The Monk seem to speak of evil and the problem of its externalization. An example of this is the behavior of the crowd in The Monk "which provides a kind of justification for violence and at the same time highlights the ease with which revenge can be excessive and uncontrollable (James Watt, 1999, p.92)." This is true both for the novel and for the others (Frankenstein and Zofloya). In The Castle of Otranto, Manfred kills Mathilde, by mistake, while trying to kill Isabelle.