Ever since the emergence of Horace Walpole’s 18th century novel The Castle of Otranto, the Gothic has played an ever-evolving part in works of fiction. Its themes have given rise to a number of sub-themes which can be applied to psychological thriller novels that have consistently seen a rise in popularity over the past few years. The Female Gothic is one particular sub-theme of the Gothic and it is heavily prevalent in the psychological thrillers The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

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One such trope of the Female Gothic is that of madness and the unknown state of the mind. The protagonists of both novels are portrayed as having various states of instability, consequently making them unreliable narrators. This characteristic increases a sense of thrill in the reader and can be dated back to Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic novel, Rebecca. Amy from Gone Girl and Rachel from The Girl on the Train are also portrayed as innocent victims of a male’s oppressive regime. The actions that both characters take against their oppressors are thrilling in nature as the reader is uncertain as to what they will be doing in response, therefore adding to the tense atmosphere of the rest of the novel.

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Another Gothic trait is the transgression of boundaries. The presupposed role of the female in these novels is subverted as the women take on a more masculine role as they take revenge by utilising methods that would not be deemed suitable for the innocent female protagonist portrayed in traditional novels. Both protagonists take part in acts with extreme violence, particularly Amy, which further fuels the thrilling atmosphere generated by the events that take place in the novel.

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The transgression of boundaries harks back to the ‘madwoman in the attic’ idea that feminist critics Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar popularised in relation to Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. A recurring theme in many Female Gothic novels, the madwoman is typically the protagonist who, by way of a patriarch’s manipulation, is seen to be insane and is not taken seriously by the other male characters in the novel. They are seen as ‘other’, perpetuating a sense of the fear of the unknown, a trait that makes up the core basis of the Gothic novel. This fear of the ‘other’ is also portrayed in psychological thrillers as the main thrill stems from the fact that the reader is oblivious to what may occur as a result of the unpredictability of the characters, which is true of Amy in Gone Girl. Furthermore, the fact that Rachel is also unaware of the events that may arise from any action she may take contributes to the feeling of the fear of the unknown. This unravels the plot further and adds to the air of suspense that is already created by the writer.

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The actions of both protagonists as depicted in the novels also fit into the Gothic element of duality as they incorporate the two sides of good and evil. One such classic novel that does this well is Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Mr Hyde is a separate entity in the novel, however, is representative of the two sides of one individual person. Throughout the course of the novel, good and evil go head to head but eventually, it is deemed too difficult for both sides to coexist and so the end has an almost cathartic feel as both sides have to succumb to their fate to restore a sense of stability. In Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, the development of the characters is such that by the end of both novels, it appears that the female protagonist wins the battle in reinstating the balance because she has more control over the duality that exists within herself.

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In reference to The Girl on the Train, it is more the events that occur during the novel more so than the ending that provides the thrill. This is because at the end of the novel, after suffering from a twisted sense of self, Rachel has seemingly absolved herself of the duality that existed within her seeing as she has done away with the cause of her duality to give her a newfound sense of freedom. Meanwhile, in Gone Girl, it appears that the ending is never fully resolved and the lines between good and evil are blurred, resulting in an ending that can be seen as dissatisfying whilst still leaving a psychological imprint on the mind of the reader.

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The feature of duality present in both novels can also be attributed to Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whilst duality is more apparent in Wilde’s novel with the use of a mirror to depict the two sides of his protagonist, in the two modern novels, there is a more psychological aspect to the duality. This is because each character showcases two sides of their personality which we as readers have to pick out after realising the unreliability of the narration. In both novels, this makes way for the twists that occur which drives the intensity and action.

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It is clear to see in both novels where the influences of Gothic appear, be it a conscious decision on the authors parts or not. Gothic literature and more particularly, the Female Gothic, have subtly shaped the modern psychological thriller in order to give readers a true sense of thrill and excitement, thus encouraging a deeper engagement with the novel.