Rats in the wall

The Lovecraft short story, “The Rats in the Wall” is a shining example of what I always held to be Gothic literature. Being a fan of his writing I am naturally biased in my belief however having taken this course I can say that even beyond my fondness this still holds up to the outline that defines Gothic literature. It contains and plays with a lot of Gothic themes as well as adding its own brand of horror and unsettling details. From the very start of it there is the De la Poer family lineage which is shrouded in mystery and superstition. Not much is know to the the narrator at first other than what he could gather from stories and local superstition. The mentality of something frightening villagers is commonly seen in the genre, perhaps most notably in Dracula. Furthermore there is the family house which in this case can be seen as the stand in for a classic castle and what is underneath it, hidden from all eyes is perhaps the most frightening.