Gothic for Girls

This chapter uses the previous analyses to construct the conventions of the ‘Gothic for Girls’ subgenre and reflect on its development and position within children’s literature. It surveys existing work on childhood and Gothic, with a particular focus on the fairy tale and the cautionary tale as subgenres of children’s literature. It argues that Misty combines Female Gothic tropes with fairy tale markers to create stories that bring together adult and child concerns. The chapter concludes by relating Misty to some contemporary dark fairy tales and offering a working definition of Gothic for Girls. Elements include an isolated or trapped female protagonist in an abstracted world that juxtaposes the mundane and supernatural, a narrative awakening to magical potential that is often driven by fear and particularly terror, the use of feminine symbols and fairy tale sins as catalysts, and the weight placed on personal responsibility and self-control or self-acceptance.