Gothic writing lacks tension and suspense because end is always

inevitable
To what extent do you agree that gothic writing lacks tension and
suspense?
In gothic writing, one can argue that the ending always corresponds
to a form of moral closure, therefore tension and suspense is lost
because the reader can deduce what will unfold from the beginning
of the novel. However it can also be argued that the ending may be
inevitable, but not predictable; there is no telling the sequence of
events leading up to the end.
In Frankenstein, from the beginning of the novel the reader is told
that the events to unravel should be regarded with evil
forebodings. This does not spoil the ending but elevates the
suspense, because the reader is placed in a position of possible
danger. Much like the witches when they announce that they will
meet with Macbeth, the reader anticipates the protagonists
sinister involvement in the play, but suspense is not ruined by any
anticipation of the end.
Shelley uses the opening letters to build up fear through the
suspense and uncertainty. When we discover the man of gigantic
stature, although he is not explicitly named, the ambiguity
surrounding his identity is left for the reader to ponder. The reader is
already affected by tension and suspense before being able to
deduce the ending, and Shelley builds up these emotions with the
discovery of the mysterious being and also of Frankenstein. These
events each form their own epicentre of suspense and Shelley
quickly shifts between each epicentre to develop the feeling of
uncertainty in the reader and consequently building fear, which
therefore creates tension.
This is juxtaposed with the benign nature of Frankensteins history.
The change in narrator and the change in setting; from the cold
isolated north to the natural scene of Geneva, eases the tension in
the reader. Shelley uses the beauty of nature to allow the reader to
release tension. The wondrous scenes of the sublime shapes of
the mountains distracts the reader, putting them into a false sense
of security, which maximises their vulnerability for another episode
of tension. Shelley lets us build a bond with the Frankensteins
because it will be easier to create tension if it is ensued on
characters we sympathise with.
Shelleys form of using three different narrators builds tension in the
reader while they try to authenticate the sincerity of each story.
Each character tells a version of the story not the story and so the
reader cannot tell whom is right or wrong and therefore is indecisive

on how it will end. This is complemented by the way she shifts the
centre point of the narrative, so before the reader is able to pass
judgement, they are giving new evidence that suggests otherwise.
The supernatural is also used to build up tension. For a Jacobean
audience, the notion of a human creating life would have been
perceived as blasphemy. Moreover, breaking the chain of being by
allowing humans to possess God like powers is enough to evoke fear
and tension. For a modern audience the tension would stem more
from the conflict between creator and creation. Catching and
fearing each sound, image of overpowering force in pursuit, this
helps to amplify the creatures size and almost makes him sound
omnipotent, which is ironic as he is in pursuit of his creator. Tension
is created because of the power struggle between creation and
creator, but there is no clear indication of who will be victorious so
therefore the result is not inevitable.
On the other hand, to comply with the moral order of that time, a
Jacobean audience would have seen it fit that whomever disrupts
the chain of being, should die. We observe the foreshadowing, and
can therefore deduce that Frankenstein will die, so the tension
caused by the power struggles collapses because we can say that
his death is immanent. This therefore destroys any notion of
suspense.