The Old Nurse’s Story: Genre 1 key example

“The Old Nurse’s Story” is a short story in the Gothic horror genre. Gothic horror stories typically feature characters trying to solve a mystery, as well as ghostly hauntings and suspenseful narrative arcs (with major reveals at the end). One of the key Gothic elements of this particular story is the fact that the Manor House is haunted by the ghosts of the old lord, Miss Maude, and her daughter, who scare the living characters.  The reason the ghosts are haunting the house isn’t fully revealed until a dramatic scene at the end of the story—another common element in Gothic fiction. It becomes clear in this scene as Miss Grace wails in grief and tries to stop her father's ghost from harming her sister and niece that the ghosts are haunting her for a reason: to teach her a lesson about the mistake she made in not saving her family members from their tragic fate.