Beattie's chapter of The Sublime and Lewis's The Monk share many terms in common related to the gothic; Beattie explains them, and Lewis demonstrates them in action. The most important is the idea of "pleasure" and how it relates to the gothic structure. According to both Freud and Lacan, the most basic reason for our enjoyment of anything is pleasure. This applies to literature as well, especially gothic works. Because the narratives tend to have a romantic focus, the characters within them are often driven by pleasure. This becomes a dual experience for the reader, who identifies with the character and therefore also experiences pleasure. A straightforward example of this comes from The Monk, when Antonia first lays eyes on Ambrosio. She
