Gothic literature contains a plethora of works from a great variety of authors, yet ultimately the stories stick to common themes and motifs. Modern stories such as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children still have close ties to the tales of Edgar Allen Poe, and even to foreign writers such as Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow”.
One of many of the short stories that embody gothic literature is Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow”, especially in the way it portrays blood. This element is crucial to the story as you follow the tale of Alicia and her newlywed husband, Jordan. Alicia has been peculiarly ill for some time, but no specialist was ever capable of diagnosing her situation. Upon her passing away, Jordan cleans up her room and finds something unimaginable. For the duration of her sickness, there had been a parasite resting within her pillow; one that “stealthily applied its mouth… and [sucked] her blood.” (Quiroga 2) The author takes many chances to highlight blood in the story, much as was done within Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar…show more content… The citizens within the story have cloistered themselves behind castle walls to escape a rampant disease. Despite their plans, the problem seems to approach to a point that “a sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in a confused reverie or meditation.” (Poe 450) The one thing everyone was trying to circumvent, catches up with them as if they are in some form of dream. This gothic element shows up in a similar way in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Jacob had been having issues overcoming his grandfather’s gruesome death, and his psychiatrist is able to diagnose that it was “the unconscious causing [Jacob] problems...the dreams and anxiety.” (Riggs 66) Dreams are elusive and unknown to many, and this sense of mystery adds to the creepiness that is gothic
