Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the longevity, significance, and distinctiveness of the Gothic heroine in screen culture. It illustrates how humour can become another weapon in the arsenal that the Gothic heroine possesses with which to fight patriarchy in general, and overbearing husbands in particular, as she examines the mock-Gothic television series Hunderby. The eponymous ‘Gothic heroine’ conjures up images of the imperilled young and inexperienced woman, cautiously exploring the old dark house where she is physically confined by force – imprisoned by the tale’s tyrant – or metaphorically trapped by societal expectations of marriage and domesticity. The Gothic heroine on screen will, in the coming pages, navigate ideas about media, adaptation, representation, and interpretation in a manner reminiscent of how she explores the convoluted geography of the Gothic space.