Foreboding in literature can be created in many ways. One instance that is common, and students should be careful not to miss, is the use of a 'semantic field' of words or imagery. By repeatedly using, for example, dark imagery, the writer is reinforcing in the reader a sense of tension, and a sense of danger.
Ominous implications precede dark events in Gothic literature. Unlucky omens appear, ancient curses linger in the air, and dark forces beyond the hero’s ken thwart his ambitions.
Where such a semantic field is combined with the use of first person, the reader is able to empathise with the protagonist, and feel more acutely the tension and foreboding that is felt by the protagonist. These are some ways gothic literature creates a sense of foreboding.
