Alienation vs. Societal Suppression: Exploring Gothic Romance Elements in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad

Gothic romance is a genre of literature that adds a sense of unpredictability and highlights profound internal disruptions. This paper examines the use of Gothic elements in Ahmed Saadawi’s novel Frankenstein in Baghdad and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Furthermore, it analyzes key excerpts of the two novels to explain that both novels are Gothic romances in which the two authors, Saadawi and Hawthorne, examine themes such as guilt, alienation, and social repression. The paper also argues that both novelists challenge the social norms and traditions to expose the darker dimensions of human beings. Hawthorne employs the characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to integrate pervasive Gothic elements within the narrative as a means to explore themes of societal alienation and hypocrisy. On the other hand, Saadawi utilizes the characters of Hadi and Whatsitsname to create an ominous atmosphere, reflecting themes of existential dread and moral ambiguity as the protagonist grapples with the consequences of his grotesque creation.