03-08-2010, 01:17 PM
Yes, that's exactly the flaw which has been raised on this book again and again, and it applies to many other gothic novels as well (Richardson's Pamela had the same trick). However, that sort of bad manners was rather required in gothic novels because the suspense was often hinged on the heroine's relationship to a powerful man of questionable morals. In many romances and action tales the heroine faces a bad guy and has a romantic interest in a different guy and each of the 2 men are in clear cut roles. On the other hand, part of what made gothic creepy yet romantic was the fact that the dangerous and mysterious man was also attractive and the line between good and evil blurred. In order to introduce threat and menace into gothic romance the threat had to derive from within the relationship itself. Otherwise, it would have slipped into pure horror or adventure.