The setting is extremely important in Gothic literature: after all, the setting is really the foundation of the story and can make or break the atmosphere that the author tries to create. The same goes for cinema, and Psycho's most used setting is arguably the film's most gothic element. The motel is set back from the main road and several characters mention that it is difficult to find. Norman mentions that they don't do much business and that apart from his mother, he lives alone. When we first see the hotel, the camera slowly pans towards it, returning to Marion who is searching the empty property for any signs of life. There is a sense of isolation around location that is a common theme in Gothic literature, whether in the case of the location or the people, and both are true of Psycho; here as elsewhere, Hitchcock skillfully adapts Gothic conventions and themes from literature to cinema. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The house Norman and his mother live in is even further away. As captured by Hitchcock, the exterior is dimly lit to the point of appearing black, and it is surrounded by weeds and unkempt landscaping. Mansions, especially ruined and overgrown ones, are very common settings for Gothic tales such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" or Bram Stoker's Dracula. The nearby swamp highlights the danger of nature, less common but found in gothic stories like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. The interior of the house and the woman it is supposed to contain remain a mystery until the end of the film. The house and motel are often depicted with storm clouds overhead and it is raining most often. The weather worsens the dark and disturbing atmosphere of the house and the motel. The lighting key also contributes to this. It's low-key, causing different areas of the board to be shrouded in shadow. The killer doesn't appear until halfway through the film, and when he does, he is shrouded in shadow so the viewer can guess who it is. While talking to Marion in the living room, Norman's face tends to be split half into shadow and half into light, perhaps to illustrate his split personality, while Marion's face remains in full light, showing his relative innocence. The two are only shown in the same shot for a brief moment. During the rest of the scene, the camera flashes between them, perhaps to emphasize their differences and discomfort with each other. Norman and Marion also seem to fit character archetypes common in Gothic literature. Norman is a sensitive and socially awkward man who is usually the one to commit an evil act, whether in a fit of passion or under some sort of spell. In Norman's case, it involves mental illness, another trope often found in Gothic literature. There are countless examples of this trope, such as Egaeus in Poe's "Berenice." Mental illness often causes some sort of strange event, or causes the main character to forget things they've done, the latter being similar to what happens to Norman. Another trope of Gothic literature is the death or suffering of a beautiful woman, often the one the main character is in love with, and it is used in all of the examples I have given here. Marion seems to fit this trope very well. Much of what makes gothic literature is the creepy, suspenseful mood or tone. This can be done in part by..