This A level resource aims to stretch students’ understanding of the genre of the female gothic and how it can be thoughtfully applied to du Maurier’s novel. Once students have completed the reading, they can complete the reading comprehension questions potentially as a home learning task or for general exam revision. Suggested answers are also supplied for teacher convenience. I have other themed reading comprehensions in my shop. Hope it helps.

Taster: For some, the term ‘Female Gothic’ simply means Gothic stories written by female writers. In Literary Women, Ellen Moer defines it more specifically as the highlighting of women’s household roles for the purpose of conveying the hidden psychological impact, often through the supernatural. This means that a Female Gothic tale will frequently relate a female heroine’s deliverance from the trappings of domesticity…