Every evil plot needs an innocent victim.… The naïf is one of the core stock characters in Gothic literature. From the same French root as “naive,” the naïf is someone who exemplifies innocence and has not yet been corrupted or made cynical by their encounters with the outside world. This character serves as a foil to innate evil and is usually the main victim of the story’s monster or villain. In Gothic fiction, the naïf is generally a young woman, sometimes an adolescent, who has lived a sheltered life and is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar and dangerous environment. Because of her lack of experience, the naïf tends to underestimate evil and often trusts the wrong people. The more passive incarnations of this character resemble the stereotypical “damsel in distress,” and need to be rescued by a gallant hero. But sometimes when the naïf loses her innocence, she gains experience and agency. Continue reading Gothic Tropes: The Naif