What is the Gothic?

When approaching the task of defining the Gothic I believe that it is easiest to consider themes; terror, mystery, paranormal, resistance. Giving an exact definition of the Gothic genre is difficult due to its large, complex nature, but the themes listed give a sense of the ideas and topics found within these works. I believe that our modern culture has had somewhat of an obsession with the Gothic for decades; there are several instances in which these elements of books and movies go unnoticed. The science-fiction/fantasy genre has largely dominated entertainment and media in recent years; one prominent example is the Batman series. The city of Gotham, emphasis on the Goth is filled with crime, decay, villains of strange origins. A mysterious hero makes a stand against these villains and encourages the citizens of Gotham to resist; everything about the series seems to declare that it is in fact, Gothic media. Several other notable works hold roots in the Gothic genre; The Hunger Games, the Divergent series, the entire Harry Potter series, and such a large number of Stephen King books that I cannot possibly list all of them.. Our culture's obsession with the Gothic does not seem to be ending any time in the distant future, and I believe that it will never truly disappear.