“He was honestly convinced that a dreadful fate overhung his family, and certainly the records
which he was able to give of his ancestors were not encouraging. The idea of some ghastly
presence constantly haunted him” (19)
This quote shows a direct connection between The Hound of the Baskervilles and the gothic
genre, through its reference to the supernatural and Sir Charles Baskerville’s overwhelming
dread. Sir Charles Baskerville is, in his final months, depicted in great stress due to the belief
that “some ghastly presence” - namely the hellhound - was lurking around him and intended to
kill him. He feared a gruesome demise, in continuance with his family’s past history. Sir Charles
Baskerville’s constant anxieties also connects this passage with the crisis trope of gothic
literature; he was “constantly haunted” and clearly tortured by these fears to such a degree that
his anxiety “was having a serious effect upon his health,” and ultimately lead to a heart attack
(20). His dread of the supernatural provides a connection between the novel and the gothic
genre.
Nonetheless, the idea of predetermination is not a common theme of gothic novels; here, Sir
Charles is convinced that he is predetermined to die in a gruesome way, due to his family’s
lineage. While this concept does not necessarily play a large role in gothic novels, it may, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, allow for an interesting plot device, as characters attempt to avoid a
fate that readers know they are ultimately destined for. Perhaps Sir Henry will, like Oedipus,
attempt to cheat his destiny, yet ultimately fail, causing his further trauma and pain. Maybe Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle will use a similar plot approach in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
I agree with your observation that Sir Charles may have thought he was ultimately fated for some sort of supernaturally caused death. The questionable presence of the supernatural within Gothic novels makes me think that a character (i.e. Sir Charles being eaten by the Hound of the Baskervilles, Lady Audley’s Secret being revealed) understands that what they fear the most may happen, but he/she dedicates their life to preventing that one thing from happening until their fate ultimately overpowers. One difference I notice is the plot of HOB itself: we are uncovering the mystery after the character (Sir Charles) meets their destiny, instead of uncovering the mystery in order for the character (like Lady Audley) to meet their destiny.