'Gothic writing is characterised by a fascination with death.' Consider how far you agree with this statement by comparing Dracula with at least one other text prescribed for this topic.

I would always advise to plan before writing the essay to outline what you want to say and how you're going to structure it so that you remain focused on the question when writing. This plan does not need to be extensive but should include a basic idea of what will feature in each question. I would often begin my introduction by defining your key terms if necessary. For this particular question, it is not as difficult to define your key terms, but nevertheless, it will get points for originality if you consider unconventional definitions. For example, death is understood largely as the end of one's life, however it can also be the death of a certain period of your lifetime or a certain emotion. For this question you can refer to another Gothic text, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, in which the eponymous hero's innocence dies when he is corrupted by Lord Henry. This evidence will be required of you in the main body of your essay, the introduction is used to establish your argument and signpost your points. Be wary of the previously mentioned unconventional readings because whilst they are interesting, it is important to also discuss more orthodox interpretations, particularly with the Gothic for which death is a central theme. You also need to explain how the literature being discussed relates to the time period within which it was produced (and thus the influence of this context on the conception) and when it is being received (and how the context influenced interpretations). For example, due to an ongoing secularisation process which was rooted in the Enlightenment, Victorian thinkers and writers were pre-occupied with the notion of life after death because the traditional Christian belief of Heaven and Hell was being questioned. As such, authors such as Bram Stoker, explored the ways in which the traditional idea of death could be challenged through the use of otherworldly creatures such as vampires. Here I have connected the influence of the context to the text and whilst it is important to focus on the text (and from here I would explore a certain passage in which death is discussed), this should always be informed by an awareness of the context of production and reception. Keep in mind that different exam questions are looking for different ideas to dominate (depending upon the examination board) so bare in mind which assessment objective is the most heavily weighted. This question leans towards context, hence the focus from before. However, do not confuse this with a history essay and you can also include literary context rather than historical backgrounds by discussing contemporary literary trends, the personal biography of the author and the literary reception to the text. The latter will also help to build connections between texts so you can deal with your theme as a whole (in this case the gothic) rather than just your text in isolation. This is especially important for this kind of question as it is comparative and requires at least another text to be discussed, however I would recommend having an understanding of several which cover multiple different scenes. In these essays you need to conclude with your argument and what led you to the answer you have given to how far you agree with this statement. DO NOT BRING ANY NEW ARGUMENTS OR INFORMATION IN AT THIS POINT. Exam markers will not like new information here because it will look as though you have rushed to finish your essay and have not carefully considered your structure. It is a cliché but quality will always trump quantity so don't worry too much about covering lots of information as it is better to analyse your ideas in depth.