Question

the door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained. tramps slouched into the recess and struck matches on the panels; children kept shop upon the steps; the schoolboy had tried his knife on the mouldings; and for close on a generation, no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages.
—the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde, robert louis stevenson
in what way is the setting characteristic of gothic fiction?
○ the house is decaying.
○ the house is crowded.
○ the house is ancient.
○ the house is pleasant.

Explanation:

Gothic fiction often features decaying, neglected settings to create a gloomy, unsettling atmosphere. The text describes a door that is blistered, discolored, and damaged by trespassers, with no repairs done for a generation, which directly shows the house is decaying. The other options do not match: the text does not emphasize crowding, only random visitors; it does not state the house is ancient, only neglected; and "pleasant" is the opposite of the described scene.

Answer:

The house is decaying.