Final answer:
Gothic literature's popularity in the Victorian era was driven by the Gothic Revival, a return to tradition amidst industrial advancement, and was fueled by the era's emerging belief in the potential of the unknown, reflecting the sentiment of the scientific discoveries and imagination of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gothic literature became popular in the Victorian era due to a confluence of artistic, cultural, and philosophical changes. The early 19th century saw the rise of romanticism, which valued emotion and imagination. Romanticism had two strains: Orientalism and the Gothic. The Gothic Revival, initially in architecture, conveyed a yearning for the past and traditions in response to rapid industrialization and urbanization. This movement was intertwined with a reawakening of Christian traditions and a reaction against the mechanical, with many associating Neoclassicism with radical perspectives, and the Gothic with conservative and traditional values.
The late 18th and early 19th centuries experienced significant scientific discoveries which influenced people to believe that anything was possible. Gothic literature, with its elements of the supernatural, the mysterious, and the macabre, appealed to an audience intrigued by the potential of the unknown, echoed by the awe-inspiring transformations occurring in science and industry. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Ann Radcliffe created engaging stories that often included supernatural and dream-like events set in eerie locales like abandoned castles, capturing the imagination of the Victorian public.