Final answer:
Haiti became part of the gothic fiction genre, which sensationalized beliefs in vodou and black magic, contributing to stereotypes of Caribbean cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Haiti became part of this fiction genre known as gothic, which focused on supernatural fiction and local beliefs about black magic, vodou, and cannibalism. These books, with elements of the supernatural and macabre, were highly influential in painting Caribbean peoples as full of superstition and folk beliefs. Similar to how the Southern gothic sub-genre emerged in Southern literature, employing grotesque features and dark romanticism, the portrayal of Haiti in gothic fiction tapped into existing beliefs and sensationalized them, often for thrilling or horrifying effect. This genre contributed to a misunderstanding and exoticization of Haitian culture and the spread of stereotypes about Vodou as something to be feared or reviled.