The Gothic Muslim monster’s novel feature was mobility that crossed Christian borders.

Evidence

The word “Gothic” poses definitional challenges due to the large number of styles it refers to. Jack Morgan has argued for a definition that applies to both “the horror genre as well as to its particular 18th century manifestations,” which I am adopting here. Gothic monsters differ from their predecessors by virtue of their mobility (among other features). These creatures often travel to London and other European sites, violating the borders that keep Christians safe. Gothic’s resurrection of medievalism is seen in its storylines, characters, settings, and accoutrements. Gothic Muslim monsters have a “diabolic monstrosity” similar to the Muslim monsters examined in earlier eras. They enjoy the hunt and the kill. — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 426

Categorization

• XREF: Mobility as border-violation parallels the chapter’s recurring ‘fear without an object’ thesis — the monster now comes to the Christian home rather than residing at the frontier.
• DEFINE: Gives a concrete distinguishing feature of the Gothic Muslim monster vs earlier medieval monsters: not its appearance but its capacity to travel and invade Christian space.