In the introduction to the novel appears the foreshadowing prophecy, leaving the reader in the expectation of what is going to happen in the novel. Even in that little quote, not only is the plot surrounded with it, but also describes how penetrating the writing style of Ann Radcliffe is or will be. All the metaphors that she used, starting from a first sentence "the sinews of avarice", left me in awe how beautiful and scolding this whole novel will be.
Anticatholicism is quite obvious in Ann Radcliffe's novel, direct confrontation is presented in the description of her heroine being raised in the convent, where everything connected to the convent is described as wrong and discusting.
"Too long had i been immured in the walls of a cloister, and too much had i seen of the sullen misery of its votaries not to heel horror and disgust at the prospect of being added to their number." (Radcliffe, Ann, The Romance of the Forest, page 36)
"It was in the convent only that people were deceitful and cruel: it was there only that misery dwelt." (Radcliffe,Ann, The Romance of the Forest, page 38)
The elements of Gothic literature were followed, the mansion was hidden in the forest, the tomb, high towers, the intensity of the unknown that gets explained with the rationalism etc. The new adding was a sensibility of a man. "He endeavored to comfort her, and his sense of compassion was too sincere to be misunderstood....La Motte assured her of his kindness..." (page 7)
One other difference was noticed in the book, and that are the quoted sonnets or poems as a part of the plot. That is explained with the year this book was written at, and that is 1791 which falls in to a second phase of novel growth in Britain (1770 - 1820). People of that time had a lot of time to read, and the opus of readings wasnt too big, so by rereading they managed to memorize most of the published novels.
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