This article aims to discuss Joseph Le Fanu's “The Murdered Cousin” as a representative of what Nordius defines as the “colonial Gothic”. My hypothesis is that Le Fanu's story is not simply a simple aesthetic exercise; rather, it is a conscious effort on the author's part to describe and conceptualize the Anglo-Irish struggle. Indeed, it was this pioneering spark that led to the birth of an entirely new genre. I hope to demonstrate that the subtle threads of colonial issues are woven into Le Fanu's text. This explanatory and comprehensive mode of storytelling was imbued with a well-rounded mix of narrative, place, and environment that was perfectly suited to convey the genre of “dark fiction.” Never before had the reader been so fascinated by the combination of elements of the modus operandi employed by the writer as now. The impact on the minds and attitudes of the readers was undoubtedly like never before. Gothic fiction became a vehicle that colonial writers could use to convey a political message in a seemingly “innocent” way. In this article the approaches of Fred Botting and David Punter will be adopted. Both writers contributed to initiating a modern and expanded vision of Gothic literature. This view was first introduced in 1800 by the Marquis de Sade. De Sade argued that there was an association between the instability of the Gothic form and the political and social turbulence of Europe (Napier 44). Botting and Punter highlight the importance of the historical period in which Gothic emerged. According to both critics the genre addressed the contemporary scene and ultimately addressed the concerns of their times (Nordius 2). In his definition of Got...... middle of paper ......follows: “This The story of the Irish nobility is written, as far as possible, in the same words in which it was told by its "heroine", the late Countess D___, and is therefore told in the first person." (1)Works CitedLe Fanu, Joseph Sheridan. “The Murdered Cousin” March 2006 http://shortstoryclassics.50megs.com/lefanucousin.htmlMiles, Robert. Gothic writing 1750 -1820: A Genealogy. New York: Manchester UP, 2002. “Imperialism.” February 22, 1999. March 2006. http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/gothic/imperial.html.Campbell, D “Gothic, Novel, and Romance: Brief Definitions.” May 2005. March 2006. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/novel.htmNordius, “A History of Other Places: The Recess and Colonial Gothic by Sophia Lee". Studies in the Novel. Vol: 34, Number: 2. University of North Texas, (2002): p. 162+.