EN
Casket-like structured Pagan Woman by Narcyza Żmichowska is shown as a ‘feargenerating’ composition. The main thesis underlying the article is as follows: in her novel Żmichowska discusses the problem of love and art, but in fact shows the problem of evil and sin. She relies on such lively Gothic motifs as: castle, Satan, picture, look-alike and the icon of fear − the vampire. The motif of fire as an epiphany of fear will be analysed i detail in the following discussion.