A novel that features spiritual apparitions as major character is

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which type of novel uses spiritual apparitions (ghosts, spirits) as major characters.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Epistolary novel: Told through letters or diary entries (e.g., Pamela, The Color Purple). The focus is on the form, not on ghosts.
• Gothic novel: Combines mystery, horror, the supernatural, and eerie settings such as castles and haunted houses. Ghosts, spirits, and apparitions are typical features (e.g., The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights with its ghostly touches).
• Historical novel: Set in a real past period, with real events and settings (e.g., Things Fall Apart has a historical backdrop).
• Sociological novel: Focuses on social issues and how society shapes people (e.g., The Beggar's Strike).

Step 3: Solve Spiritual apparitions are the supernatural, and the supernatural is a hallmark of the Gothic genre. None of the other types is defined by ghostly or spirit characters. So the answer is Gothic.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. Gothic.

Exam tip: Link keywords to genres: "letters" means epistolary, "ghosts/horror/mystery" means Gothic, "past events" means historical, and "social problems" means sociological.