Gothic Literature (1764-1820)*
*Other gothic literature after the gothic time period tended to challenge the conventions of gothic. The romance of the Forest, Ann Radcliffe, 1791 She stepped forward, and having unclosed it, proceeded with faltering steps along a suite of apartments resembling the first in style and condition, and terminating in one exactly like that where her dream had represented the dying person; the remembrance struck so forcibly upon her imagination that she was in danger of fainting; and looking round the room, almost expected to see the phantom of her dream. Unable to quit the place, she sat down on some old lumber to recover herself, while her spirits were nearly overcome by a superstitious dread, such as she had never felt before. She wondered to what part of the abbey these chambers belonged, and that they had so long escaped detection. The casements were all too high to afford any information from without. When she was sufficiently composed to consider the direction of the rooms, and the situation of the abbey, there appeared not a doubt that they formed an interior part of the original building. As these reflections passed over her mind, a sudden gleam of moonlight fell upon some object without the casement. Being now sufficiently composed to wish to pursue the inquiry, and believing this object might afford her some means of learning the situation of these rooms, she combated her remaining terrors, and, in order to distinguish it more clearly, removed the light to an outer chamber; but before she could return, a heavy cloud was driven over the face of the moon, and all without was perfectly dark: she stood for some moments waiting a returning gleam, but the obscurity continued. As she went softly back for the light, her foot stumbled over something on the floor, and while she stooped to examine it, the moon again shone, so that she could distinguish, through the casement, the eastern towers of the abbey. This discovery confirmed her former conjectures concerning the interior situation of these apartments. The obscurity of the place prevented her discovering what it was that had impeded her steps, but having brought the light forward, she perceived on the floor an old dagger: with a trembling hand she took it up, and upon a closer view perceived that it was spotted and stained with rust. The lexical field in the extract is of gothic terms such as superstition, spirits, abbeys, detection, concealment, mystery and trespassing. The woman is portrayes as weak and vulnerable as she is unable to handle the situation and is in 'danger of fainting' and has to 'recover herself'. She is portrayed as a damsel in distress who is overwhelmed and prone to danger. The woman is also illustrated as curious and inquisitive as she is determined to explore her surroundings, despite being terrified of the situation she has found herself in as after regaining composure she wishes to 'pursue the inquiry' and carry on looking for ways of 'learning the situation' of the rooms. Gothic concepts
Horror and terror: Horror can be defined as fear as a result of an actual experience
Terror can be defined as fear as a result of an uncertain or obscure source. It is the percieved threat preying on the imagination. Not based on concrete experience or evidence. The Sublime: The feeling of being overwhelmed. Something that cannot be expressed. The sublime relies on obscurity as we are unable to fully comprehend the experience leading to the feeling of awe. The Uncanny: Strange, eerie or mysterious. Out of the ordinary but also slightly familiar, producing a peculiar unsettling experience. Taboos- Cultural moral or religious restricts. They are usually challenged. The supernatural: What is above nature and cannot be explained Oppositions: Two opposing concepts are shown to collapse and blur so as to show that they are not as different as we believe. Otherness: Something that is different from ourselves and so percieved as a threat. Sometimes this is because despite being different we can recognise ourselves in it. Obscurity: Key element to the sublime. Includes physical and mental obscurity- darkness, fogginess, confusion and things not seen ro understood clearly. The Revenant: Term used to describe the past. Something of the past coming back to haunt you or seeking retribution. Return os repressed elements of the past. The Doppelganger: A double, mirror image or alter ego. Usually reveals the negative or repressed elements of the individual. The Liminal: Living on edge. The experience of being on a boundary, marginal. Neither one thing nor another. The state of uncertainity and refusing categorisation. (Similar to oppositions) Abhuman: Something that is human but in the process of becoming monstrous, for example vampires or werewolves.
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Features of Gothic Literature
Mysteries of UdolphoEmily gazed with melancholy awe upon the castle, which she understood to be Montoni's; for, though it was now lighted up by the setting sun, the gothic
greatness of its features, and its mouldering walls of dark grey stone, rendered it a gloomy and sublime object. As she gazed, the light died away on its walls, leaving a melancholy purple tint, which spread deeper and deeper, as the thin vapour crept up the mountain, while the battlements above were still tipped with splendour. From those too, the rays soon faded, and the whole edifice was invested with the solemn duskiness of evening. Silent, lonely and sublime, it seemed to stand the sovereign of the scene, and to frown defiance on all who dared to invade its solitary reign. As the twilight deepened, its features became more awful in obscurity, and Emily continued to gaze, till its clustering towers were alone seen, rising over the tops of the woods, beneath whose thick shade the carriages soon after began to ascend. This extract is laced with many references to gothic features as well as gothic concepts. The gothic features include the dark imagery of the gloomy vast castle, with it's battlements. The extract is set at twilight with references to the moonlight falling on certain objects and so there is gothic connotations of darkness and a link to the idea of obscurity and an impairment of sight. The castle itself is situated so it is 'solitary' and so is in a lonely place and has the air of mystery around it. There concept of the sublime is prominent in the extract as the vastness and the scale of the castle is awe inspiring and so described as sublime. There is also the concept of obscurity due to the twilight but also in the way the 'rising top of the woods' provide a thick shade which incorporates the idea of concealment through the setting. Jack and Jill recreation
At the crack of dawn stillness encompassed everything as far as they eye could see. The island was slowly drowning beneath he sea, there was not a soul in sight. Not a whisper to be heard of, except the shrill voices of the two infants, crawling side by side up the hill. Jack and Jill were both haphazardly heading towards the staggering mouldering castle perched on top of the hill, so unstable in it's appearance it threatened to be engulfed by the waves of the unforgiving sea. The vastness of the abbey rendered everyone that witness it's gothic features full of awe. Silent, lonely and sublime, it whispered of tales untold. The towers and turrets of the castle, beautifully sculpted, preyed on one's curiosity, enticing them to explore every inch of it. The abbey is placed on an island surrounded by the water emphasising on the isolation of the castle. The castle itself with it's towers and turrets is a feature of gothic literature but I attempted to portray it as silent and mysterious. The concepts I used were the sublime as the castle should fill those who witness it with awe and amazement. The female gothic
Sub-genres of the gothic. The aim of the genre is to socialize and educate its female readers and was usually morally conservative, tending to discuss ideas about how women 'should' behave. Heroines were often lavishly rewarded for obedience, chastity and submission. However, the female gothic was sometimes used to criticise patriarchal society, and reinforce ideas of female independence--'classic' gothic heroines were often surprisingly capable. Gothic documentary
The documentary covers a the growth of gothic art and literature over the years and the factors influencing it. The gothic was a muse for the Georgians and the aristocrats used it as a political statement and a way of rebelling against societal conventions. Gothic saw a new flourishing interest during the age of science and technology when the 'magic' and mystic qualities had been lost and so the Georgians revisited the past to resurrect some of these concepts through Gothic. However the stigma attached to the gothic often meant writers would claim to have reinterpreted the work, with one teenage author even forging medieval gothic scriptures which were in fact his own. Gothic has been a guilty pleasure for many. Gothic explored and pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable and towards the latter period, it was influenced by events such as the French revolution which inspired The Monk, illustrating the extent of human vices and sins. |