CRITICISMS David Punter: Gothic & Characters
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‘the ‘the villain villain is is always always the the most most compl complex ex and and interes interestin ting g charac character’ ter’ ‘shy, nervous, nervous, retiring retiring heroine heroine...rem ...remarkable arkable ability ability to survive survive hideou hideously sly dangerous dangerous situations’ ‘heav ‘heavy-h y-han ande ded, d, tyran tyranni nical cal fathe father’ r’
Fred Botting
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Gothic Gothic condens condenses es the the many many perceived perceived threats threats associated associated with the supernatur supernatural al and and natural forces, imaginative excesses and delusions, religious and human evil, social transgressions, mental disintegration and spiritual corruption.
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Gothic Gothic writing writing remains remains fascina fascinated ted by by objects objects and practices practices that that are const constructed ructed as negative irrational, immoral and fantastic.
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Cultural Cultural anxieti anxieties es and and bound boundaries, aries, fascination fascination with social transgressi transgression on produce produce ambivalent emotions and meanings in their tales of darkness, desire and power.
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Gothic Gothic land landsca scapes pes are are desol desolate ate,, aliena alienating ting and full full of of menace. menace. In In the 18 18th Century, they were wild and mountainous locations. Later the modern city combined the natural and architectural components of Gothic grandeur and wildness, its dark, labyrinthine streets suggesting violence, and menace of Gothic castles and forests.
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Alps Alps stimul stimulate ate power powerful ful emoti emotions ons of of terror terror and wond wonder er in the the reader. reader. Thei Their r immense scale offered a glimpse of infinity and awful power.
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Vast Vast landsca landscapes pes linke linked d to poetic poetic visio visionar nary y power, power, the the sublim sublimee also evoke evoked d excessive emotion. Gothic produced emotional effects on its readers rather than developing a rational or properly cultivated response.
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Gothic Gothic texts texts were were also also seen to to be subv subverti erting ng the the mores mores and mann manners ers on whic which h good and social behaviour rested.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gothic & the Supernatural: “image for real and carefully depicted social fears”
Shelley like other Romantics, believed nature was sacred. In Frankenstein’s time of despair and isolation Victor runs to these large landscapes as if seeking out solace and guidance, this is where he chooses to release his ‘ own vampire, my own spirit let loose’ . It relates to the idea of doppelganger: it is his own repressed side that has failed to act morally. Romantics (e.g. Byron & Wordsworth), believed we must preserve nature because it is divine and sacred. It was an alternative way of thinking back in the early 18 th Century, but we can relate in today’s time, but more for environmental reasons than believing nature is divine and sacred. In a sense, the Romantics rejected much of what
the ‘Enlightment Age’ represented. They believed the opposite, opposed the advancement of science. Literary criticism: The gothic writers were very influenced by the Romantics. Rousseau: insisted on the idea of learning through instinct, he is often known as the founder of modern education. Shelley suggests that nurture plays a bigger role. Culturally depends: Britain by enlarge have broken relationships in family dynamics. Now Shelly explores this and shows that both are important – nurture and nature.
Galvanism: Set in a time of radical thinking. Shelley went to lectures on electricity and was profoundly shocked when she witnessed how a frog was electrocuted and it came back to life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOTHIC -
Doppelganger The The idea of not not being being huma human, n, being being diffe differen rentt (like (like Dracula Dracula), ), not not being being accepte accepted d because he is known to be a monster is gothic, as the position of the outsider becomes prevalent. - The The notion notion of preju prejudic dicee and how how it can be be destru destructi ctive ve adds adds to the the gothic gothic genre genre.. The way people treat others in society – collectively we can be monstrous. -
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[Volume 1, 1, Ch Chapter 8] 8] The monster feels rage and intense desire for revenge, parallel to Satan. The monster’s nature changes dramatically, contrasts against what we read of him before, of his benevolent nature The The gothic gothic lies lies in in the conc concept ept of of the mons monster ter turni turning ng into into the the very very fiend fiend we believed he was going to be Takin aking g inn innocen cent liv lives His sense of justice justice and morals is distor distorted, ted, there is a serious serious blurred blurred line between between what he thinks is right and wrong Aski Asking ng Victo Victorr for for a fema female le par partn tner er is is horri horrifi ficc True True hor horro ror: r: Vict Victor or con conte temp mpla latin ting g the the idea idea The novel deals with questions questions of religio religious, us, moral, social social and personal personal doubt doubt,, and and the impact of such opposites is profoundly unsettling for the readers. Having Having so so many many divers diversee PLACES PLACES emph emphasi asises ses the the lack of of belongi belonging ng that that Victor Victor and the monster has, it is impossible for them to escape or go anywhere. They have no routes. The The concept concept of JOUR JOURNEY NEY embo embodie diess the quest quest for for knowle knowledge dge is a cent central ral devis devisee in the novel, but also important is where the journey leads to.
NARRATIVE -
The use use of multiple multiple narrators narrators is often often used used in gothic gothic fiction. fiction. It It provides provides a range range of perceptions of a single event, allowing us to see and empathise with the emotional responses of the character involved.
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Walton’s narrative is at the surface of the novel’s events. Below that surface lies the tale of Victor, a tale bearing potentially destructive similarities to the future of Walton. At the the deepes deepestt point point of the the tale, tale, lies lies the the narrati narrative ve of the the monst monster er whose whose perspective embodies the deepest and darkest insights into the psychological world of the novel. Anothe Anotherr way of cons constru tructi cting ng the narra narrativ tivee would would be to view view it as a set set of circle circles. s. With this idea, the Monster’s narrative is completely enclosed within Victor’s narrative, which is enclosed in turn, within Walton’s. This emphasises emphasises the inescapable, inescapable, interrelation interrelationss and and interacti interactions ons between between all all three three narratives. Such a view also recognises recognises the overall overall enclosing enclosing structu structural ral possib possibilities ilities of the the tale This This model model also also points points towa towards rds the the middle middle of of the novel novel as the the deepes deepest, t, central central most significant point, it is the Monster that is the heart of ‘Frankenstein’. The The reader reader may see see in the the three three narrato narrators rs Shell Shelley’ ey’ss establi establishm shment ent of an unho unholy ly and alternative trinity – rather than the biblical trinity of God the Father, the Son, & Holy Spirit. The The reader reader presen presented ted with with the the father father (Victor (Victor), ), the Son Son (Walt (Walton) on) and and the Spirit Spirit (Monster).
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The The appeal appeal to our our senses senses increa increases ses our our menta mentall awarenes awarenesss of the goth gothic ic genre, genre, significantly helps to build suspense and anxiety.
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The ambiguous ambiguous and indefinable indefinable nature nature of the monst monster, er, along along with his predatory, predatory, threatening tendencies play on the social, religious and political fears of the readers.
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The gothic gothic is a genre genre that that makes makes consi considerabl derablee uses uses of opposites opposites and contrasts, contrasts, and this is demonstrated as we see how the monster’s goodness and love (described through his narrative) is met with his hatred and anger.
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The The books, books, ‘Sorr ‘Sorrow ow of Werter’ Werter’,, and in partic particula ularr ‘Paradis ‘Paradisee Lost’ Lost’ provide providess the Monster with a way of reflecting on his situation. He knows the extent to which he is rejected and his feelings become bitter and resentful as he compares himself to ‘Adam’.
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By challen challenging ging the natural natural order of things things,, the the Gothic Gothic traditi tradition on allows allows boundaries boundaries to be crossed that are either socially stirring or morally shocking. For example, Frankenstein challenges the moral ethics within scientific research as he focuses on finding the secrets of life. Franke Frankenst nstein ein’s ’s pursu pursuit it of creati creating ng a super superior ior being being is of of pervers perversee nature. nature. He essentially wishes to change the natural order of humans beings and the Gothic tradition reveals the terrifying outcome in the form of the monster. When When the natur natural al order order of thing thingss is chall challeng enged, ed, it can can be viewed viewed as as someth something ing of an anomaly – an outsider. This This blurri blurring ng of mort mortal al and immo immortal rtal,, inhuman inhumanity ity and and humani humanity ty and the the possibility that normal human beings may possess the same inhuman powers is perhaps what convey the true horror in Shelley’s novel.
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