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Analysis of Romanticism
Analysis of Romanticism
Romanticism literature research paper
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Gothic Fiction: An Analysis of Space in The Monk. Space is inseparable part of every text of literature. In the Gothic fiction space is extremely important, as the Gothic fiction is mostly based on creating images connected with human perception. During the process of reading readers often use their imagination. Therefore, depiction of old castles, ruined abbeys, monasteries, subterranean passages, vaults, or secret panels, is a standard method of creating the atmosphere. As Izdebska claims, “[t]he subject of a story is event in some space, but also the space itself” (33). A typical example is the setting in Horace Walople’s Otranto, being almost a character in the novel. The castle with its ghosts, giant helmets, giant feet, giant hands, has an influence on much of the novel action. The situation is not different in Matthew Gregory Lewis’s The Monk. As Coleridge puts it, The Monk “[is] the product of an imagination, ‘rich, powerful, and fervid’’’ (qtd.in Parreaux 77). So, in this multiepisodic story, several kinds of space can be discovered. Lewis’s understanding of space is closely connected with his own personal point of view on this issue as “[he] wrote in the early years of romanticism, when the ideas of self-expression in art and the close connection between the artist’s life and work were new and exciting” (Maclachlan VII). In the words of Maclachlan, For us it may seem naïve that he was content to be identified with his fiction, and his fictional hero, but at the time such an identification offered a new way of reading and new ways of seeing the world and the individual’s place in it, however disturbing that might be. (Maclachlan VII) Arguably, such awareness makes the reading more interesting. Spac... ... middle of paper ... ... The Monk. 1897. London: Penguin Popular Classics, 1998. Maclachlan, Christopher. Introduction to: The Monk. London: Penguin Popular Classics, 1998. Miles, Robert. Gothic Writing: 1750-1820: A Genealogy. London: Routledge, 1993. Morse, David. Romanticism: A Structural Analysis. London: Macmillan, 1982. Parreaux, Andre. The Publication of The Monk: A Literary Event, 1796-1798. Paris: Libraire Marcel Didier, 1960. Peck, Louis F. A life of Matthew G.Lewis. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1961. Sade, Marquis de. The 120 Days of Sodom and Other Writings. 1905. New York: Grove, 1966. Sage, Victor. The Gothick Novel. London: The Macmillan Press, 1990. Starobinski, Jean. Wynalezienie wolności: 1700-1789. Gdańsk, 2006. Stuprich, Michael. Evolution of the Horror Story. California: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Testa, Carlo. Desire and the Devil. 1991.
The gothic novel in defined mostly by atmosphere:- which dealt with the author’s choice of words . The space enhances the austere feelings that are meant to be experienced by the reader: ruined castles, labyrinthine spaces, dungeons, generally any out of the ordinary settings. The characters can also be labeled as bizarre as they are usually eccentric, anti-social , physically unfinished, or have extraordinary opinions.
Rochette-Crawley, S. (2004) James T. Farrell. The Literary Encyclopedia. April 2, 2004. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1487
Leclercq, Jean. The Love of Learning and the Desire for God; a Study of Monastic
Pimple, Kenneth D. Studies in the Novel. Vol. 45 ed. Denton: Studies in the Novel, University of North Texas, 1993. Print.
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
“The Hero’s Journey.” Ariane Publications, 1997. Course handout. AS English I. Dept. of English, Woodside High School. 26 October 2013.
Gothic Fiction is a popular genre of literature that’s aim is to combine horror, fiction and romanticism. It originated in 18th century England and was said to have been founded through Horace Walpole’s novel “The Castle of Otranto” (Hughes). He claimed it to be a “found” medieval manuscript which added to its popular, although he later admitted it was a lie (Hughes). This mode of literature appears to have sprung out from Gothic architecture...
In many ways the fascination with the gothic style of art, represented by music, literature, film, and others, is nothing more than a way for the observer to escape from real life and its many responsibilities. Gothic art claims to be profound and contain great esoteric meaning with life changing impact, yet the characters and the message are more often weak, unproductive, crippled, or even mad. Examples of this flaw in the argument in favor of the gothic imagination are given in the works by Beethoven, Goethe, Rice, and Gilman. It will be revealed that these authors have been misguided often by their own escapist nature to create a false reality and promote it as meaningful. In truth, the gothic imagination is the imagination of those who are looking for an excuse for their laziness and purpose behind their protective depression.
Throughout the years, Gothic literature has developed to be a mirror representation of what the beliefs and thoughts of the time were. The Gothic has a tendency to express beliefs towards the socioeconomic, political and religious situations and grievances of the time. Many texts express this, some including Edgar Allen Poe’s The House of Usher and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to then allow for the general public – at least those who were literate – to, subconsciously, understand the environment around them without being too direct. This gave the writers of the time a new channel, through this ge...
To create living people should always be the goal in literature. It is how a writer can illuminate a new facet of existence and can only be achieved through the use of a sympathetic imagination. Hemingway erred however, when he argued, “A character is a caricature” (153). A caricature may be a character sometimes, but it may also be a fully realized and living person at others. As in Watchmen, when a caricature lives, it can be an extremely powerful thing.
Gothic literature was developed during the eighteenth and nineteenth century of the Gothic era when war and controversy was too common. It received its name after the Gothic architecture that was becoming a popular trend in the construction of buildings. As the buildings of daunting castles and labyrinths began, so did the beginning foundation of Gothic literature. The construction of these buildings will later become an obsession with Gothic authors. For about 300 years before the Renaissance period, the construction of these castles and labyrinths continued, not only in England, but also in Gothic stories (Landau 2014). Many wars and controversies, such as the Industrial Revolution and Revolutionary War, were happening at this time, causing the Gothic literature to thrive (“Gothic Literature” 2011). People were looking for an escape from the real world and the thrill that Gothic literature offered was exactly what they needed. Gothic literature focuses on the horrors and the dark sides to the human brain, such as in Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. Gothic literature today, as well as in the past, has been able to separate itself apart from other types of literature with its unique literary devices used to create fear and terror within the reader.
When the tale of Melibee ended, the Host said that he'd give up a barrel of ale to have his wife hear the tale of Prudence and her patience, for she is an ill-tempered woman. The Host asks the narrator his name, and attempts to guess his profession perhaps a sexton or other such officer, or a wily governor. The Monk will tell the next tale, a series of tragedies.
To some, Chris is seen as a hero, a young man who succeeded in every challenge he took on. In Chris’ mind, he was his own greatest hero, “he was Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny” (23). In reality, McCandless was inexperienced and is not a hero nor does he deserve the wild praises he r...
The Monk: A Romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis was originally published in 1796. It was a typical novel of the “Gothic” genre, which was typified by dramatic, convoluted plots, horror, supernatural occurrences, and “damsels in distress.” One frequent element in the Gothic is a chaste, virtuous, noble (but often poor, powerless, or orphaned) young woman whose virginity is threatened by an evil, wealthy, powerful man.
Le Fanu uses gothic elements to intrigue and shock readers. This is clearly represented through vivid descriptions of isolated castles, abandoned churches, and mysterious woods. “… In the thick of the forest, overlooks the silent ruins of the town” (Le Faun Chapter I), “The castle is a ruin; the very village is deserted…” (Le Faun Chapter X). Le Faun uses this to create an eerie atmosphere. Through this, he manages to build suspense, forcing the readers to always be suspicious something is going to happen, but unable to determine how and when. This keeps the readers captivated. Similarly, by exploring the literature typified by ruin and mystery, Stoker explicitly exposes gothic tropes from Harker’s very first impression of the dilapidated castle. “The closed gates are of heavy old oak and iron, all eaten with rust” (Stoker Chapter II). As a result of this, Stoker is able to effectively convey the feelings of gloom, mystery and suspense. These are presented through the castle as it holds a lot of history, thus allowing Stoker to build up a haunting and ghostly atmosphere. This atmosphere is exaggerated through a sense of decaying which adds to the gothic convention in this context. “Hinges had fallen somewhat”, “wealth of dust’ and “dusty with age”, all indicating that the place is old, rusty and rather run-down (Stoker Chapter