The Gothic as an Outlet for the Repression of the Society
The gothic is shown as an outlet for the repression of the society in
many ways. In Jane Eyre, immorality, women, madness and sexual
desires/passions are being suppressed to ensure that they do not occur
on the surface. However, the Gothic uses archetypal symbols,
unexpressed passions, the double, madness, death, darkness and
supernatural as an outlet for repression.
Irrational and aberrant desires are shunned upon in any conservative
society that functions on reason and logic. Therefore institutions
like religion and moral codes are established, hitherto to modern
days, to maintain a status quo and repress such behavior. The Gothic,
on the other hand, provides its reader with a vicarious thrill of
unleashing such behavior through its fascination with the
supernatural. Through her dreams, Jane Eyre projects her inner rage
towards Thornfield hall it confines her. She believes that "[t]o pass
its threshold was to return to stagnation", subjected to the darkness
and repetition of women's work. Whereas the "rayless cells" and the
"viewless fetters" of Thornfield" are sources of her dread because
they represent the lack of a "power of vision" that would connect her
with wider knowledge, more varied activity and a larger world. Hence,
the latent desire to dismantle such a form of repression is expressed
in her dream whereby "Thornfield Hall was a dreary ruin, the retreat
of bats and owls", in the state of the aftermath of its destruction.
Her immense desires for a mother figure and her "inner voice of
feminist consciousness"(some critique) are also reflected in her dream
of the...
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...n as a
repressed woman. She inflicts terrifying violence only on men because
men are known as agents that tyrannize and reinforces patriarchal
values. This can be seen through her actions of biting and tearing
Mason and homicidal grappling with Rochester. Her madness in her
actions helps to portray her repressed feelings towards the unfair
patriarchal society.
By the end of the novel, Jane marries Rochester, Bertha Mason dies and
Rochester is symbolically castrated. This shows that everything that
is being unleashed have been reestablished. However, Jane and
Rochester's union takes place in Ferndean, an isolated place, showing
that their passion are still being repressed and not accepted by the
society. In conclusion, the Gothic serves as an outlet for the
repression of the society to a large extent in Jane Eyre.
In the end of the 12th century and the start of the 13th century the Gothic and Naturalism movement was moving across Europe. Originally a derogatory term Gothic was used to describe the art of Northern Europe. Despite the resistance to the abandonment of traditional architecture the beauty of stained glass and flamboyant architecture of the gothic style quickly gained popularity. The churches were built by the common people and for the common people. Stained glass was used to depict biblical passages in an intriguing way for those who were illiterate which at the time was a large part of the population. Cathedrals were beacons that could be seen for miles with their pointed spires and from the country side they appeared to be the center of
The book has many features which are found in Gothic novels such as romance. Romance plays a very important role as Mr. Rochester and Jane are both uncertain if their powerful love is being returned. Another common feature of the Gothic novel is lovers being parted; in the story of Jane Eyre Jane and Rochester are parted when Rochester leaves to visit Blanche Ingram and also when Jane goes to see her dying Aunt Reed. There is also tension between the true love and society. Mrs. Fairfax appears to disapprove of Jane's and Rochester's marriage because of their difference in social class.
express a form of mourning. On top of that, to Jung, the idea of the
The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is an early 19th-century English literature; a literary work that is evocative and riveting. It depicts acts of betrayal between family members, loved ones and self-inflicted betrayal. The acts of betrayals are done by Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre herself.
The Gothic Period in the twelfth century influenced the creation of Gothic Revival Architecture in the nineteenth century. Gothic architecture began in France in 1140. Some of the first buildings made using this style are the Basilica of Saint Denis and the Cathedral of Sens. (Gothic Architecture By Paul Frank) This style of architecture started losing popularity in the early sixteenth century, but did not die out completely during this time period. Gothic architecture was still predominantly in cathedrals and churches. The rise of Romanticism began in the eighteenth century–leading to an awareness and increased interest of the Middle Ages, specifically interest in church architecture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture) Thus, Gothic Revival Architecture was created. When admirers of neo-Gothic styles wanted to revive medieval Gothic architecture, Gothic Revival Architecture was created—along with many sub styles, such as Polychrome Brick Gothic and Carpenter Gothic in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Bertha and Mr. Rochester were set up and pressured into marrying each other. Mr. Rochester claims that isolating Bertha in a secret room is a justifiable act because of her mental instability. However, The Bertha that the reader gets to see exhibits an accumulated maniacal rage as a result of her imprisonment. Jane describes her as a savage woman. The very sight of her when she attacked her brother or when she ripped the wedding veil traumatized Jane. However, Bertha impacted more than her safety. When Bertha is revealed to be Mr. Rochester’s wife, Jane finds out that despite the love she and Mr. Rochester have for each other; Jane can be nothing more than a mistress because it is illegal to divorce an insane women who is not in control of her actions.
American Romanticism can be strongly defined through its use of Gothic elements. Webster’s defines gothic as "of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents" (529). Pre-American Romantic writers, such as Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards, do not tend towards the gothic in their writings of religion and religious elements. Although God is mysterious to both writers, they maintain certain characteristics and aspects expected of them and their religion. They keep their texts true to their beliefs. However, Mary Rowlandson begins a transition phase for the writers of this period. She begins to view God and religion in a darker and /more mysterious manner. By the time James Fenimore Cooper is writing, he blurs religion between two different religions. The Christian and the Indian God becomes mixed, along with their heaven. Whereas the earlier writers tend to understand and accept their God, the writers in the American Romantic period re-create their God adding a gothic twist to their religion and beliefs.
design any and everything in this era from bridges to city walls and castles to
The gothic architectural style came about after the fall of the Roman Empire and was well received by the Catholic Church in England. Evolving from Romanesque styles, gothic style incorporates ribbed vaults, large pained and painted windows, and flying buttresses. Gothic styles also having pointed roofs and arches was popular during the mid to late medieval period. The gothic style of architecture is not only important, it was vital to the church, the people, and to the commonwealth of the cities and towns that had such amazing structures erected.
Word by word, gothic literature is bound to be an immaculate read. Examining this genre for what it is could be essential to understanding it. “Gothic” is relating to the extinct East Germanic language, people of which known as the Goths. “Literature” is defined as a written work, usually with lasting “artistic merit.” Together, gothic literature combines the use of horror, death, and sometimes romance. Edgar Allan Poe, often honored with being called the king of horror and gothic poetry, published “The Fall of House Usher” in September of 1839. This story, along with many other works produced by Poe, is a classic in gothic literature. In paragraph nine in this story, one of our main characters by the name of Roderick Usher,
If we can look at another gothic element, that is the women in distress. We all know that novels in the eighteenth century have a woman in distress. The fainting, the sobbing and the terrified. Catherine on the other hand is not a women in distress in reality, but plays one in her mind. She is terrified by circumstances and that adds fuel to her imagination. “Catherine for a few moments, was motionless in horror. It was done completely, not a remnant of light in the wick could give hope to the rekindling of breath. Darkness impenetrable and immovable filled the room. A violent gust of wind, rising with sudden fury, added fresh horror to the moment. Catherine trembled from head to foot...the manuscript fell from her hand” (155). One can see the fear that resonates in her mind as if she needed help at the moment. She falls prey to the mystery. Her mind is overwhelmed by her Gothic
Criticism on the Gothic novel has been plentiful, yet such work tends to view the Gothic novel within the constraints of genre rather than investigating its wider influence in the nineteenth century. “Gothic Archives” will track this influence, arguing that the Gothic novel indicates changing attitudes toward reading, and especially toward reading history, in the nineteenth century. Gothic novels such as Melmoth the Wanderer (1820), and the meta-Gothic of The Antiquary (1816) presume that authentic historical experience is difficult, if not impossible, to represent accurately, emphasizing in their plots the misunderstandings that result from attempts to read and write historical experience. It follows that the Gothic novel typically stages scenes of reading that delve into (often fictional) archival sources. Thus Gothic novels always situate authentic historical knowledge within the archive, requiring characters to excavate obscure source material such as letters, books, portraits, wills, and the like in order to discover what the Gothic construes as historical truth. In so doing, the Gothic novel proffers a historically oriented epistemology of reading, founded upon the affective possibilities of history writing, which challenges the considerations of truth and accuracy that inform traditional historiography.
The term ‘Gothic’ is highly amorphous and open to diverse interpretations; it is suggestive of an uncanny atmosphere of wilderness gloom and horror based on the supernatural. The weird and eerie atmosphere of the Gothic fiction was derived from the Gothic architecture: castles, cathedrals, forts and monasteries with labyrinths of dark corridors, cellars and tunnels which evoked the feelings of horror, wildness, suspense and gloom.
Punter David, ‘The Literature of Terror’, in A History of Gothic Fictions from 1765 to the Present Day, The Modern Gothic. Harlow, eds. (UK: Pearson Education, 1996)
The novel Frankenstein is a one of the first Gothic novels that entails both gothic and romantic elements in its plot. The novel explains how Victor creates Frankenstein, the process by which he collects body parts and how life is given to Frankenstein. Its plot is in old scary European buildings and is filled with war between good and evil. It also shows how the characters are able to connect both the mortal and supernatural world. This novel is about the war between good and evil that will eventually get to have Frankenstein on their side (Donawerth). On the other hand, the novel on Jane Eyre is a gothic novel that takes place in Europe. It is filled with old buildings and shows how a young orphaned Jane Eyre is neglected by her adopted family especially after her adopted father dies. She undergoes through periods of success and hurting in her life until she meets a man by the name Edward who later breaks her heart. This leads her to the quest of finding her spirituality (Adams). This novel shows how one gets to know their spirituality and how it leads to their strengths and succe...