Female Characters in Gothic Texts Gothic Literature, otherwise also called Gothic horror, is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism. It originated from an English author Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto. The name Gothic refers to the (pseudo)-medieval buildings, similar to the church or castle, in which most of the stories take place, as in the original Castle of Otranto. This extreme form of romanticism was very popular in England and Germany. Characterized
Use of the Female Gothic in Beloved Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved is a slave narrative, but it encompasses much more than slavery. Unlike many slave narratives that focus on the male perception of slavery, Morrison's novel portrays slavery from a feminine point of view. The main characters are Sethe, her daughter, Denver, and the mysterious Beloved. In the beginning of the novel, Sethe and her daughter live alone in 124, a house that is haunted by the ghost of Sethe's first daughter. Sethe's
textual revolution since the inception of the gothic genre, which gains its popularity with the publication of Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764) (qtd. in Hock-soon Ng 1). Contrary to the realistic narratives of Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson, which mark the outset of the century, gothic writers tantalize their works with fantastic events, breaking with the Enlightenment ideological discourse that values rationality (Botting 3). Yet, the gothic genre has been maligned as a ‘marginalized’
and Female Gothic in The Black Cat "Doppel daenger" - the perilous thought that has been perpetually occupying the minds of many scholars - originates from the German language. By definition, this phrase translates to the existence of one's double - the concept of someone else independently existing with an equal identity to another individual he/she closely resembles. The idea of shared identity prevails in the genre of Gothic Literature, especially as a counter part of the female Gothic and
The Significance of Female Identity within Gothic Literature through Clara, Catherine and Judith In Charles Brocken Browns novel Wieland, he presents us with two obvious themes in his novel Wieland, one being gender and the other gothic and when reading, one can identify with female identity when reading it through a gothic lens because of how many perspectives Brown offers the reader to see through. Brown presents women in a way that often changes the reader’s perception of the women characters
In "Haunted House/Haunted Heroine: Female Gothic Closets in The Yellow Wallpaper”, Carol Davison argues that the narrator represents the Female Gothic mode that uses the supernatural to advance political ends. The political ends are autonomy and the ownership of the road to one’s identity, which is difficult for women in the nineteenth century. Davison asserts that the Female Gothic is different from the Male Gothic because the former has uniquely repressed fears and doubts
In his essay “Gothic and the New american Republic”, Jeffrey A. Weinstock explains that Charles Brockden Brown developed a subgenre of the Gothic called ‘the female Gothic’ that dramatizes women’s disempowerment, is the mode that highlights the forces of explicit and implicit violence used against women to coerce their submission, and critiques female oppression (34). This theme is played out with Sethe from Beloved who is a woman portrayed as a helpless female victim who is victimized by men and
Gothic and Feminist Elements of The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" has been interpreted in many ways over the years. Modernist critics have applied depth psychology to the story and written about the symbolism of sexual repression in the nursery bars, the chained-down bed, and the wallpaper. Genre critics have discussed the story as an example of supernatural gothic fiction, in which a ghost actually haunts the narrator. But most importantly, feminist critics
The House of Seven Gables as a Gothic Novel To be a paradigm of a Gothic novel, The House of Seven Gables needs to include many elements, all which center on the ideas of gloom, horror, and mystery. The action of a Gothic novel takes place in a "run-down, abandoned or occupied, mansion or castle," which often include secret passages, doors, and compartments (Encarta). The mansion also adds its own flavor and variety to the atmosphere of mystery and suspense in the novel by providing a
I had done some fashion work in St. Paul and I had principally gone to Chicago to shoot fashion, but I found myself doing more and more work on the south side, the poverty stricken areas where the blacks lived. That is what got me a Rosenwald Fellowship, the first one ever given in photography. At the time, Jack Delano was in Chicago and he encouraged me to come to the Farm Security Administration. I wanted to work at the FSA because they were doing what I wanted to do ; exposing poverty in America-
Gothic Culture You're walking down the street and all of a sudden you encounter a group of oddly dressed youngsters all in black, or perhaps wearing elaborate lace and brocade, looking strangely like they came out of eighteenth century. You immediately feel a bit of apprehensions as you clutch your child closer to and wonder what exactly it is that these kids are up to. Are they part of a Satan worshiping cult, or just a band of traveling actors? In either case their strange dress and pale likenesses
Romantic and Gothic Forces in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Sometimes considered one of the first science fiction novels of supernatural terror, Frankenstein proved itself an instant success when released anonymously in 1818. The mad scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation provoke readers with the fear of the unknown and the power of natures forces. A deeper look into the character of Victor Frankenstein, the role of scientific experimentation and the intricate settings of nature in which
The Gothic Tradition in Stoker's Dracula and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray Gothic Literature was a natural progression from romanticism, which had existed in the 18th Century. Initially, such a ‘unique’ style of literature was met with a somewhat mixed response; although it was greeted with enthusiasm from members of the public, literary critics were much more dubious and sceptical. Gothic writing is a style of literature that relies upon the evocation of moods, feelings and imagery for impact
De Sade believed sex cannot be mutually pleasurable; the female protagonist is confined to a passionless existence – the narrator’s lack of passion for another, in her dismissal of her mother (‘I had in a way, ceased to be her child in becoming his wife’) and coldness toward the Marquis, causes her partial
regarding the chronology of the story, writes that "A Rose for Emily" has been read variously as ". . .a Gothic horror tale, a study in abnormal psychology, an allegory of the relations between North and South, a meditation on the nature of time, and a tragedy with Emily as a sort of tragic heroine." These various interpretations serve as a good starting point for discussion of the story. The Gothic horror tale is a literary form dating back to 1764 with the first novel identified with the genre, Horace
Though many of the leading female characters in Jane Austen’s novels seem to emphasize the gender stereotype of the 18th century woman, Northanger Abbey’s Catherine Moreland displays strong feminist tones. Several critics might agree that Catherine Moreland is most often described as a submissive young lady confined to society. However, coming from a society that desired their women to be mostly docile, Catherine openly expresses her opinions and moods. The dominance of her views and her ability
Comparing Gothic Elements in Fall of the House of Usher, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ligeia, and American Slave Gothic literature has a number of conventions, including evils of horror, present of light and dark, suggestions of the supernatural, and dark and exotic localities such as castles and crumbling mansions (American). Violence in gothic literature never occurs just for the sake of violence; there is always a moral dilemma (Clarke 209). By going the extremes, a gothic author is able to accentuate
“There are only two types of women— goddesses and doormats.” Pablo Picasso used this quote to describe how he saw the woman of his era, and for the most part, this interesting quote is somewhat correct when looking at the role of women in literature over the years. The woman either goes above and beyond for others without thinking of herself, or she stands firm in her beliefs and is respected for her actions and looks. In sum, the woman is either overlooked or is adored and cherished. There are
Firstly, gender roles is a prominent gothic element that can be seen throughout both novels. In the novel, The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, there is a Victorian era representation of the characters. This can be seen through the working women, social position of the characters and the dominance of men over women established in the novel. The characters that represent the working women in the novel are the Governess, Mrs. Grose, and the spirit, Miss Jessel. These women are good examples of the
The Female and Male Gothic in Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Lewis’ The Monk The gothic novel is characterized by mystery and supernatural fear, usually involving evil villains, and victimized protagonists. These elements are recognized in both Austen’s novel, Northanger Abbey, and Lewis’ The Monk. The novels are composed of male and female gothic characteristics, involved in gendered portrayals of supernatural events. The gothic genre is used in these novels in unique ways, however they both portray