The Blending of Horror and Romance

The two most prominent elements within a Gothic novel are commonly those of horror and romanticism. The combination of these two elements in literature would seem at odds with each other yet when Gothic fiction was introduced they blended effortlessly. The blend of these two elements was also prominent in art as well as in literature as seen in John Martins piece (The Great Day of His Wrath) and Thomas Jones' (The Bard).

You can clearly see the beauty of Martin's piece in the detail put into the sky and mountains battle though at the same time there is horrific destruction taking place. In Jones' piece, the skyline and sea are calming and almost nurturing  due to their soft lighting and vibrant color yet the piece has a darker tone as the Bard walks towards his impending doom. These two pieces of art would also adhere to the ideals of sublimity, which "in the words of Edmund Burke, is pleasurable terror" (Patricia Krecklow, Sublime PowerPoint) . The inclusion of romantic ideals and sublimity included within the Gothic fiction and its subplots makes the genre feel like a branch of romanticism.  I believe the reason behind the unusual combination between the two at the time is due in part to the emotional honesty fear or horror brings from human nature. Gothic writers of the time period used this honesty along with the atmosphere they created to craft unbelievable stories of supernatural events that strike all too familiar feelings within their readers, almost to the point of being uncomfortable. These elements can be seen through many if not all of the texts we have read this semester. Within the next paragraphs I will introduce the stories I feel most adequately represent these elements and detail specific examples from each that correlate with both horror and romantic ideals as well as what it is that sets them apart from other texts in the genre. To display the evolution of the genre through history, the stories will be in the same order as they were read in class.

The first text I want to discuss is William Wordsworth's The Thorn. As I had stated in my initial post about the text, Wordsworth's poem is not one of clarity. Elements of horror within this text can all be interpreted by the mystery surrounding Martha Ray and her child. The poem begins in typical Wordsworth fashion by focusing on the beauty of nature and then surprisingly leads to its less than beautiful aspects. Wordsworth uses the repetition of lines such "oh misery! oh misery!" to create a haunting cry from Martha Rays character. The romantic ideals of natures beauty and the empowerment from the landscape and even that of the love between Martha Ray and her baby come to a halt as the mystery simultaneously unravels and denses. We discussed in detail both on the blog and in class why Wordsworth would incorporate such a haunting mystery in a work that would typically stay as strictly a romantic piece. I will note however, that following link does give some insight that Wordsworth's does have work that "deals with the imagination, the fancy, and the sublime by means of supernatural imagery or atmosphere."

William Wordsworth

Returning to the previous question, one of the most arresting answers we concluded was that the superstition wrapped between the author and the society he lives with is the backbone behind the supernatural horror this piece brings. That's what sets this text apart form other Gothic poems. It's because of the superstition we see come from the community that changes both the author and readers perspective on Martha Ray that makes this poem so different.

The next piece I would like to touch upon is Ann Radcliffe's Romance of the Forest. The novel uses the atmosphere created to evoke it's supernatural and dark themes while also using the subplot of a love between Adeline and Theodore. As mentioned in the blog, the world of Romance of the Forest is one of decay with a sense of eeriness and sublime strangeness. One of the most supernatural aspects of this novel is the way that it ends. While the book could arguably be more realistic than supernatural, the way the conclusion all falls into place leaves the reader at a crossroad. Everything ends up almost too perfect. This creates the idea of powerful, supernatural, forces coming into play. Another romantic, and also medieval element within this novel is the use of Adeline's character as the "damsel in distress". Women were often portrayed as such in Gothic novels however Radcliffe differentiates her novel from that of a typical Gothic by transforming Adeline from damsel in distress to heroine within the last chapter. To that end, Radcliffe succeeds in combining realistic and relatable characters with the dark, supernatural atmosphere that is often seen in Gothic novels while still staying unique.

The next work I want to discuss was my favorite from the entire semester, Matthew Arnold's The Buried Life. While it's not immediately distinct as a Gothic text, the underlying message in this poem can be very haunting. The question is simple, where does the meaning of life exist? Arnold takes the fear and anxiety from " the same heart" that "beats in every human breast" and crafts it into one of the most introspective pieces of poetry I've ever read. It's a question that reaches to every person at one point in time and its answer is one of if not the most frightful truths we could ever receive. I mentioned in my earlier post about this piece that it seems every person in our generation wants to be an individual now yet if anyone were a true individual, it would be the most frightening thing. This poem embodies the two elements I stated compose Gothic literature. The horrors and fright we face from an unknown, supernatural question bring forth an emotional honesty and beauty we couldn't see otherwise, unless we came face to face with these fears. Arnold's thoughts move through the stanzas and eventually answer his own question in a very romantic way. The conclusion I believe he reached, and described in my blog post, was that it is the people around us who love us that make us feel as if we are individuals. Arnold's analysis of the human psychology in The Buried Life is a romantic ideal shared by the likes of such writers as Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The final piece I wanted to discuss is Alfred Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott. As stated earlier during Radcliffe's paragraph, it was typical for a Gothic novel to have a female character play the damsel of distress, and this is apparent in Tennyson's work. Medieval influences are present but what makes this piece stand as Gothic literature is the curse and the repercussions it places on the Lady of Shalott. Her death is very horrific as "her blood was frozen slowly/and her eyes were darken'd wholly." As mentioned on the blog, the tone of the poem shifts from vocabulary that emphasizes romanticism to very stiff, metallic last stanzas. It signifies the shift between a romantic view and another darker supernatural view. A key point to note in the poem is that the Lady of Shalott decides to leave her tower only after she has seen Lancelot. Even though she has seen other men through the mirror in her tower, it is the one that she believes signifies love that makes her decide to abandon her curse and test fate. In class and on the blog we viewed different paintings of the Lady of Shalott. The following link describes one of these paintings in detail and the Gothic elements that are present in the painting as well as the poem.

The Lady of Shalott in Art

The altered direction Tennyson took in Lady of Shalott and her death as compared to the typical medieval romantic poem is what makes it stand apart from other poems in its genre.

As you can see, horror and romance are some of the most prominent elements within Gothic literature. The combination of the two also created types of art such as sublime and picturesque. Each of the stories we read this semester takes both these elements and more and adds its own unique take on Gothic fiction. Stories such as Horace Walpole's Castle Otranto and Ann Radcliffe's Romance of the Forest introduced not only the genre but also unique characteristics to Gothic literature that would carry on to such works as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula. Starting in 1764 through the Victorian era and still present in today's modern literature, Gothic literature and fiction uses these two elements to connect and evoke emotions from it's readers to this day. It's because of authors like Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe that we have influenced other great artists and their works such as Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice and Stephen King and can look forward to the next generation of great Gothic writers.

50 Shades of Bloody Chamber

Angela Carter's "The Bloody Carter" is a very dark story based off the tale of Bluebeard, in which Bluebeard stores the bodies of his previous wives in a chamber. Carter's story also makes a lot of references to tales and legends such as King Mark, Dracula, Tristan and Isolde, and Red Riding Hood ("All the better to see you.") These references as well as the many others gives the reader an idea of the atmosphere the main character is in. It's dark and sinister and deals with a passionate 'love' which is really just an obsession. It also gives the reader an idea about how young and naive the new bride is.

The choker made of rubies is a fascinating symbol of the story because it represents wealth, extravagance, ownership, humiliation, and even survival. It represents survival because the girl tells the story of how people who escaped execution during the Reign of Terror would tie red ribbons around their necks. This is very appropriate for the girl considering she herself is almost beheaded. She overcame her sadistic Big Bad Wolf much in the way her own mother conquered her would-be victimizers. (the mother even shoots him much like in certain versions of Little Red Riding Hood.)

Yeats' Lapis Lazuli

I had to do a little research with this poem to figure out exactly what a Lapis Lazuli was and why Yeats would use it to title his poem. Once I learnt about the blue stone I could somewhat connect it's meaning to the poem. Like the the dark blue stone, there's a sense of cold and dreariness in this poem. Yeats opens it by talking about the women who say they are sick of poets who are always happy when it's such a dark period of time. I really liked Yeats answer for these women in saying that life is like a play and we're all performing our parts. It's almost like when you're a child and your parents tell you that life isn't fair, and it reaches to a relatable aspect of human nature. It's hard to maintain a positive outlook when there's so much negative around and Yeats wants the reader to see that art is a means of achieving positivity.

Case in Point.

On Monday, we discussed the structure of the short novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. My group specifically discussed the choice to name the novel "The Strange CASE" in the context of a British mystery novel. The idea that it is set up as a case-study invites readers into a suspension of reality. It makes the novel seem more realistic within a time period where industrialism and reality were so pervasive in society. During the Victorian era it seems as though there were two types of novels- ones based in reality and ones based in a fairy world (i.e. Importance of Being Ernest vs. Alice in Wonderland). Within The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson brings these two worlds together. By having an outside narrator, readers view the novel through a lens of unknowing. There is "evidence" such as letters throughout the book, but readers are kept in the dark for the most part throughout the novel.

I feel as though the novel also comments on the Victorian era itself. Dr. Jekyll is absorbed in separating these two halves of himself.  He is so concerned with becoming a perfect version of himself that he creates Mr. Hyde as a cover for his own imperfections. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are separate individuals, despite being literally the same person. Within the Victorian era, Industrialization was prominent. The idea that there were new, bigger, better ways of doing things was prominent. However, ideals and values can become disturbed by this quest for power. In the same way, Dr. Jekyll's ultimate demise was trying to create a "better" version of himself by fully separating himself from Mr. Hyde.

A forsaken love

Matthew Arnold's Forsaken Merman has a lot going on. It reminds me of an ocean itself. On the surface there's a story of a merman falling in love with a human woman and her birthing his children then leaving him on Easter. What?? But if you look deeper you see the confliction between love and religion. The merman becomes increasingly depressing as the poem goes on yet still loves this woman. She, on the other hand, doesn't quite reveal her motives as to why she leaves the land for a merman and then decides to return due to hearing the church bells. Was religion that important to her? Or did she never love him at all? Or maybe the sea was too much of a difference from the civilization on land? All of these questions played in my head. Another thing that struck me was the influence of music in this poem. The children's voices, the Murmansk repetition of down, down, down and dear children and the church bells are all very influential to the melancholy atmosphere the poem draws on.

The Lady of Domestication

On Monday our group, when discussing The Lady of Shallot, talked about its references toward women in the Victorian society. We concluded that the act of her weaving represented a mundane place where women resided, this place being the home and womanly domestication. The mirror represented, to us at least, a skewed view of society. This skewed view helped keep "The Lady of Shallot" in “her place”, as well as the fear of a curse. The curse was a sort of warning to women in general, that leaving their post of domestication would result in disastrous repercussions. However, when Lancelot comes into her mirror in shining armor, we see the Lady of Shallot forsake her post and gaze at this man. It was at this point when our group realized the wording of the poem changed, before this romantic natural words were used, after the words became more metallic just like the armor of Sir Lancelot. It wasn't until her eventual death that the words reverted back to the romantic natural words. In regards to the pictures we discussed on the way in which she sat on her tapestry and allowed it to dip into the murky water. Perhaps this symbolized defiance of her former life before seeing Lancelot. She had spent every day looking through this mirror and weaving this tapestry, then when the curse befell her it provided a new life to be opened up, cursed or not, causing her to forsake the former and take the boat to journey into the new. 

I love this rendition of the poem and the pictures are great!

Our Buried Lives

I really enjoyed reading this poem. I think it touches one of the most basic needs in every person, which is the need to know ourselves and what we are capable of. Some of the lines I appreciated in particular say "But hardly have we, for one little hour, Been on our own line, have we been ourselves-" This spoke to me and the desire I feel for not only myself, but the one my generation has as well, to be an individual. At the same time, to be a TRUE individual, would be the most frightening and lonely existence. There lies the rub. Arnold's poem plays to our fears and desires and in the final stanzas gives us his theory on them. "Our eyes can in another's eyes read clear, When our world-deafn'd ear is by the tones of a loved voice caress'd" If we become lost in the sounds of the world and numb from it's regime, it's in the eyes of a loved one that our potential surfaces. Whether it's a lover, friend or family member, they take away the fears the world has burdened you with and make you feel special, unique; individual.

Where are my helmets?

   I'm fining I love the way elements of the Gothic are present in everything we read and that those elements are evolving slowly. To that end there are two things I find distinctly striking about Romance of the Forest. The first is the obviously Gothic supernatural crux, or rather, in this case, the lack thereof. There is nothing nearly as obtrusive and distinct as Castle of Otranto and it's recurring helmet. Instead Romance has the ever present issue of the sublime that we discussed with these beautifully eerie and poetic descriptions of the world and people. The world itself, especially in reference to the abbey, is filthy creepy and strange, yet I am entranced and pleased by what I hear about it's state of decay. For me that's what the poetry really accentuates, the depth and fluidity of the way we see the world and events of Romance.
   Secondly, the lack of a prophecy caught my attention, and by association, the division of the book in terms of perspective. Instead there is a form of prophecy that occurs every time some one tries to warn Adeline, especially once the book moves to be dominated by her perspective. This of course is in close relation to my first point, being as there are no "divine" prophecies handed down across generations, yet there is something odd to me about the way everyone seeks to warn Adeline in specific, and almost exclusively after we begin seeing things from her perspective.

Perspective as it relates to Romanticism (We Are Seven)

William Wordsworth's We Are Seven is a very romantic poem that invokes deep philosophical thought about mortality.  This poem is structured like a ballad yet contains several things to set a serious tone within the poem.  Focusing on the first stanza there are quite a few details that convey the whole meaning of the poem.  The very first line "a simple child" gives the reader a sense of curiosity, life, fertility, and pacifism.  This is sharply contradicted by the third line "what should it know of death?"   Not only does this contrast the first line of the poem, but it's also juxtaposition for the B rhyme on line 2 "and feels its life in every breath" So mechanically the poem is contrasting the words in the 2nd line, it is also conflicting with the readers expectations from the previous 3 lines.  In those we get such words as: life, lights, child, and draw are all things that can be perceived as "happy" words that set a light tone.

A good way to take in the overall feeling of the poem is to listen to a reading with music by composer Mohammed Fairouz.

Listening to the music "performed" as opposed to just reading it to yourself gives you a different feeling.  Much like Wordsworth, this is a very romantic poem that focuses on something so simple as a dialogue.  On the surface we get a simple banter between an an adult and a child about why she considers her two dead siblings to be alive.   Deep down however, Wordsworth is using the child's innocence to represent the universally polarizing ideologies that reside between the young and old (age and experience coincidence?).  The exterior frustration of the man, is really the fact that the man sees the naivety of the child, because he once was young.

Wordsworth's The Thorn

When I first read this poem it was difficult to grasp everything that had happened within it. The poem has many suggestions as to what the answers might be but never gives the reader a solid explanation. Was the baby born? What does the thorn symbolize? Did the baby make her go crazy or was it being left at the alter? Or did the baby make her sane? The emphasis put on the hill and it's description caught my attention because it changes from a scene of beauty to one of tragedy with the character of Martha Ray. As I mentioned, the poem left me with questions unanswered and in my first read, made me wonder if I had just missed the underlying message. I think though, that this is what Wordsworth may have intended. He implies rather than coming straight forward with the answers and that creates and even more haunting tone to his poem. It shows the reader that beauty and tragedy (pain) go together like a rose and it's thorn.

There Are Superstitions...

In Wordsworth's "The Thorn," the narrator retells a story about a woman who lost her baby, though the details vary as the narrator is victim to the gossip mill of the community. Similarly, the narrator goes to great lengths in the description of the thorn and its location on the mountain top, but not where that mountain is. After a lofty account of the thorn ("No leaves it has, no prickly points/ It is a mass of knotted joints") and its surroundings ("Not five yards from the mountain path/ This Thorn you on your left espy/And to the left, three yards beyond/You see a little muddy pond"), the narrator introduces the phrase, "an infant's grave" that begins the supernatural element of the ballad. 

Not just an ancient, gnarled Thorn and scenic pond, the narrator's description turns eerie as he begins to outline the women in a scarlet cloak who cries over her lost child. Her howls of "Oh misery!" and "Oh woe is me!" indiciate a ghoulish presence that infects the natural scene and twists it into a supernatural site. After repeating the gossip surrounding the women's despairing tale, the narrator reveals he does not know much about the place, only watches from a distance "with my telescope/ To view the ocean wide and bright." Thus, the speaker merely builds up a ghostly story from the community rumors and his own distance observation. Despite continually saying, "I cannot tell how this may be," the speaker tells the haunted tale as he believes it to be true. By focusing on detail he can embellish instead of explaining concretely the linear order of events he creates a narrative that is based on myth and superstition rather than reality. 

A new breed of Story

The Castle of Otranto was definitely a new breed for the time period of its release. A literary fusion, if you will, of Shakespearean plot lines mixed with what the author refers to as a combination of the new and old styles of Romance. The way that he does this, allows the development of the plot and characters to happen in such a way that would be impossible without the air of mysticism he includes along with allegedly "real" characters so that they can respond in a way that a real person would to these supernatural circumstances.

It's no surprise to me that Walpole released this work under a pseudonym due to how controversial it could have been perceived. Whenever one is bold enough to combine and create a new genre, it does have the ability to either spring board or crash a person's career. It also allowed the public to take everything in it from a completely different point of view than if they had known that it was a work of fiction by Walpole. Typically, when I am about to start a book from a well known author, I have preconceived notions on their style, possible outcomes, character development, etc. However, since this was designed to be read as a "real" event that was just translated, it gives the reader the adrenaline rush and a "on the edge of their seat" feeling that is associated with strong character-reader attachment.