Other Gothic Texts

Turn of the screw

• Elements of the sublime = fascination with terror, awe, wonder. -all emotional/feelings/states  of physical being
• Mystery, power of obscurity
• Language shifts, ambiguous dialogue
• Unreliability of narrator
• religion, governess' father was a county parson-she could be beacon of faith
• children angelic, light, corruption of innocence
• describes vision a lot- governess unreliable- over-active imagination?
• Light, terror happens most at night
• dialogue can be restricted, commas give breathless feel to create tense character
• imprisonment

The monk

• Banned from publication
• attack on brutality and hypocrisy of the Catholic church
• poison, rape, incarceration= original Goths barbaric
• Elements of the sublime
• reflects anger at churches history
• focused more in horror than romance
• terror Gothic- interior mental process
• broke typical stereotypes of location
• first novel to feature priest as villain
• woman represents servant of Satan
• demonic temptress, the wandering Jew, bleeding nun
• diabolous dx machina
• use of morality tale- lack of divine intervention

Interview with a vampire

• Main character is a vampire
• death and revenge, secrets
• romance between two characters

The Castle of Toronto

• First Gothic novel
• translation of Italian story
• then was dismissed as romantic
• supernatural and magic - made it more relate-able by making the characters more human
• castles   

Wuthering Heights

• The nature of Heathcliff and Catherine is reflected in the wild elements of the local moors
• Death and disease afflict virtually all characters
• destructive love
• When Heathcliff disappears, a tree is struck by lightening, there is a storm the night Catherine is buried- storms signal danger and conflict
• Death is a reoccuring theme- set in an age when mortality rate was high and death was a part of everyday life
• Wuthering heights house described as a fortress; small windows look inwards and give no welcome
• chained gate and gaunt thorns and narrow windows of the house create a chilling and unwelcoming atmosphere
• Heathcliff opens Cathy's coffin
• Boundaries are surpassed, specifically love crossing the boundaries between life and death
• Heathcliff's transgressing social class
• Gothic trappings of imprisonment and escape
• terrifying dreams, appearances of Cathy as a ghost

Gothic genre

• The gothic genre emphasizes the grotesque elements, the mysterious, the desolate environment, the horrible, the ghostly & ultimately the fear that can be aroused in the reader.
• Gothicism is part of the Romantic Movement that started in the late 18th century and lasted to roughly three decades into the 19th century.
• The bleak, glacial fields of the Alps & the mists of the Arctic serve to indicate the isolation of the two protagonists. The solitary character in Frankenstein can apply to both Victor and his creation as they both live their lives in social isolation.
• Gothicism tells tales of the macabre and supernatural, are usually set amid haunted castles, graveyards, ruins & wild picturesque landscapes. They reached the height of their fashion in the 1790s & the early years of the 19th century.
• Perhaps the most famous Gothic example occurs in Shelley's Frankenstein after Frankenstein 'awakes' his creature: he falls into a dream state that begins with his kissing of Elizabeth, his love. However, this kiss changes her in the most drastic way as she transforms into the rotting corpse of Caroline, Victor's dead mother. Upon awakening from this horrifying dream, Victor finds himself staring into the face of the monster he has created. Interpretations of this dream lead to explorations of Frankenstein's psyche, relational ability and sexuality.
• Becomes fixated with death and the decay of the human body. " forced to spend days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses"
• "Darkness had no effect upon my fancy"
• "I saw how the work inherited the wonders of the eye and the brain"
• "Pour a torrent of light into our dark world"
• "tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay"
• "I collected bones from charnel-houses"
• "filthy creation"
• "dissecting room"
• "It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils"
• "My candle was nearly burnt out" The lighting creates tension
• "Dull yellow eye"
• "convulsive motion agitated its limbs"
• "His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath"
• "Breathless horror and disgust filled my heart"
• When Victor goes back to his home  town of Geneva, he see the monster in the gloom of the trees, "A flash of lightening illuminated the object...the deformity of its aspect" Gothic setting of a dark deformed figure lurking in the trees and its outline illuminated by the lightning.
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Chapter 21:
"It was a very dark night and the moon had not yet risen" Gothic setting
"as far as he could judge by the light of a few stars"
"black marks of fingers on his neck"
"I feel yet parched with horror, nor can i reflect on that terrible moment without shuddering and agony"
"The cup of life was poisoned forever"

Chapter 24:
"As night approached, I found myself at the entrance of of the cemetery where William, Elizabeth, and my father reposed. I entered it and approached the tomb which marked their graves. Everything was silent" 

Literary devices

Symbolism

Light- Light is associated with goodness and knowledge. "Country of eternal light" "the sun is forever visible" 
The symbol of light, introduced in Walton’s first letter appears again in Victor’s narrative, this time in a scientific context. “From the midst of this darkness,” Victor says when describing his discovery of the secret of life, “a sudden light broke in upon me—a light so brilliant and wondrous.” Light reveals, illuminates, clarifies; it is essential for seeing, and seeing is the way to knowledge. Just as light can illuminate, however, so can it blind; pleasantly warm at moderate levels, it ignites dangerous flames at higher ones. Immediately after his first metaphorical use of light as a symbol of knowledge, Victor retreats into secrecy and warns Walton of “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.” Thus, light is balanced always by fire, the promise of new discovery by the danger of unpredictable—and perhaps tragic—consequences.

The path that Victor climbs in chapter 10 is representative of the 'path of life'. "The path, as you ascend higher, is intersected by ravines of snow, down which stones continually roll from above" "One of them is particularly dangerous" The paths to exploration and discovery are dangerous, and the path of Victor's life has become  more difficult due to his meddling with the natural order of things. 

Setting

• Although the frame story is set aboard Captain Walton’s ship in the frozen waters of the Arctic, the events of the story happen all over Europe, from Geneva to the Alps to France, England, and Scotland, as well as the university at Ingolstadt. 
• since exploration of the unknown (and that includes geography) is one of the over-arching themes, the setting is quite broadly constructed from a whole series of places rather than one singular location.
• reminiscent of Dante’s description of the ninth and innermost circle of Hell in Inferno. 
• "Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?" Nature as a force in itself, able to provoke or influence the emotions of its inhabitants. Reflected in the monsters tranquillity when he is at one with nature. Romantic element of nature, and the strong effect it has on humans.
• "I saw the lightnings playing on the summit of Mount Blanc" Lightning reminiscent of bringing back to life, electricity. Hitting when he comes home could represent Victors renewal of life now he is back in his home town surrounded by loved ones, or could represent that lightning also is dangerous and can take away life, as can God. 
• "The storm appeared to be approaching rapidly" The storm could represent Frankenstein's monster is approaching, or more ill fate is coming. 
• The power of nature helps Victor temporarily forget about his anguish. "I ceased to fear" the dashing of the waterfalls around, spoke of a power mighty as omnipitence" 
• Setting reflects the nature of the story in chapter 10 "these sublime and magnificent scenes" the sublime is a heavy feature of this novel.
• Nature "bade me be at peace" relaxing effect of nature on Victor. 
• Learning from nature- the creation relies on nature to survive. 
• The creature learns about fire, how it is hot and burns, how it provides heat and comfort and light. Links back to the alternate title of Frankenstein, The mordern prometheus. The greek God who stole fire from the gods to give to the humans. The creation is too learning how pivotal it is in survival. 
• Victor’s formerly intense connection with sublime nature continues to fade, providing him no refuge from the horror of the monster’s deeds. No longer an enlightening or elevating source of inspiration or consolation, the natural world becomes a mere landscape within which Victor’s tragic dance with the monster plays itself out. The barren Arctic wasteland into which Victor soon chases the monster embodies the raw and primal quality of his hatred for his creation and becomes the final, inescapable resting place for both man and monster.
  
  

Tone
 Elements of Romanticism, tragedy, the Gothic and fatalism.

Character of Mr Kirwin shows the good in humanity- takes care of the murderous in that they are cared for in his vicinity  

Foreshadowing
"you have regarded with such evil forebodings"
Reference to Homer and Shakespeare, both tragedians. 
"To seek the one who fled from me" Makes the reader question what happened between to two and what was such a great event that cause Victor to follow it to the Arctic cirlce.
"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation."His nightmares reflect his horror at what he has done and also serve to foreshadow future events in the novel. The images of Elizabeth “livid with the hue of death” prepare the reader for Elizabeth’s eventual death and connect it, however indirectly, to the creation of the monster.
 Victor’s passion will not be tempered by any consideration of the possible horrific consequences of his search for knowledge. 
"It is even possible that the train of my ideas would never have received the fatal impulse that led to my ruin"
Chapter 6's reference to Justine followed by the reference to William seems to foreshadow Williams death. "Little darling William" and "rosy with health" forebode the unfortunate end of him. Innocence in William is reflected in the innocence of the creation. 
"He is murdered" foreshadowing that is was the monster as he has been absent from the narrative since chapter 5. Assume he is a horrible evil creature. 
"I did not conceive the hundredth part of the anguish I was destined to endure." There are worse events to come. The loss of a loved one as close as his brother shows that the pain he will feel will be much worse. 
"I now hasten to the more moving part of my story" The creation is hinting at unfortunate events to come, possibly explaining Williams death
Chapter 23: "suddenly a heavy storm of rain descended" 


Apostrophe
Shelley employs other literary devices from time to time, including apostrophe, in which the speaker addresses an inanimate object, absent person, or abstract idea. Victor occasionally addresses some of the figures from his past as if they were with him on board Walton’s ship. “Excellent friend!” he exclaims, referring to Henry. “How sincerely did you love me, and endeavor to elevate my mind, until it was on a level with your own.” Apostrophe was a favorite of Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who used it often in his poetry; its occurrence here might reflect some degree of Percy’s influence on Mary’s writing.

Frame narrative
As in the first three chapters, Victor repeatedly addresses Walton, his immediate audience, reminding the reader of the frame narrative and of the multiple layers of storytellers and listeners. Structuring comments such as “I fear, my friend, that I shall render myself tedious by dwelling on these preliminary circumstances” both remind the reader of the target audience (Walton) and help indicate the relative importance of each passage.
The sub-plot of Safie and the cottagers adds yet another set of voices to the novel. Their story is transmitted from the cottagers to the monster, from the monster to Victor, from Victor to Walton, and from Walton to his sister, at which point the reader finally gains access to it. This layering of stories within stories enables the reworking of familiar ideas in new contexts.
In chapter 23 "my own strength is exhausted; and I must tell, in a few words, what remains of my hideous narration"

Narrative perspectives

Letters:

• In the first part of Frankenstein, the novel is from the perspective of Robert Walton in the form of letters. 
• In addition to setting the scene for the telling of the stranger’s narrative, Walton’s letters introduce an important character—Walton himself—whose story parallels Frankenstein’s.
• His letters set up a frame narrative that encloses the main narrative—the stranger’s—and provides the context in which it is told. 
• The use of multiple frame narratives calls attention to the telling of the story, adding new layers of complexity to the already intricate relationship between author and reader: as the reader listens to Victor’s story, so does Walton; as Walton listens, so does his sister.
• Perspective is an effective technique as it's used to build up the reader’s view of one character only to change it later when the character gives his own recollection of the events. 

Chapters 1-5:

• Told from Victors perspective
•  Victor explains his creation of the monster
•  Victor believes the monster is nothing but a hideous and evil creature
•  adds Frankenstein’s point of view to add emotion and additional description to keep the reader’s attention.

Chapter 6: 

From the perspective of Victor, but within it is a letter from Elizabeth.

Additionally, the mention of “record[ing]” Henry’s words underscores the fact that it is only through Walton that the reader has access to the other characters and their narratives.

Victor

Victor

• Constantly on edge, wants to find the monster
• Reminiscent of the ancient Mariner- retelling a story to warn others "Let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips" "deduce an apt moral from my tale
• "Slave of passion"
• "Quelling the dark tyranny of despair"
• Victor’s pursuit of scientific knowledge reveals a great deal about his perceptions of science in general. He views science as the only true route to new knowledge: “In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.” 
• "So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation." Victor utters these words in Chapter 3 as he relates to Walton how his chemistry professor, M. Waldman, ignited in him an irrepressible desire to gain knowledge of the secret of life. Victor’s reference to himself in the third person illustrates his sense of fatalism—he is driven by his passion, unable to control it. Additionally, this declaration furthers the parallel between Walton’s spatial explorations and Frankenstein’s forays into unknown knowledge, as both men seek to “pioneer a new way,” to make progress beyond established limits.
• References Sir Isaac Newton showing his knowledge within science
• Becomes aware of electricity which fascinates him
• Learns about chemistry from one of his lectures M. Waldman
• "turn away with loathing from my occupation, whilst,still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased."
• When Victors mother dies, he is deeply affected by the loss of her life, describing his loss as a "void that presents itself to the soul." At this point Victor is still portrayed as an emotional and human character, however, later in chapter 8, when Justine is about to be executed, Victor describes his ordeal as " living torture" despite the fact that he was not the one about to be hung. The shift in Victor's emotional connection to others seems to have been corroded and he is now self absorbed, especially as he goes on to say "The tortures of the accused did not equal mine" 
• , Believes his life at home, surrounded by family had "given me invincible repugnance to new countenances" His downfall into creating the monster stemmed from loneliness. Happens to the monster also as he requires a mate.
• "A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquillity" Ironic as Victor's mind is far from peaceful and calm, and he allows himself fits of passion against the monster. The monster on the other hand, displays an image of peace and tranquillity when talking to Victor on the ice, and he seems to be the one in control  showing that the monster is perhaps a better human being than Victor.
• "The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature" Human reactions are to be expected and Victors reaction is what would be expected from humans.
• Victor describes that "for all the kindness which her beauty might otherwise have excited, was obliterated in the minds of the spectators" Showing that humans base their first impressions upon looks, beauty automatically earns respect and admiration, whereas the only time when the love and desire for beauty falters is in scenarios where the person in question has committed an atrocity.
• "When I thought of him, I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I so ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed" Realises the evils and massive implications his actions are having and instead of trying to help the creature he made and then banished, he decides to try and avenge his brother and Justine. It is likely that their deaths would not have occurred if Victor had looked after his creation instead of casting it away, leaving it to learn how to behave and live by itself.
• Internal struggle when deciding whether to make the monster a wife. "I compassionated him and sometimes wished to console him" Beginning to feel emotions towards his 'son'. Possibly because of the natural environment,
• In contrast to the peace and tranquility that the creation feels when he is at one with nature, however, Victor feels as if it is mocking him. "Oh! stars, and clouds, and winds, ye are all about to mock me" He "wept bitterly" The harsh scenery of their surroundings echos Victors inner turmoil and how nature is mocking him "the eternal twinkling stars weighed upon me" Juxtaposition as twinkling stars would be taken to be calming, natural, enlightening, profound as nature is so vast and beautiful, however it is weighing Victor down as he has betrayed the natural beauty of nature (including humans?) and created a being so ghastly that he has betrayed nature. 
• "as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them" foreshadowing the death of Elizabeth? 
• Denying the monster a mate equals denying Victor a mate, as the creation is a part of Victor and they are arguably very similar, their situations have to mirror one another. Both are struggling with feelings that no one else can understand, both have the weight of murder round their necks, and both will be denied a mate.
• In contrast to how Victor felt when first undertaking the task of creating life, he now looks towards it with repugnance. "I was unable to overcome my repugnance to the task which was enjoined me" 
• The whole beginning to chapter 18 feels very Gothic to me, as hearing Victor describe what a vile task he has to endure and referring back to the way he went about it the first time makes it harder to read as you as a reader are aware of how strongly this repulses Victor. "shrunk from taking the first steps"
• View of marriage as a means to an end. Victors marriage to Elizabeth as an end to his misery and vise versa for the creation. burying the past.
• "as I preceded my spirits and hopes rose" chapter 3 when Victor is leaving home the first time differs greatly to his view on leaving home a second time. "I now made arrangements for my journey; but one feeling haunted me, which filled me with fear and agitation" cyclical feel to narrative.
• "I was the slave of my creature" Our actions have consequences which we all have to face individually, slave to the creature as punishment for his "sins" going against God, having to right his wrongs. 
• "I passed through many beautiful and majestic scenes, but my eyes were fixed and unobserving" Overarching theme and character flaw in Victor is not appreciating what he has got and appreciating the beauty of nature instead of ignoring it. How the creation was born in the first place, out of the need to expand on what is already out there. Victor completely ignoring the beauty of nature- possibly not out of choice but as a punishment for creating life? no longer able to appreciate the beauty of nature. 
• Descriptions of all the beautiful places Victor has been an indication of how well traveled or knowledgeable Shelley is in geography and not just literature. Seeing nature in its beautiful simplicity brings Victor back to life, begins to appreciate how beautiful it is. tainted by feelings of depression and the knowledge that he still has to create another life. 
• When visiting the tomb of the illustrious Hampden  "my soul was elevated from its debasing and miserable fears". The shelleys had visited his tomb in 1817 and loved it.
• "shake off my chains" another reference to slavery? selfish- doesn't take into consideration the creations unhappiness and chains which bind him to a life of solitude and rejection.
• Makes female companion three years later
• "she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate" Anti feminism, fear of a woman in control, who doesn't oblige to what she is told, who may not want to be with the first creation and who might have free spirit and want more for herself than Victor would allow the creation to give her. Fear for her reproducing, something Victor could control as he is in control of how he makes her. nonetheless, still concern over her ability to create her own "race of devils". 
• Victor tears the monster up in front of the creations eyes in a change of heart, fears to greatly the wrath that two creations could potentially threaten the world with. 
• His creation says to him "Slave" again it would on the surface that the creation would be the slave to his master as he gave him life- The creation represents the devil (Lucifer) as he goes against his God (father)? Grown emotionally and mentally and is aware of the capacity his his own power. 
• Grounded morals now, "your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness" completely stubborn and goes against his ideals in the first place. "I am no coward to bend beneath words"
• naive- "I will be with you on your wedding night" "In that hour i should die" doesn't cross his mind that the creation could be talking about Elizabeth despite telling him that he will make his life hell. Shortsightedness has inflicted Victor before as he doesn't think of the malevolent consequences of making the monster
• "I again felt as if i belonged to a race of human beings like myself" Contrasts to the creation, who has been declined of company someone of the same 'race' as him. arguably he already is part of the human race as he has the same scope of emotions and capacity to be molded by knowledge and craves companionship.
•  “I must pause here; for it requires all my fortitude to recall the memory of the frightful events which I am about to relate, in proper detail, to my recollection,” reminder if the aural narrative in which this story is told.
• “Clerval! Beloved Friend! Even now it delights me to record your words,” the reader senses the power of Victor’s emotion and its ultimate uselessness against the force of fate. 

Chapter 21
Victor in prison ill, father comes to visit and he is relieved when it isn't the monster. Henry again serves as a link between Victor and society, as his death brings Alphonse to visit his son. “Nothing, at this moment, could have given me greater pleasure than the arrival of my father,” Victor says. As a result of spending so much time in Ingolstadt ignoring his family, and also as a result of the monster’s depredations, Victor becomes aware of the importance of interaction with family and friends. Having failed to inspire love in Victor, the monster seeks to establish a relationship with his creator that would force his creator to feel his pain. By destroying those people dear to Victor, the monster, acutely aware of the meaningfulness of social interaction, brings Victor closer and closer to the state of solitude that he himself has experienced since being created.Victor’s pattern of falling into extended illness in reaction to the monster suggests that the deterioration of his health is, to some extent, psychologically induced—as if guilt prevents him from facing fully the horribleness of the monster and his deeds. “The human frame could no longer support the agonizing suffering that I endured, and I was carried out of the room in strong convulsions,” he recounts of his despair at seeing Henry’s corpse, making an explicit link between psychological torment and physical infirmity. That Victor also falls ill soon after creating the monster and experiences a decline in health after the deaths of William and Justine points toward guilt as the trigger for this psychological mechanism.
Chapter 23:
The murder of Elizabeth forms the climax of the novel, as it is the moment in which the monster finally succeeds in obliterating Victor’s social world. With his family, best friend, and faith in science snatched away from him, Victor can derive meaning in life only from his hatred of the monster. The crucial transition has been made: stripped of Elizabeth, the last, and most important, element of his life, Victor becomes dehumanized and develops an obsessive thirst for revenge similar to that exhibited previously by the monster.
Chapter 24:
Echoes of the monster’s earlier statements now appear in Victor’s speech, illustrating the extent to which Victor has become dehumanized. “I was cursed by some devil,” he cries, “and carried about with me my eternal hell.” This is the second allusion to the passage in Paradise Lost in which Satan, cast out from Heaven, says that he himself is Hell. The first allusion, made by the monster after being repulsed by the cottagers, is nearly identical: “I, like the arch fiend, bore a hell within me.” Driven by their hatred, the two monsters—Victor and his creation—move farther and farther away from human society and sanity.
Walton in continuation:

Walton

Walton:

• Presented as an endearing character "My dear sister"
• Explorer- curious about the world and discovering new things. Family tradition "satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited"
• Education was neglected- self taught
• Intelligent- references Homer and Shakespeare, knows of Coleridge's work. 
• Inherited a fortune from his cousin
• Became a poet "for one year lived in a Paradise of my own creation". Was a failure and disappointed him. Likes to succeed. 
• Admits fears "If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never"
• Wants company on his voyage "I bitterly feel the want of a friend"
• 28 years old
• Began reading poetry at 14
• More illiterate than a boy of 15
• Caring "I removed him to my own cabin, and attended on him as much as my duty would permit"
• Walton functions as the conduit through which the reader hears the story of Victor and his monster.
• He also plays a role that parallels Victor’s in many ways. Like Victor, Walton is an explorer, chasing after that “country of eternal light”—unpossessed knowledge
•  "What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?"