...Conventional Gothic gender roles are challenged by Carter through the tongue in cheek nature of some of the stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ most notably, Puss in Boots in which the supposed ‘innocent’ and ‘naïve’ female wants to kill her husband in order for new love. Not only this, Carter also uses the theme of feminism to challenge stereotypical female roles in stories which inadvertently also happens to challenge the roles of women in Gothic literature. Her use of feminism seems to be a result of her upbringing where she was heavily influenced by the first and second wave of feminism that achieved gains in gender equality giving way to more sexual liberation and freedom for women. One of the stories where conventional gothic gender roles are most notably challenged is ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ where the female, the daughter of a man who gambled her away to a beast, is the protagonist of the story and seemingly in charge of her fate, whether it be sexual or in loyalty. This mirrors ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, where Katherina is initially in charge of her fate and her sexual fate before she is “tamed” by Petruchio, the story also juxtaposes ‘The shrew’ as it is her who is tamed, while in ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ the protagonist is the one who tames the beast by choosing him over her own father. The contrast in storylines emphasises how gender roles in general have been severely challenged by Carter, giving the effect of female empowerment especially contrasting the male empowerment in ‘Taming...
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...original plan, in the opening defence. With their help, I get to know where I should go next. Last but not the least, I extend my thanks to my classmates and my dearest parents for their encouragement and support. Wheneve I feel frustrated with my work, they are always there. Gothicism in Detective Fiction The Hound of the Baskervilles Abstract: As one of the most influential people who are never alive, Sherlock Holmes, written by Arthur Conan Doyle, attracts researches. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of series detective fictions about him. This paper is an attempt to give a specific analysis on how gothic features perform in the depict of the characters, scenes and plot and to reveal the influence made by gothicism on appreciation of the book in part of the readers Gothic novel as one genre of the English literature leads habitually with darkness and horror including...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird and the southern gothic genre In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee utilizes the genre of southern gothic. The southern gothic genre is the best choice for the story that author Harper Lee wanted to tell. The reason why is because this genre allows the story to have an eerie mood fitting with the narrator, Scout who is a child and sees certain places or people as uncomfortably creepy or as jarring. It also allows the issue of unjust racism in the most inappropriate places, in this novel, it is a court of law which should be the most just and fair place, but is not. This story takes place in the early 1930’s and follows Scout Finch when her father, Atticus begins to defend a black man accused of rape. This man's name is Tom Robinson and this case shows Scout and her brother Jem how atrocious the racist ways of thinking happen and how they affect people in their lives. Southern gothic is a genre of writing found only in American Literature. It...
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...The term 'gothic' has many different forms. The most important and original form is architecture during the medieval period. It starts out with the great cathedral, Saint-Denis, of Paris. Then the Westminster Abbey of London was built. These are characterized by their pointed arches and flying buttresses. Gothicism also came in the form of art. Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry, by the Limburg brothers, showed elegance through statements in the best known way of gothic art. This popular style of art is called manuscript illuminations. Manuscript illuminations are text followed by decoration, usually gold. During the mid-18th century, literature took a new step having the first gothic novel, "The Castle of Otranto," first published in 1764. This novel was combined with a horror and mystery genre (Martindale). Gothicism began to be apart of churches by having stained glass windows and pictures of biblical people. The style of nudity from Adam and Eve was also portrayed to be gothic. As Gothicism grew it rose to the 1980's and started a movement called punk, and later related to Fantasy Art. It then, in the 1990s, blossomed to what is called Neo-Gothic Art. It is inspired by Charles Alexander Moffat and is a period when the people wanted to express themselves as more than normal in a number of ways. A person of example would be Marilyn Manson, whose personal style and music is characterized as being "dark" and "mysterious" (Folkenroth). Characteristics of gothic novels have...
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...of Contents: 1. Introduction 1 2. [Main Part I] 2.1 Gothic Element 2.2 Feminism 3. Conclusion 1 [Bibliography] 1. Introduction: “All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.” By Georg Eliot It goes without saying that the more one ponders upon the masterpiece written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the more compelled one finds themselves to, not only reverence what she brought forth, but to also acclaim the diverse interpretations one can come up with of a text written well over a century ago. The story talks about a woman who is diagnosed with "temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency" (Gilman 1) and thus is sentenced by her physician to a rest cure. Following her husband’s and doctor’s orders, her suffering grows worse and worse and signs of depression, anxiety and dissociation manifest, quite the opposite of what was supposed to happen. Having the ability to scare and horrify the reader, this unique story had been considered as a classic in Gothic literature. However, it has recently been perceived as an early indictment of the patriarchal social structure and therefore has become a classic in feminist literature. There are many signs of Gothic elements and feminist ideas presented via symbolism, and one of the most prominent figures presented in the story is the house. In this paper, I will provide an illustration on how the...
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...Renaissance Comparison Essay Candyce Kettler Hum/205 Jill Hunt August 29, 2010 We top Italian society's rebirth from the medieval period with the changes that occurred during the Italian Renaissance. Civilization was changing and what we consider the modern world was about to begin. The renaissance doings that happened in Europe outside of Italy is called the Northern European Renaissance. Italy's humanist ideas and values moved out of Italy and throughout Europe, which spurred on the Northern European Renaissance. The Renaissance period began in the early 14th Century and lasted until the late 16th Century. “Renaissance” comes from the French word that means “rebirth.” This time period is named and studied because of its unique art, literature, and music. It is also known as society's modern age. Early in the 14th Century, Italian scholars started to study the ancient cultures that preceded them, like those of Greece and the Roman Empire. This scholarly interest would lead to the Italian Renaissance. Italy and Europe was ready for change after the harrowing destruction of the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Florence, Italy, was the home of the start of the Renaissance. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, culture, politics, and the arts had only been in decline. Petrarch advocated learning about Italy's Latin and Roman history. The Pope and the royalty liked this idea, so other scholars begun to study in the same vein. These scholars valued the accomplishments...
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...December 2012 1812 words Jane Austen is without doubt one of the greatest as well as most widely read novel writers in English literature. It is not easy to identify her with some literary movement. As Andrew H. Wright suggests in his book Jane Austen’s Novels, she is not really a writer of the nineteenth century to be called Romantic, “too much a person of her time to be called Classic, too original and too great to be considered a precursor or an apotheosis... .”[1] She is unique as well as her books are, especially Northanger Abbey. When thinking about this novel in detail, it becomes quite confusing, as Northanger Abbey can be placed in several generic categories. The most important one is bildungsroman. Bildungsroman is a German term for a novel of formation, as J. A. Cuddon states it means “literally an ‘upbringing’ or ‘education’ novel […] it refers to a novel which is an account of the youthful development of a hero or heroine […] it describes the processes by which maturity is achieved through the various ups and downs of life.”[2] We do see a development in the heroine of Northanger Abbey. However, Austen’s constant mocking of Catherine and her use of irony make it hard to distinguish to what extent Northanger Abbey is a bildungsroman and to what extent Jane Austen uses Catherine and her transformation as a device to create a parody of a gothic novel, although the first one seems to exceed the latter. “No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would...
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...Southern Gothic and Mississippi Faulkner might have well been named as one of the most influential American writers of the South while some critics despised his work. William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi, on September 25, 1897 (“William Faulkner Bio”). His love for poetry early on helped shape his writing style. Faulkner became an accomplished writer producing novels, short stories, poetry, and even dabbled in screen work media. As a Novel Prize laureate, he spent most of his life in Lafayette County, Mississippi. Many of his fictional stories take place in Yoknapatawpha County, a place he created based on the setting in Lafayette. As a native of Mississippi, the American South’s culture had a big influence on him. His inspiration for writing came from his grandfather (Cruz). He not only loved his grandfather but wanted to be just like him. His passion for literature sent him on a journey to the University of Mississippi. While attending school, he worked for The Scream writing comic strips. (Cruz). Faulkner traveled a lot with his father while he was younger. Like most, he had strong Southern values and pride. He seemed to have a different stance on equality and the issues of inequality taking place. Faulkner encouraged equality amongst the citizens. His literature uses several situations where people of race, gender, or class are discriminated against (Cruz). Faulkner’s ability to write seemed to be influenced by his social environment. While he did have some...
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...PREFACE This major project examines the indispensable desiderata of Transcendentalism in comparison to the Dark Romantics background and how these technicalities prepare this work of art as an influential synthesis of human imagination incorporated with mystic facts. Transcendentalism and Dark Romanticism were two literary movements that occurred in America during roughly the same time period (1840—1860). Although the two had surface similarities, such as their reverence for Nature, their founding beliefs were quite different, enough to make one seem almost the antithesis of each other. Moreover one’s genesis is ventured out from other; i.e. Dark Romanticism from the roots of Transcendentalism or precisely the lacunae are best determined for raising up the term called Dark Romanticism. Contents S. No. Page no. Chapter 1.........................................................................................................4-14 Chapter 2.........................................................................................................15-23. Chapter 3..........................................................................................................24-27 Resolution.........................................................................................................28-29 Work Cited................................................................
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...Fear an emotion that drives many people to insanity and disdain. Edgar Allen Poe is a well known Gothic literature author that was capable of introducing fear into his readers imagination through the use of three literary devices those being suspense, symbolism and Gothic elements. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" Poe utilizes suspense in order to bring forth fear in his writing. In the story the narrator states "Vigilae Mortuorum secundum Chorum Ecclesiae Maguntinae...the wild ritual of this work...of preserving[Lady Madeline's] corpse"(Poe 304). Now this embeds suspense into the readers thoughts because they in turn understand that the narrator is also in fear of the insanity his friend is experiencing due to the death of his beloved sister. Later in the story the narrator explains a meeting with Roderick Usher stating "his countenance was...wan...a species of mad hilarity in his eyes... evidently[restraining]hysteria"(306). Suspense is yet again brought into the picture with the narrators explanation of Usher. Roderick is described as...
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...Middle Ages and Renaissance Art Western Governor’s University It is interesting how two different artistic periods can compare to each other. When comparing Middle Age art to art of the Renaissance, I find a vast transformation of ideas and mentality between the two eras. The Middle Ages, also called the Medieval period, lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. Christianity, religion and the church played an important role in life in the Middle Ages. Life seemed difficult in the Middle Ages. A vast majority of the population could read or write. The population’s hope was declining and this lead to a strong belief that the next life in heaven would be better than the current life that they were in. The basic government and society in Europe during the middle ages was based around the feudal system. (Eco, U. (1986). Because Christianity played an important role during the Middle Ages, early Christian art icons were popular such as images of Christ, the Virgin Mary or saints. Also popular were illuminated manuscripts that were of a religious nature. Because of the radiant glow created by the gold, silver, and other colors that were used, these handwritten and decorated or painted texts were called illuminations. These were still being created in the Middle Ages. Architecture of the Middle Ages also focused on a Christianity theme. Two...
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...Eng 201 Final Paper 20 April 2015 Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher: Literary Elements Exemplify Gothic Style As the Romantic Movement swept through nineteenth century American literature, Edgar Allan Poe emerged as one of the central literary figures of the Romantic era. Along with other authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Poe’s Romantic style of writings often introduced his readers to the dark side of literature present during the time. As Poe sets out to explore and expose different elements of darkness within humanity, he familiarizes his readers with the experience of fear and horror that are so commonly present throughout his works. As a result of the recurrent themes of fear, horror and mystery that he elicits through his writings, Poe is often credited as one of the most important writers of Gothic fiction, an extension of the romantic style of writing. While most of his works of fiction are told from the perspective of a first person narrator, in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher he implores the use of the peripheral narrator to introduce his readers to the many elements in the story that exemplify his distinctly gothic style. By allowing readers into the mind of the narrator, Poe gives his audience the opportunity to discover, analyze and interpret different key literary devices used to highlight important characteristics that classify the gothic style of writing. Utilizing the peripheral narrators experience with mystery and suspense allows readers...
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...................................................................... 11 - Mary Shelley’s Background .................................................................................................... 12 Women’s Role in Frankenstein ..................................................................................................... 13 Men’s Role in Frankenstein ........................................................................................................... 13 - Women in Society and Women as Writers .................................................................................. 15 - The Status of Women .................................................................................................................. 18 Gothic Novels Exclude Women from the Social Order ................................................................. 20 Good and Bad Science...
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...2015 English 2123 Lisa Nohner A Mother’s Influence Stephen King’s novel, Carrie, is the story of a girl who uncovers her unique ability on her path to womanhood and power. Stephen King wrote his story about Carrie three years after he graduated from college. During the 1970s, while King was in college, he was transformed by the idea of Women’s Liberation and how it would influence both males and females. King used interstitial, grotesque, sexual, gender, power, and violent literary elements with components of the European and American gothic genre to create a Supernatural Horror/Drama that reflected on life during the time period. Carrie White was raised by her widowed mother, Margaret White, on Carlin St. in Chamberlain, Maine during the mid 1970s. Throughout Carrie’s childhood, she was the subject of mental and physical abuse. Her mother and late father, Ralph White, were religious zealots who attempted to conceal Carrie from the outside world. Often times, when Carrie acted out, Margaret would inflict physical pain upon herself and sentence Carrie the closet to punish her for her wrongdoings. The abuse did not stop at home. At the age of 17, Carry had her first menstrual cycle in the girls’ shower of her high school Ewan Consolidated High School. After the girls recognized Carrie’s confusion and panic, they began to collectively ridicule her until Mrs. Desjardin, their instructor could come to Carrie’s aid. On the way home from school that day, Carrie discovered her...
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...Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Is Here?” as a contemporary Gothic ghost story According to the editors of the Prentice-Hall Literature text entitled The American Experience, author Joyce Carol Oates’ discovery of the stories of Ann Radcliff and Edgar Allen Poe “sparked her interest in Gothic fiction” (324). These Gothic elements typically include “bleak or remote settings, macabre or violent incidents, characters in psychological and/or physical torment, supernatural or otherworldly elements, and strong language full of dangerous meanings” (291) . Oates herself is quoted as saying that “Horror is a fact of life. As a writer I’m fascinated by all facets of life” (324). What, exactly, does Oates mean when she says that horror is a fact of life? Do all people fear something, whether rational or not? Why does horror fascinate her enough to write about it? Is it a means for her to confront her own fears, coming to terms with them by giving them names and “faces” as other horror writers also do? Does she use this genre to indirectly address larger social concerns? Is she simply paying tribute to earlier Gothic writers by using elements from the genre or is this the most effective style for her to convey her ideas and duplicate Poe’s notion of the “single effect”? Finally, what is the point behind her short story entitled “Where Is Here?” Who is the mysterious stranger who arrives late in the evening? Why is he there? What lies behind his odd behavior and enigmatic questions...
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