The Bloody Chamber (Angela Carter)
Huang Yanting Farah (03) 02A05 JC 1 Term Three Assignment The Bloody Chamber (Angela Carter) The Gothic is often distinguished by an atmosphere of terror, darkness, mystery, the unexplained and the transgression of boundaries. This essay will attempt to dissect how Angela Carter uses Gothic conventions in the passage taken out of her novel, 'The Bloody Chamber'. One of the most predominant conventions manipulated here is that of a dark and mysterious atmosphere. Throughout the passage the feeling of terror prevails. This is first started by the protagonist's taking of a "forbidden key". This stirs up a feeling of disquiet, as it implies a certain degree of prohibition and disapproval towards her task. She later enforces that her bravery is somewhat foolish ("foolhardiness") giving the reader an ominous feeling. She then mentions a "castle". Its presence contributes to the feeling of mystery as we do not know what lies ahead within this icon of the past. Also, here lies the starting of her description of the "dark" that seems to constantly surround her - "very late", "ill-lit", "absolute darkness", "dim...light". There is an emphasis on the dimness and this makes her environment seem very bleak and unwelcoming. Furthermore, evil is thought to be more rampant and stronger in the twilight. The difficulty in which light penetrates the night can also show how the malevolent
How do you think the novel suggests conflict between "the old centuries" and "mere modernity"? Almost immediately in the novel Stoker emphasises Jonathan's discomfort towards his surroundings of Transylvania,
While imprisoned in Dracula's castle, Jonathan Harker writes in his diary: "...unless my senses deceive me, the old centuries had, and have, powers of their own which mere 'modernity' cannot kill" Considering in detail one or two passages, how do you think the novel suggests conflict between "the old centuries" and "mere modernity"? Almost immediately in the novel Stoker emphasises Jonathan's discomfort towards his surroundings of Transylvania, and especially Dracula's castle. This notion is established even prior to his imprisonment, shown when Jonathan is on his way to the castle, saying "I felt a strange chill, and a lonely feeling came over me". The overall effect is accentuated further due to the reactions of the local people regarding Dracula, as they bless him and cross themselves. However, it is the quote (above) referring to "the old centuries" and "mere modernity" which is exceptionally significant, presenting a key theme in the novel. Here, Jonathan voices one of the central concerns of the novel, and the overall Victorian society itself. The end of the nineteenth century brought with it developments that forced England to question the systems of belief that had governed it for centuries. Darwin's theory of evolution was an example of this, as it challenged many aspects of religion, a crucial element within the society. Likewise, the Industrial Revolution
Dracula Appropriation
Dracula Appropriation Bram Stoker's Dracula is the famous 19th century novel that started the phenomenon that was the vampire genre. Many authors have expanded on the vampire genre, adding their own ideas to the legend. Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire and Francis Ford Coppola's 'Dracula' are only two such appropriations of the original Dracula. Some major values that appear in these texts are that of good versus evil, the nature of religion and the role of women. During the Victorian era, many people had a 'black and white' view of good and evil. Stoker represents this in his novel through the creation of the monster that is Dracula. The novel is written in first person accounts from all the characters except Dracula himself, creating a menacing and foreboding feeling as the characters and the readers both uncertain in the true nature of Dracula. To add to this, Bram Stoker creates the monster that is Dracula in the first few chapters emphasised by the accounts of Harker "A terrible desire came upon me to rid the world of such a monster". Small occurrences lead the reader to believe that Dracula is evil such as the time when Dracula gives the baby to the three female vampires "there was a gasp and a low wail, as a half-smothered child...I was aghast with horror". This scene shows the evil in Dracula, and the absence of any human emotions. There is not only a fear of the
Consider how the theme of light and darkness is used to good effect in 'Dracula'. Consider the use of language and imagery, how this theme relates to other themes within the novel.
Consider how the theme of light and darkness is used to good effect in 'Dracula'. Consider the use of language and imagery, how this theme relates to other themes within the novel. The theme of light and darkness is used to good effect in 'Dracula' through many ways. When considering light and darkness as an ongoing competitive battle it is possible in 'Dracula' to incorporate themes of 'day and night' as well as 'life and death' and 'right and wrong' as they all share similarities in contrast. It has been argued and said that stoker did not believe in the opinion of extremes meaning he liked to incorporate the idea that something is neither 'black nor white' but possibly grey. In Dracula there are good characters and evil characters but you could also argue that certain ones are neither and stuck between both extremes, this is another way that shows stoker prospect of not agreeing with extremes. Firstly there is an obvious element which is present of life VS death within the novel, this contrast is shown through the characters, language and imagery. Light and Dark is shown through life Vs death and day VS night. One point contained in the novel that suggests a contrast between the two extremes is that it is only during the night, when supernatural, strange things occur in contrast to daytime when nothing seems to go wrong. When Lucy is bitten she acts as a human, during
Taking The Castle of Otranto as your example, outline the main conventions of the Gothic novel, and show how your knowledge of
Taking The Castle of Otranto as your example, outline the main conventions of the Gothic novel, and show how your knowledge of these conventions affects your reading of Northanger Abbey. Is Northanger Abbey most accurately described as parody of the Gothic genre, or is there a more complicated relationship going on? Gothic novels purport to revive old stories and beliefs, exploring personal, psychical encounters with the taboo (Williams, 2000). The genre, as typified by The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, involves a beautiful innocent young woman who is held captive by an older, powerful, evil man in his large, ancient and gloomy residence for his own lustful purposes and who escapes, with the aid of supernatural manifestations, errors caused by "false surmises and conjectures based on partial narratives" (Hoeveler, 1995, p127) and a handsome young hero. Walpole's novel centers around the tyrant where the female writers in the genre, for example, Ann Radcliffe, focus more on the female victim and what she is thinking and feeling, exploring women's anxieties about their lack of control of their feelings, their bodies, and their property, and their desire for something far more extraordinary and exciting than simply to be a domestic woman. The use of the supernatural by Walpole is so frequent and monstrous as to excite laughter rather than terror but for Radcliffe and
How Effective is the Tomb of Sarah as a piece of Gothic Horror?
How Effective is the Tomb of Sarah as a piece of Gothic Horror? The Gothic genre is a style which existed for two hundred years and still lives on in modern literature. It is a period which incorporated vampires, witches, ghosts and other superstitions into real life and aimed to scare. The mode changed and modernised throughout the years to include the disintegration of order and the fears and desires of man, mirroring the worries of society in the period. All these techniques displayed many classic conventions which are usually easy to distinguish. The "Tomb of Sarah" is a piece from the Gothic which exhibits many of these features, bringing good and evil together in the mortal world. Vampires were figures beyond scientific or natural explanation and with their nocturnal existence and indiscriminate desires seemed a particular sexual threat to cultural value: venereal disease threatened family, society and culture. Loring uses conventional methods in setting, characters and language to create a frightening effect. A story that is not so conventional but is nonetheless a piece of Gothic is The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe. Poe is an author whose stories best illustrate the distortions of the imagination: his chilling Gothic settings with their gloom, decay and extravagance reflect the diseased minds of the characters. Human desires and neuroses are portrayed in
In What Ways Are The Conventions Of Gothic Fiction Shown In The Texts You Have Studied
In What Ways Are The Conventions Of Gothic Fiction Shown In The Texts You Have Studied Stories of the gothic fiction genre first began to be written in the late 18th century to the early 19th century, the genre was very popular from the 1760's through to the 1820's. Famous authors from this time include Mary Shelley, whom wrote Frankenstein. However the genre of gothic fiction is still popular today, which is shown by famous authors such as Stephen King, that have written many stories within the gothic fiction genre. Gothic Fiction is mostly considered to be horror writing, with tales of murder and mystery, to scare the reader and often have supernatural links or instances. The supernatural instances are often reflected within the conventions of gothic fiction, usually the "evil" characters have a "supernatural" appearance. The conventions of gothic fiction are; Isolation, Setting and Atmosphere, Superstition, Character and Good versus Evil. The two stories that these conventions were investigated in were "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley and "The Vampire Of Kaldenstein" by Frederick Cowles. The convention of Isolation plays a big part in stories of the Gothic Fiction Genre, the main character, or the "hero" of the story is often either emotionally ("not a particularly sociable kind of person" - The Vampire Of Kaldenstein.) or physically ("...wandering the more remote parts
How does the writer create an atmosphere of fear and horror in the opening chapters of Dracula?
How does the writer create an atmosphere of fear and horror in the opening chapters of Dracula? One of the ways in which Stoker creates an atmosphere of fear and horror is through character. A young naïve inexperienced traveller is going to meet a man known as the Count. He is travelling in the "horseshoe of the Carpathians" where every known superstition is gathered in "some sort of imaginative whirlpool". There is an irony in the fact that Jonathan is calm at the beginning of the novel yet he has no idea what is in store for him. As Jonathan gets closer to the Borgo Pass and the Count's castle, the more his nerves start to shake. He is also unsettled by the fact that his host from the hotel that he is staying at begs him not to leave. This reveals that the night that he is leaving is the night when "all the evil things in the world will have full sway" and leads Jonathan to feel very uneasy. The night before he had "had all sorts of queer dreams" of a dog howling. This is a disturbing dream and relates to the howling of dogs and wolves later on in the novel when the wolves are circling the carriage with "lolling red tongues", this depicts danger and is emphasised when a "paralysis of fear" over comes Jonathan. His suspicions are aroused again as when he is setting off from his hotel. All the guests gathered outside guard him "against the evil eye". Jonathan is
How are genre and narrative established in the opening Scenes of Dracula?
How are genre and narrative established in the opening? Scenes of Dracula Through out this scene there is music. The music in this play sounds spooky and unusual; this creates a strong tension though out the scene. The music builds up and down in certain places, the violin and cello add to the effect of the dramatic build up in this scene so if there is a dramatic part it is more likely that the music will be louder. At the beginning of the scene you have a view of the cross on the top of a huge dome falling and hitting the ground. As this happens a cloud of dust rises so high it reaches the top of the dome. Then Muslim's sign appears on a rod and sweeps across a map heading to Romania this could show the fall of Christianity, which is under threat from the Muslim's. The next thing that happens in the scene is that Dracula has to say goodbye to his wife Elizabetha: this is the part of the scene when you feel for Elizabtha as see does not no if Dracula is going to come back or not. This is when Elizabetha gets upset because Dracula has to go to war and she might not see him ever again. At this point the doors swing open and Dracula's men are there waiting there ready to go to war. I think this is a pivotal moment in the scene because if Dracula hadn't gone to war Elizabetha would not have killed herself. In this scene the lighting is very effective; it disguises the
How effective is the “Tomb of Sarah” as a Gothic Horror story?
How effective is the "Tomb of Sarah" as a Gothic Horror story? Standard Gothic Horror stories often incorporate many factors designed to create fear and suspense in the reader. These can include many features comprising of: old legends, mythical beasts and courageous heroes. The "Tomb of Sarah" is the story focussing around the life of a church restorer who faces an unusual case when he must move a tomb 10 feet southward. Strange events start to occur, including dogs howling for periods of time, mysterious fog rises and sheep disappear. We find out for certain that this is the work of a vampire, the "Countess Sarah". It eventually takes the Heroic efforts of Harry the church restorer and the rector, to prevent the arising of this evil force and to stop her from spreading her evil. The reason that the "Tomb of Sarah" is so effective as a Gothic Horror story is because of its in inkeeping with the Gothic Horror genre. We have the Hero of the story, who we know only as "Harry". He is a very distinguished gentleman, who is well respected and enjoys what he does. As the events unfold Harry is very rational and calm in his manner. When confronted with the evidence of localised fog and strange dogs synchronously howling, as well as viewing the corpse he simply decides to investigate further and posses more evidence before he confronts the rector or anyone else with his
