English Essay Gothic Literature

Question: Discuss about theEnglish Essayfor Gothic Literature. Answer: Introduction Gothic literature can be described as the literature using the combination of grotesque, supernatural and absurd features as the primary driving force of the plot. Furthermore, it can be said that the physical features of the gothic elements are not put randomly in the congregation of the meaningless calamity and obscenity; rather the features are put after a clever calculation in order to convey the symbolism in the plot to the readers. The words and the physical features chosen for the characters in a gothic novella contribute to the blending of the ideas of the familiar and the exotic ones. The primary motif of Gothic literature is to deal with the horror, mystery and evil like it can be seen in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and in the chapter one of Varney the Vampire. Following the motifs of gothic culture, the characters and the symbols became a possible way of conveying the theme to the audience. Both the novels have used gothic styles and also the physical gothi c features of the characters to convey the mysterious and dark connotations to the readers. Discussion Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde beautifully depicts the relationship between the Victorian Gothic and the scientific discourse. The story revolves around the mental situation split personality where inside one person, two personalities with differing characteristics reside, which is distinctly described in the novel with the different physical appearances of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. However, the novel was written before the psychological definition of split personality being established, therefore it appears to be influenced by the gothic characteristics and the predominant scientific theories in the late Victorian age. In this novel, the clear distinction between the physical appearances of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde link it to the gothic theme of mystery and atavistic behaviour. In this era, the scientific texts on anthropology, psychology and human behaviour had appeared to have merged with the fictional gothic literature. The most predominan t element in The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is atavism, a theory developed by Cesare Lombroso. The theory gives rise to the fears of regressions which ideates that as humans have evolved from their individual primitive forms, therefore potentially they might return to that basic state and surrender to the primitive urges. Therefore, the atavistic behaviour is associated with the sense of criminality and represents transgressions like murder and violence which will further shatters the idea of standard Victorian forms of behaviour. This theory seems to have greatly influenced Stevensons novel and it is predominantly visible in the physical features of the characters. The dwarfish, unsettling manifestation of Edward Hyde and the violent and aggressive behaviour of his, defines the atavistic traits in this novel. The physical appearance of Mr. Hyde is a representation of dwarfism. Following the trend in the Victorian era, the theory of Anthropological Criminology is strong ly reinforced in the plot and believed by the readers of the era. Hence due to this mindset the readers would naturally think that the character is a criminal based on his physical appearance. Furthermore, also in Varney the Vampire, the portrayal of the supernatural vampire in the chapter one, also adheres to the theory of atavism and breaks the idea of standardized Victorian behaviour. The theme of doubling has also been used to represent the significant aspects of the symbolic role. The theme depicts the idea of duplicity of lives or copying others lives and leading a life of Doppelganger. This gets exposed to the when the horrendous transformation of Mr Jekyll in the atavistic criminal Hyde take place. The idea of both the men being revealed to the same person shows the generation of the transformation from the fear of regression. The depiction of a respectable man Dr. Jekyll being competent of the dreadful behaviour of Mr. Hyde is the indication of Stevensons manipulation of the Social fears and anxieties of Victorian era. It breaks the surface of the class concerned respectability which controlled the life styles of the respectable section of the society. As demonstrated in the novel, it is necessary to improvise that not only the working class of the society living in the slum area, but also the wealthy, educated, apparently decent people of the society are al so capable of committing serious crimes. The doubling theme has been symbolised throughout the novel. The London city being split into two, where at one side Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll and their contemporaries stay and work is represented as the educated and wealthy area. It is identifiable in referral of Mr. Utterson to the Cavendis Square, where Dr. Lanyon stays, as that citadel of medicine. In contrast to that, another side of the city is indicated by the district of Soho, the slum area of London, which signified the atavistic playground in the novella. Assumedly Mr Hyde has a detestable appearance and has a house in the district where the aggressive behaviours go entirely unnoticed and unquestioned. This is a clear illustration for showing the theme doubling. The front part of the house of Dr. Jekyll has presented a great air of wealth and comfort. In the meantime Mr. Hyde is seen to enter building that exhibits the air of prolonged and sordid negligence. As the narrative provokes disgust about the physical appearance of Mr. Hyde, he is depicted as troglodytic, ape like, and hardly human. The gothic physical feature in the depiction of fashion shows how Stevenson has related it to the doubling theme. As Mr. Enfield, who is a distant relative of Mr. Utterson and a well known man in the town, has observed the appearance of Mr. Hyde as There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. The doubled appearances were shown to show the degeneration of the standardized behaviour of that era. Another physical feature of gothic literature, the gigantic size of the supernatural elements finds its relationship with the symbolism of the plot. This feature of the Victorian era is defined in the chapter one of Varney the Vampire, where the plot suggests the huge element entering a young girls room. The chapter one of the novel, Varney the vampire, opens with the depiction of the hailing midnight and it introduces a huge supernatural being. The supernatural is the primary element of the gothic culture and mostly the extremely large physical features indicates its relationship with the symbolic role. Relying upon the imaginary supernatural element or invoking directly the supernatural gigantic feature is a dominant physical feature of the gothic literature and this novel is no exception to it, "What -- what was it?" she gasped; "real or delusion?... A figure tall and gaunt, endeavouring from the outside to unclasp the window." The fundamental formula of the entering of the vampir e and biting the neck of a young girl has been one of the famous plot clichs to depict the idea of supernatural in the Victorian era. While the supernatural element has maintained to keep a steady foothold in the literature, the huge physical features have been more prevalent in the plot of the novel. Horror is another physical trait of the gothic era, which is represented in both the novels, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Varney the Vampire with scary physical features of the characters. In the former novel the author intensifies the theme of horror focusing on the character of Mr. Hyde. The detailed establishment of the setting indicating the locked doors, foggy streets of London, the mysterious laboratories, dirty appearance of Mr. Hyde has contributed to the establishment of the theme. In chapter one of Varney the Vampire, the author describes an old house where the young lady is sleeping, with the dramatic reading Was that lightning? Yes -- an awful, vivid, terrifying flash... Who sleeps now in that ancient city? the author made it sound like a horror picture show. Also, the authors depiction of the hailing stormy night and the huge supernatural element has established the scare physical features that were prevalent in the novels of Victorian era. Conclusion Supernatural elements, portrayal of the doppelganger of an existing character help the readers to understand the gothic theme of the literature better. The gothic era has invoked the elements of suspense, mystery and gloom and has a tendency to portray the terrors. Both the novels have successfully invokes the physical gothic features of the characters and revealed the significant aspects of the symbolism in the plot. Bibliography Prest, T (n.d). Varney the Vampire. 1st ed. Stevenson, R (n.d). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 1st ed.