Gothic Settings And Imagery In Gothic Literature

Question Two:

The settings and imagery in gothic in gothic fiction make monstrous characters more frightening than they would be otherwise.

Since medieval era, gothic is well known as a fiction which always had been connected with mystery, darkness, and past. Thus, gothic was associated with old religious and often using the old building for the settings. Furthermore, setting is one of the most important parts in a story because settings can build an atmosphere and communicate with the reader. Usually, gothic stories use cemeteries and old castles as the place setting and for the time setting, gothic story usually at night or in dark places. On the other hand, imagery also often used to clarify the circumstances of how creepy the situation

and the character also show the innocent of the victim. This essay argues that settings and imagery are one of the most important sections in every story because both of it can explain and describe the situation and the character. Therefore, this essay will explain about the settings, imagery, and the gothic tropes in a Varney the Vampyre’s story and Dr. Jekyll and Hyde’s story.

The settings in the story have an important role to describe a situation and a characters.

In the first chapter in the Varney the Vampyre’s story is written with the sentence “MIDNIGHT.-THE HAIL-STORM” (Rymer, 1845 : p.1) denotes that the time settings in the story happened at midnight and followed by an ice storm ; it shows a gripping and frightening situation. Followed by the next paragraph, “[t]he solemn tones of an old cathedral clock” (p.1) describe a past situation which related to old religious especially catholic. Furthermore, the phrase “… the storm raged! Hail-rain-wind. It was, in very truth, an awful night” (p.1) wanted to clarify it happened in a silent night and only the sound of thunderstorm at that time. Thus, the words of ‘storm,’rain,’hail,’wind,’ and ‘awful night’ are repeated continuously to symbolize how severe the weather and wanted to show a creepy and tense circumstances. Moreover, ‘ancient house’ (p.1) and ‘a girl young and beautiful’ (p.2) denotes a girl who not protected of the uncivilized world, on the other hand it also connected with the phrase “[w]ho sleeps now in that ancient city? Not one living soul” (p.2); this possible connotation is that the setting is in an isolated place. Likewise, the phrase “[a]nother flash— a wild, blue, bewildering flash of lightning streams across that bay window, for an instant bringing out every color in it with terrible” (p.2) describe the settings that makes the vampire more

frightening.

Furthermore, the imagery in the story also the one of important roles to strengthen the character’s personality. The phrase “THE DREADFUL VISITOR.-THE VAMPIRE” symbolize a monstrous figure which called a vampire. Thus, “[t]he eyes look like polished tin; the lips are drawn back, … the dreadful eyes is the teeth… hideously, glaringly white, and fang-like” (p.3) is an imagery how the vampire looks like; sharp gaze eyes, black lips,and teeth that would pounce; and show monstrous the vampire. Equally important, there is a gothic trope in the story, it is past and present. The gothic trope symbolize vampire as the past and the girl as a present. However it has another meaning, the girl wanted to revenge to the vampire because she believes that the vampire has ruined her life and her future. The gothic trope also proved with the phrase “ the memory for a lifetime… the happiest moments, and turn them to bitterness” (p.3) which means that there is no hope for her future life.

Asides from Varney the Vampyre, in The Strange Case of Dr.

Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the settings show the characteristic of the figure and the situation in the story. Mostly, the time settings in the story is happened on the night. Furthermore, the phrase “founded in a similar catholicity” (Stevenson, 1886 : p.4) symbolize the setting have a relation with catholic religion where it became a contrast in a gothic story. Moreover, there is a “[b]lack-Mail House” (p.8) which has something hidden in it and very risky if entered into the house ; the house is inhabited by a strange man called Mr. Hyde. On the other hand, the phrase “[r]ound the corner from the by-street, there was a square of ancient,… at the door of this, which wore a great air of wealth and comfort … though it was now plunged in darkness except for the fan-light” (p.20) expound the house was located away from the crowds, with ancient building, and it also equipped with an aura that brings the atmosphere of wealth and comfort; “though it was now plunged in darkness except for the fan-light” clarify the situation of darkness and it only equipped with a dim light. Therefore, it makes a situation more frightening. While Mr. Utterson and Mr.Enfield saw Dr. Jekyll on the window, the phrase “the smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair” expound the expression of Dr.Jekyll when he transformed into a monstrous character which made Mr.Utterson and Mr. Enfield turned

“pale and an answering horror in their eyes” (p. 46). Thus, the other setting in this story is laboratory because Dr.Jekyll made the potion in his laboratory and the potion made a monstrous character in the whole story.

Imagery is quite important to understand the plot in the story. Mr. Hyde was described as a “definite presentment of a fiend” (Stevenson, 1886: p. 13) which means he likes to do evil things. The phrase “[i]t wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned juggernaut” (p. 6) expound that Mr. Hyde did not care about everything around him and he seems not like a man, however, like a monster. Likewise, “[a]nd next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway. At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted.” (p. 27) symbolism of Mr. Hyde character which his behavior did not humane but rather like a vicious monsters; the words ‘with ape-like fury’ connote Mr. Hyde like an ape which was a primitive creature. No less important, there is a gothic trope such as scientific and modern. In the story, ‘scientific’ denotes a potion that Dr. Jekyll used to transform to Mr.Hyde, on the other hand, ‘modern’ explain London society in the Victorian era.

In conclusion, settings and imagery are important roles in a gothic story. Settings in the gothic story can explain how is the situation and the character in the story and also bring the atmosphere to the reader. Both of story above, uses the setting during midnight and old building. On the other hand, there is a second important role in the gothic story, specifically imagery. Imagery has an allure for the reader. In the story above, they have a similar how they uses the imagery for denotes the character the vampire also Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The setting and imagery in this story have a power to strengthen the character and the situation.