Gothic Literature
Mini Assignment
Compare and contrast the way the writers use plot, character and
setting to increase tension and atmosphere in the opening chapter of
‘Varney the Vampire’ and ‘Dracula’.
Both ‘Varney the Vampire’ and ‘Dracula’ create a tense and suspenseful
atmosphere in their opening chapters as the typically gothic language
(“solemn tones”, “air thick and heavy”) and imagery immediately
incites in the reader a sense of foreboding and unease. This is
particularly true of a modern audience familiar with the conventions
of the genre; the old castles adorned with “curious carvings” and the
dank, dark settings of musty “antique chambers” in ‘Varney the
Vampire’ are highly suggestive of imminent encounters with
unimaginable evil. Stoker echoes these conventions as he juxtaposes
the familiar backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains with the unnerving
superstitions of the local peasants; these strong supernatural
elements continue as Harker travels along the murky and desolate
mountain pass (“weird and solemn”) with alarming haste and endures a
terrifying ride to Dracula’s “vast ruined castle”, leaving the reader
with a feeling of doom and dread, eager to read on.
‘Varney’ opens with a very “ominous calm” immediately followed by an
all-consuming storm which invades the solitude and stillness of sleep;
the town is untimely awoken by this but return to sleep unaware of the
menacing figure looming over the girl’s window; this pathetic fallacy
alerts the reader to the horror about to be unleashed and heightens
the tension as his victim remains innocently oblivious to his
presence. The rich attention to detail in the descriptions of both
the storm and the room prolongs the tension as the sinist...
... middle of paper ...
... writing it, but his accurate and detailed memory of each mysterious
sound, temperature and smell of the journey illustrates how deeply he
must have been affected by events. His devotion to his dear fiancée
Mina, a quintessential Victorian woman embodying all the morals and
ideals of the age (purity, obedience to males, respect, politeness) is
presented as a beautiful and mutual love, pure and enduring; a
complete contrast to the erotic imagery used to describe the “bed in
much confusion” as the girl tosses and turns restlessly in ‘Varney’.
The scene is very clumsy and chaotic, almost as if she might fall out
of the bed at any second; this suggestion of a loss of innocence and
the “world of witchery” in her mouth make her more susceptible to the
wiles of the Undead, whilst from Jonathon’s descriptions at least, we
presume that Mina will retain her purity.
Texts are a representation of their context and this is evident in Robert Stevenson’s novella: “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, where many values of late nineteenth century Victorian England values were reflected through the themes of the novel using language and structural features. These values included: technological advances, reputation and masculinity and are demonstrated in the text through literary and structure devices as well as the characterisation of the main character.
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll, in grave danger, writes a letter to his good friend Lanyon. With Jekyll’s fate in Lanyon’s hands, he requests the completion of a task, laying out specific directions for Lanyon to address the urgency of the matter. In desperation, Jekyll reveals the possible consequences of not completing this task through the use of emotional appeals, drawing from his longtime friendship with Lanyon, to the fear and guilt he might feel if he fails at succeeding at this task. Through Jekyll’s serious and urgent tone, it is revealed that his situation is a matter of life and death in which only Lanyon can determine the outcome.
In this essay on the story of Jekyll and Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson I will try to unravel the true meaning of the book and get inside the characters in the story created by Stevenson. A story of a man battling with his double personality.
The definition of a hero is subjective. Accordingly, Robert Ray believes the hero is able to be divided into three categories: the outlaw, official and composite hero. In most cases, a hero can be categorized into one of these categories. Through the examination of Jekyll and Hyde, the Batman movie from 1943, and film of Batman in 1989, qualities of the hero will be depicted as a function of time.
These are just a few ways of how the NFL has changed into the game it is today. Although I didn’t cover a lot of the other years I covered the starting years that got this show on the road. Most of the things I talked about in this paper are still in use today so that means that that transformed the game into the game it is today.
The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a confusing and perplexing one. R.L. Stevenson uses the devices of foreshadow and irony to subtly cast hints to the reader as to who Mr. Hyde is and where the plot will move. Stevenson foreshadows the events of the book through his delicate hints with objects and words. Irony is demonstrated through the names of characters, the names display to the reader how the character will fit into the novel. These two literary devices engage the readers; they employ a sense of mystery while leading the readers to the answer without them realizing the depth of each indirect detail.
The NFL has become the most popular sport in the United States. It is watched my millions every weekend. The NFL is only growing in popularity. With new fans joining the fun every day. The NFL has faced its share of problems too. With concussions scaring away many future players, the NFL is hoping to lower the possibility of concussions in the future. Each NFL team plays a total of 16 games over a span of 17 weeks. There are two conferences in the NFL, the AFC and the NFC. There are four divisions in each conference, each with 4 teams. The playoff teams are decided by the division rankings. The winner of each division makes the playoffs, with the two best 2nd place teams making it in as a wild card.
Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu’s texts, Dracula (1898) and “Carmilla” (1872), use gothic tropes in similar ways to captivate readers with horror and terror. This essay will illustrate how, in comparison, both texts include gothic tropes: the New Woman, sexuality and setting, in order to provoke emotions and reactions from the readers. To achieve this, this essay will focus on the women that challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes, and deconstruct each text in regards to the very strong undertones of homosexuality; specifically between Carmilla and Laura, and Dracula and Harker. By discussing the harshness and darkness of the environments described, including ruined castles and isolated landscapes; this essay will also explore the
Mr. Hyde and Dorian Gray are characters that nearly match each other in their symbolism and manner. However, it is the key differences that make them remarkably interesting as a pair. They symbolize the battles between good and evil, though they have differing interpretations of morality.
Spencer, Kathleen L. “Purity and Danger: Dracula, The Urban Gothic, and the Late Victorian Degeneracy Crisis.” English Literary History 59.1 (1992): 197-226
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, the dual nature of man is a main theme. Jekyll says: "Man is not /truly one, but truly two"(125), meaning all people have both a good and a bad side. Dr. Jekyll creates a potion to fully separate good and evil, but instead it awakens a dormant character, Mr. Hyde. Throughout the novel, Stevenson uses society, control, and symbolism to tell the reader about human nature.
The National Football League (NFL) has been a staple on Sunday’s in America homes for quiet sometime. It provides excitement and generates billion’s of dollars, but what I told you that this league may lose viewers or even not exist in a few years. The NFL is a great brand, but what is potentially going up against may have you scratching your head as a parent to let your child even take a snap early in his football career if not taken care of.
Dracula by Bram Stoker is an authentic Gothic novel that manages to hit on every Gothic literature aspect. Gothic literature is usually set in an isolated setting and has a dark, mysterious, and evil tone. In this type of literature, there are usually dark castles, palaces, presences of supernatural beings, and religion. The book Dracula is about a Count from Transylvania that goes to London in search of new victims and a group of Victorian citizens who end up defeating him and his evil ways. The use of setting and atmosphere in Dracula is filled with a world full of mystery and fear. Bram Stoker manages to capture the Gothic element with his use of castles, symbols, and isolated setting.
Gothic imagery and themes include castles, coffins, monsters and strange lands and pose the background of the classic Gothic novel. The Gothic element is synonymous with the horror and uncanny- a feeling rather than form, in which transgression is the central topic (Wisker 7). The vampire is a figure that transgresses society’s limits to form the central dynamic of the Gothic. “We enjoy seeing the limit transgressed- it horrifies us and reinforces our sense of boundaries and normalcy” (Halberstam 13). Assuming that Bram Stoker’s Dracula sets the archetype of the vampire, it is clear that modern vampires have demonstrated a decrease in the Gothic horror despite similarities in the Gothic imagery
Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde I have been reading the book Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The book was written by Robert Louis Stevens on during in the 19th century. This book was written during a time where Victorian society had a lot of strong moral values. These codes were very strict and controlled every aspect of the Victorian lifestyle. People in these times believed to settle things verbally rather than aggression so fighting was looked down upon.