Gothic Literature - Context (AO3)

Dates of pre-gothic

pre-1760s

Features of Pre-gothic

Used many gothic tropes but not yet recognised as gothic

Pre-gothic texts

Hamlet (1601), Macbeth (1605)

Dates of Early Gothic

1760s-1790s

Features of Early Gothic

Basic tropes;

• horror, terror

• weak females, violent males

• sexual desire

• eerie setting

• allusions to the supernatural

Early Gothic Texts

The Castle of Otranto - Walpole (1764) supernatural forces, damsel in distress (Matilda - daughter of villainous Manfred, and Isabella), in an ancient haunted Italian castle

Dates of High Gothic (Romantic Era)

1790s-1810s

Features of High Gothic (Romantic Era)

• Sexual desire is very prominent including transgressions; rape, incest, sodomy, destructions of virginity.

• Radcliffe stated ‘the female gothic’ - later developed by Carter

High Gothic Texts (Romantic Era)

The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe (1794) gothic romance set in Italian castle and main charatcer emily frequently under threat of being attacked or raped

The Monk - Mathew Lewis (1796) touches on contraversial themes for the time. The pressure of being a monk → character committing rape and breaking his vows

Dates of Late Gothic (Romantic Era)

1810s-1840s

Features of Late gothic (Romantic Era)

Excessive stereotypes and absurdities of traditional gothic. Parody become common

Late Gothic Texts (Romantic Era)

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen (1818)’gothic parody’ making satire of the conventions of gothic literature that were common at the time.e.g Catherine opens mysterious cabinet only with find laundry bills. Focus on psychological interior of the character

Frankenstein - Shelley (1818)supernatural, playing on fears of science, gothic settings, scientific overreach

Dates of post-gothic (Victorian Gothic)

1840s-1880s

Features of Post-Gothic(Victorian Gothic)

• Cheap short thrills for victorian readers

• detectives, criminals

• supernatural

• domestic gothic ideas e.g in the home, high society. Marriage, domesticity and femininity being forms of entrapment

Post Gothic (Victorian Gothic) Texts

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (1847) supernatural, ominous castle, threats to women, full of secrets

Carmilla - Joseph Le Fanu (1871) one of first books to depict female vampire

Dates of Post Gothic (Fin de siècle)

1880s-1900

Features of Post Gothic (Fin de siècle)

• Highly psychological

• Using Freud’s concept of the id

• commenting on victorian society

Post Gothic (Fin de siècle) texts

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Stevenson (1886) scientific overreach, isolation, doppelgängers

The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde (1890) - doppelgängers

Dracula - Stoker (1897) - female sexuality, supernatural

Dates of Southern Gothic (American Gothic)

post WW2 - present day

Features of Southern Gothic (American Gothic)

• Places gothic ideas in south USA

• Ghosts of slavery, colonialism and civil war

• Decay in society and humanity

Southern Gothic (American Gothic) texts

A Streetcar Named Desire - Williams (1947)

Beloved - Morrison (1987)

Dates of Postmodern Gothic (British Gothic)

1950s-present day

Features of Postmodern Gothic (British Gothic)

• to Paraody and pastiche gothic literature

• elements of feminist gothic

Postmodern Gothic (British Gothic) texts

The Bloody Chamber and Other Short Stories - Carter (1979)

Dates of Neo-gothic

1980s-present day

Features of Neo-gothic

• rival of classic gothic

• uses old tropes

• common in film and TV

Neo-gothic Texts

• The Woman in Black -Susan Hill (1983)

• Twilight - Stephanie Meyer (2005-2008)

When was The Bloody Chamber Published?

1979

When was Angela Carter born?

1940

Why did Carter use Fairytales?

she deconstructs these fairytales → exploring themes of empowerment, sexuality and power

What kinds of feminism are prominent in TBC?

Liberal Feminism - genders are equal and there should be no disparity between men and women. Seen in TTB the girl stays with the beast not go back to father

Radical Feminism - Removing gender binary no masculine and feminine traits. Giving women voices. Carter tells the stories through women’s perspective. And mother taking masculine role in TBC

What relevance does Margaret Thatcher have?

First female PM in 1979, first female leader of political party 1975

In 1970s what was the average gender pay gap?

40%

How does TTB show reflection in changing attitudes towards women?

Women were given increasingly more opportunities e.g applying for med and law school

What is the significance of the Victorian version of Little Red Riding Hood? How does this link to Carter?

Introduced character of the woodcutter, not believing women could save themselves as was written before the Victorian era.

Carter doesn’t use a woodcutter in the Werewolf, the girl can prosper without the protection of a man

When was Lady Chatterly’s lover written? Why was it banned? When was the ban lifted?

It was written in 1928, banned for obscenity and graphic sex scenes until 1960 (only 19 years before TBC was published)

When was Daphne du Maurier born?

1907

When was Rebecca published?

1938

What was the possible inspiration for Manderley and the novel rebecca as a whole?

Du Maurier’s home on the cornish coast caled Menabilly - where she spent most of her married life.

It the novel is also possibly a representation of her own turbulent married life with Frederick Browning

What kind of background did she come from?

Upper class privileged household - perhpas why the novel is largely uncritical of the upper class, although does make a comment of their propensity for facades.

What novel is Rebecca frequently compared to and why?

Jane Eyre - orphaned protagonist, eerie presence of former wife, distant leading man, grand isolated house

The Character of Rebecca could be seen as a …

Femme Fatal

What was AC’s relationship like with her mother?

Her mother babied and controlled her →in her teens AC rebelling e.g Swearing and marching in campaigns for nuclear disarmement

Who did AC marry when she was 20? What was this relationship like?

Paul Carter - beatnik

• Become a housewife, imprisoned in a way, very unhappy marriage

How could you link Paul Carter to TBC or Rebecca?

Link Controlling males

• The Erl King

• Maxim in Rebecca

Explain the sigificance of AC’s book ‘The Magic Toy Shop’?

• About a girl sent to live with sadistic Uncle, puppet maker

• Said the Uncle was inspired by Paul

  • Written during one of Pauls’ depressive episodes in 1965

How did she escape her marriage with Paul?

Used literature (wrote a novel a year during their relationship)

What happened to AC in Japan? When did she go?

1969

• Met a Japanese author → her leaving Paul

• This writer was unfaithful to her

• She worked in a bar were she served Jp businessmen like babies - shows disturbing patriarchal society

What Japanese Theatre style was AC intrigued by?

Kabuki - Men play women, fabricated femininity

How many women’s lib groups were there in Br in 1973?

over 60

What key publishing company was significant for AC?

1973 Virago - aim to publish women’s literature

AC was the first writer Virago commissioned → ‘The Sadien Women’

What was the influence for ‘The Sadien Women’? How was it controversial?

Marquis de Sade’s characters - French writer imprisoned for Sex crimes and known for degradation of women

Women’s lib not approving of AC appreciation for Sade but she like the transgressive nature of him and using the characters to inspire empowerment of female sexuality and equality

Who was AC life partner? How old were they both when they met? How was their relationship unconventional?

Mark Pearce - he was 19, she was 34

• unconventional age gap with woman older

• He did many house chores

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How was Mark Pearce represented in TBC?

In the Erl King his physical features depicted but not his other characteristics (their more link Paul Carter)

How did people at the time view AC vs how did she see herself?

Viewed as “fantacist” but she though of herself as “deeply political”