4/29/2015 WRITING STYLE WRITING STYLE QUICK-WRITE INTRODUCTION TO THE GOTHIC GENRE: HISTORY THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT

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1 QUICK-WRITE GOTHIC NOVELS UNIT Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Dracula by Bram Stoker Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Think About It: Horror is a pervading intoxication. We, as humans, are intrigued by the supernatural, the grotesque, as well as exciting bone-chilling narratives and the macabre. Let us consider today s pop cultural hits: Saw, Paranormal Activity, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Teen Werewolf. Why? Why are we so drawn to feelings of horror, suspense, dread and darkness? Write It: In your Gothic Genre - Guided Notes handout, flip to the second-to-last page. Complete the Agree / Disagree activity now. INTRODUCTION TO THE GOTHIC GENRE: HISTORY : Enlightenment/ Age of Reason : Romanticism a response to/reaction against the objectivity of scientific reason focus on imagination and emotion a response/reaction to the development of industry admiration and reverence for the natural world : Victorian Era improved transportation, communication, and industry increasing urban population = increase in poverty growing middle class = worker s rights social norms: order and rationality THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT natural feelings/emotion > rationale/reason imagination > societal rules/norms intuition > science individual > society a focus on the common man, individualism, and freedom from oppression and subjugation the creative spirit is more important than mainstream tradition love and respect of nature, of the Sublime Gothic novels: were developed during the Romantic Movement and Romantic Literary Period and share some of these common themes and traits, although they were often inspired by the setting and mood of Medieval literature. The writing style of any genre of literature and any particular author is characterized by nuances in the following categories, otherwise referred to by your English teachers as DIDLS: Diction Imagery Details Language Syntax WRITING STYLE WRITING STYLE Diction: author s word choice connotation matters Imagery vivid appeals to understand through the five senses Details facts that are included or those omitted Language overall use of language (e.g. formal, informal, colloquial, jargon, etc.) Syntax sentence structure how structure affects reader s attitude 1

2 DICTION OF THE GOTHIC GENRE VOCABULARY OF THE GOTHIC Diction in Gothic literature is often characterized by: antiquated, archaic word choice higher-level, elevated, formal diction words that often have dark, grimy connotations Mystery / The Supernatural Fear, Terror, or Sorrow Haste diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, magician, miracle, necromancer, omens, ominous, portent, preternatural, prodigy, prophecy, secret, sorcerer, spectre, spirits, strangeness, talisman, vision afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive, commiseration, concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded, dreading, fearing, frantic, fright, frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror, lamentable, melancholy, miserable, mournfully, panic, sadly, scared, shrieks, sorrow, sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified, terror, unhappy, wretched anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden, suddenly IMAGERY IN THE GOTHIC GENRE Imagery in Gothic literature is often characterized by: a maze of alarmingly concrete imagery designed to induce fear, shock, revulsion, and/or disgust images that convey a sense of entrapment, claustrophobia, subjugation, loss, and/or isolation images that conjure gloom and mystery IMAGERY IN THE GOTHIC GENRE Imagery in Gothic literature is often characterized by: natural and elemental imagery (ex: moonlight, night-time settings, flickering fires, forests, moors, etc.) having a magical or preternatural effect on the viewer, evoking a sense of awe, terror, insignificance, vulnerability, or the sense of being at the mercy of a higher power DETAILS IN THE GOTHIC GENRE Details in Gothic literature are often characterized by: the author s extensive explanation of the minutia of a scene for suspenseful effect narration that may be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror or impending doom incorporating women in distress producing a sense of dread, horror, and mystery Language of Gothic literature is often characterized by: a brooding, dark, mysterious tone formality long syntax archaic words, phrases Victorian-period style of writing LANGUAGE OF THE GOTHIC GENRE 2

3 SYNTAX OF THE GOTHIC GENRE Syntax of Gothic literature is often characterized by: long syntax loose sentences: a type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases SETTING Often takes place in a castle or old mansion Action takes place in and around an old castle or mansion, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied Castle often contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined sections May be near or connected to caves, which lend their own haunting flavor with their passages, claustrophobia, and mystery Translated into modern filmmaking, setting might be in an old house or mansion--or even a new house--where unusual camera angles, sustained close ups during movement, and darkness or shadows create the same sense of claustrophobia and entrapment WEATHER Weather is used in a number of ways and forms, some of these being: Mist - This convention in Gothic literature is often used to obscure objects (this can be related to the sublime) by reducing visibility or to prelude the insertion of a terrifying person or thing Storms - These frequently accompany important events. Flashes of lightning accompany revelation; thunder and downpours prefigure the appearance of a character or the beginning of a significant event; Sunlight - represents goodness and pleasure; it also has the power to bestow these upon characters. Darkness and ominousness may pervade certain circumstances Gothic novels exude an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The work is pervaded by: a threatening feeling. a fear enhanced by the unknown. Often, the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event. The elements below contribute to this atmosphere an ancient prophecy omens, portents, visions ATMOSPHERE MOOD Strenuous, tense, even overwrought emotion The narration may be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror. Characters suffer from: Raw nerves Feelings of impending doom The following are common and frequent: Crying and emotional speeches Breathlessness and panic In Gothic films, screaming is common. BLUEPRINT OF JEKYLL S HOME 3

4 CHAPTER 5 Why are names (e.g. the mysterious Mr. Guest who compares handwriting) and dates (e.g. beginning of chapter 4) redacted from the text? Adds to the mysterious mood of the text Creates verisimilitude MEETING #2: TALKING POINTS Discuss the previous night s reading assignment for your assigned novel (Ch. 1-4): Initial reactions to the novel Creation of mood and atmosphere through setting and weather How your novel begins to fit the Gothic genre Characteristics of Gothic language (DIDLS) in your novel Pick out one quotation from your novel that you feel best represents the Gothic elements discussed today. Setting/Weather/Atmo sphere/mood Add that quotation to the class list (via the Google Doc under the About tab) by the end of class that day. CHARACTER TROPES: FEMALE CHARACTERS Women in Distress: As an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention. The Suffering Heroine: She is a young woman often without family connections, money, or other resources. The women suffer all the more because they are often abandoned, left alone (either on purpose or by accident), and have no protector at times. CHARACTER TROPES: MALE CHARACTERS The Master: is portrayed as a forbidding man with a powerful or magnetic personality. The Tyrannical Male: Women are often threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male. One or more male characters have the power, as king, lord of the manor, father, or guardian, to demand that one or more of the female characters do something intolerable. The woman may be commanded to marry someone she does not love (it may even be the powerful male himself) or to commit a crime. CHARACTER TROPES: MALE CHARACTERS The Patriarchal Male: Much of the Gothic male s characterization centers around the archetype of the landedgentry: lords and kings of their estates, and representative of the male society s rule over women. CHARACTER TROPES: VILLAINS Villain-Hero (Satanic, Promethean, Byronic Hero). The villain of a story who either 1) poses as a hero at the beginning of the story or 2) simply possesses enough heroic characteristics (charisma, sympathetic past) so that either the reader or the other characters see the villain-hero as more than a 4

5 Satanic Hero: a Villain-Hero whose nefarious deeds and justifications of them make him a more interesting character than the rather trite, banal good hero CHARACTER TROPES: VILLAINS Promethean Hero: a Villain-Hero who has done good but only by performing an overreaching or rebellious act. Prometheus from ancient Greek mythology saved mankind but only after stealing fire and ignoring Zeus' order that mankind should be kept in a state of subjugation. CHARACTER TROPES: VILLAINS CHARACTER TROPES: VILLAINS Byronic Hero: a later variation of the "antithetically mixed" Villain-Hero. Aristocratic, suave, moody, handsome, solitary, secretive, brilliant, cynical, sexually intriguing, and nursing a secret wound; he is renowned because of his fatal attraction for female characters and continues to occasion debate about gender issues. This darkly attractive and very conflicted male figure surfaces everywhere in the 19th and 20th century Gothic. OTHER CHARACTER TROPES The Pursued Protagonist: Refers to the idea of a pursuing force that relentlessly acts in a severely negative manner on a character. This persecution often implies the notion of some sort of a curse or other form of terminal and utterly unavoidable damnation, a notion that usually suggests a return to or "hangover" of, traditional religious ideology to chastise the character for some real or imagined wrong against the moral order. OTHER CHARACTER TROPES The Outsider / Anti-Hero: The one character trope that cuts through virtually all Gothic fiction is that of the "outsider," embodied in wanderers. The outsider, like Cain, moves along the edges of society, in caves, on lonely seacoasts, or in monasteries and convents. While the society at large always appears bourgeois in its culture and morality, the Gothic outsider is a counterforce driven by strange longings and destructive needs. OTHER CHARACTER TROPES The Outsider / Anti-Hero:...cont d...gothic fiction, as we have observed, is concerned with the outsider---whether it be the stationary figure who represses his difference, or the wandering figure who seeks for some kind of salvation, or else the individual who for whatever reason moves entirely outside the norm. In any event, he is beyond the moderating impulses in society, and he must be punished for his transgression. 5

6 OTHER CHARACTER TROPES Unreliable Narrator: A narrator tells a story and determines the story's point of view. An unreliable narrator, however, does not understand the importance of a particular situation or makes an incorrect conclusion or assumption about an event that he/she witnesses. What are the many different points of view through which the novella is narrated? What is the effect of these narrative choices? NARRATIVE STRUCTURE An ancient prophecy: is connected with the castle or its inhabitants (either former or present). The prophecy is usually obscure, partial, or confusing. "What could it mean?" In more watered down modern examples, this may amount to merely a legend: "It's said that the ghost of old man Krebs still wanders these halls." Omens, portents, visions, dreams: A character may have a disturbing dream, vision, or some phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may portend his death. In modern fiction, a character might see something (a shadowy figure stabbing another shadowy figure) and think that it was a dream. This might be thought of as an "imitation vision." Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events: Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts or giants walking, or inanimate objects (such as a suit of armor or painting) coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural. This is generally in the form of some kind of supernatural being or object, such as a vampire or ghost, which is frightening due to its refusal to adhere to the laws of nature, God, or man. The Sublime: The idea of the sublime is essential to an understanding of Gothic poetics and, especially, the attempt to defend or justify the literature of terror. The Sublime is an overpowering sense of the spiritual greatness and power of nature, which can be uplifting, aweinspiring, and terrifying. It is caused by the experience of beauty, vastness, or grandeur. Sublime moments lead us to consider the place of humanity in the universe and the power exhibited in the tangible world. 6

7 Marriage as Resolution: The importance of marriage in this schema cannot be overstated. Not only does movement toward matrimony in the Gothic text s present trigger the appearance of the buried past, but that buried past itself always contains information tied to the institutions of matrimony or family interest. Doubles/Duplicity/Foils: Characters, events, motifs, or other ideas often occur in pairs that serve as foils. By closely matching two elements, the audience is clearly able to discern a conflict or major theme. JEKYLL AND HYDE: CHAPTER 8 AND 9 What motifs do you see in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? What do these motifs help further or develop within the novella? Consider jotting down notes/ideas/thoughts about motifs on the back page of your Gothic Novels Guided Notes. You have 40 minutes to quietly read these chapters on your own. JEKYLL AND HYDE: CHAPTER 8 AND 9 QUESTIONS 1. What was your reaction when Poole explained that he had heard Hyde weeping like a woman or a lost soul? Did learning this change your feelings about Mr. Hyde? Why or why not? 2. What details have been omitted in Dr. Lanyon s narrative? Why might Stevenson left out these details? 3. Do you think any of the characters in this novella have names that are symbolic? Explain. VISUALIZATION ACTIVITY Assignment: (due at the beginning of next class) 1. Draw an image of how you imagine Mr. Hyde to look. 2. Find a way to creatively depict what you think Mr. Hyde symbolizes in this story. Use further images, colors, lines, or words within your picture to accomplish this task. 3. On the back, list three quotations from the novella that best explain the choices you made on your drawing. DAY FIVE AGENDA Gothic Genre Focus: Major Ideas and Themes The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Chapter 10 Darkness as intrinsic to humanity: Generally speaking, Gothic literature delves into the macabre (taboo) nature of humanity in its quest to satiate mankind's intrinsic desire to plumb the depths of terror. The power of the natural world Turning to nature (in the nature vs. science debaute) as being able to provide answers to life s questions and problems The limits of reason and science (often shown through the supernatural) Repressed fears and/or desires Reason vs. emotion Appearance vs. reality MAJOR THEMATIC TOPICS Social class (as oppressive, as hindering one s potential, as obstacles to relationships, as opposed to one s individuality) The often negative effects of society on the individual 7

8 THE GOTHIC IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE/PORTRAY... A set of analysable displacements about what it means to be a human being and gendered A journey into the darker side of life; a world of pain and destruction, fear, and anxiety that shadows the daylight world of love and ethereality A case history of one of many types of insanity An exploration of (and perhaps therefore a delineation of) the limits of mortality/immortality, morality/immorality, reason/emotion, order/disorder, mind/body, masculine/feminine Revisiting the landscapes of childhood : narcissism, incest, violence, vampirism, androgyny, sexual anarchy, the oedipal triangulation, the family romance Projective identification (I am the Other) and spitting are the two dominant psychological defences A view of interruptions in the maturation process; they are tales of recuperation or reparation; resistance to loss An assertion of the values of silence, rectitude, balance (mind of a man CHAPTER 10: ACTIVE READING WORKSHEET Complete the Active Reading worksheet to help make sure you understand the incidents in the novel and their explanations. When you complete the worksheet, look for evidence of foreshadowing earlier in the novella. Write evidence of foreshadowing next to the event on the worksheet. POPULAR LITERARY CRITICISMS OF JEKYLL AND HYDE Marx: Hyde represents increasing political power of working class Darwin: Hyde represents evil, strong-willed man who would survive when Jekyll fell because Hyde is free of civilizing influences that repress our natural instincts Freud: Hyde represents the subconscious desire to be freed from society s restrictions Historical: Main characters represent the hypocrisy of Victorian society: Utterson as norms of order and rationality, Hyde of the darkness intrinsic within humanity, and Jekyll as the impossibility to balance both successfully Which interpretation do you find to be more valid? In groups, make a decision and be ready to defend your stance to the class. JEKYLL AND HYDE: CHAPTER 10 Break into groups and find quotations relevant to themes in the final chapter. Literature Circles: Begin a discussion of theme in your novels. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. T AND MR. H. Parody: A literary work in which the style of another author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. Parodies require the audience to know or understand certain things. Considering this parody was published less than a month after Stevenson s novella was published, what things are required of the audience here to make the parody effective? What elements of the Gothic genre are being ridiculed? What elements of this particular novella are being mocked? Do you feel this was a successful parody? Why or why not? MODERN TAKES ON DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE What other pieces of literature illustrate themes about good/evil in humanity through the motif of duplicity or the character foils present in the piece? 8