‘Gothic writing explores the ‘nightmarish terrors’ that lie beneath the
orderly surface of the civilised mind.’
How far and in which ways do you agree with this view?
Nineteenth century Gothic novels including Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and Mary
Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ delve into the ‘nightmarish terrors’ that lurk underneath
the civilised mind and orderly society. These novels exploit the 19 th century
anxieties concerning scientific progression, the destruction of gender roles and
moral upheaval through settings and supernatural creatures. However, due to
there being an 80-year gap between the two novels, they exploit contrasting
societal terrors. Frankenstein gripples with the early emergences of feminism and
science while Dracula engages with the established Victorian ideals of the ‘New
Woman’ and Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’, where this Radcliffean terror becomes
an attraction. What are the nightmarish terrors? And do they ‘lie beneath’ – or
are they open? Dracula – reveals fear of Sinister Aristocracy – changing attitudes;
sexuality; Eastern European/ other/ reverse colonisiation, Frank – fear of science,
fear of female sexuality – what are the veneers over?
In both novels, the use of settings presents the darker side to the civilised mind
exploring the ‘nightmarish terrors’. In ‘Dracula’, the setting of the east and
Transylvania acts as a Gothic doppelganger for the civilised minds of the west.
The upheaval of social order: “the further east you go, the most unpunctual are
the trains”, suggests a lack of stability and order which is relied upon in the west,
highlighted through Jonathan who acts a motif for the west and their ideology.
The apparent change between the west and east: “the impression that we were
leaving the west and entering the east” emphasises the distinct difference
between the two. Jonathan displays xenophobic attitudes towards this other side
of humanity with his dispelling that it was “very ridiculous and I did not feel
comfortable” suggesting that their immediate response of the east is that it is
inferior to Victorian morals. L6 AO1 startingThis fear of the upheaval of order
from foreigners is akin to how the Gothic tribes sacked Rome, heightening
paralleling19th century domestic unrest towards the British colonies and the fear
of the fall of imperialism which would perhaps threaten the structure of British
minds with more unconventional ideals. This recalls High Gothic utilisation of
foreign settings with Radcliffe’s ‘The Mysteries of Uldolpho’ being set in Italy
where unfamiliar settings are used to contrast to structured Victorian England
allowing the collapse of imperialism. L5 > L6 AO3
// Similarly, ‘Frankenstein’ utilises the foreign setting of Geneva in Switzerland
L5>6 AO4 to present the repressed emotions of Victor: “the sublime and
magnificent scenes afforded the greatest consolation that I was incapable of
receiving”. Contrastingly, this plays on the freedom of guilt and male ego with
Frankenstein’s potential freedom from these Byronic traits being reflected in
nature. This is influenced by the Romantic Movement where, evident in
Frankenstein, nature is often used for comfort and to find peace within,
portraying this healing effect. Yet the east portrays a more embracing attitude
towards these emotions: “our ways are not your ways”. Both novels use these
doppelganger settings to present the darker sides and ‘nightmarish terrors’ that
lie beneath the organised minds of the protagonists, utilising the anxieties of the
destruction of order and the breakaway from hiding these emotions which is
seen in the east where these anxieties are no longer hidden but embraced: “We
orderly surface of the civilised mind.’
How far and in which ways do you agree with this view?
Nineteenth century Gothic novels including Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and Mary
Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ delve into the ‘nightmarish terrors’ that lurk underneath
the civilised mind and orderly society. These novels exploit the 19 th century
anxieties concerning scientific progression, the destruction of gender roles and
moral upheaval through settings and supernatural creatures. However, due to
there being an 80-year gap between the two novels, they exploit contrasting
societal terrors. Frankenstein gripples with the early emergences of feminism and
science while Dracula engages with the established Victorian ideals of the ‘New
Woman’ and Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’, where this Radcliffean terror becomes
an attraction. What are the nightmarish terrors? And do they ‘lie beneath’ – or
are they open? Dracula – reveals fear of Sinister Aristocracy – changing attitudes;
sexuality; Eastern European/ other/ reverse colonisiation, Frank – fear of science,
fear of female sexuality – what are the veneers over?
In both novels, the use of settings presents the darker side to the civilised mind
exploring the ‘nightmarish terrors’. In ‘Dracula’, the setting of the east and
Transylvania acts as a Gothic doppelganger for the civilised minds of the west.
The upheaval of social order: “the further east you go, the most unpunctual are
the trains”, suggests a lack of stability and order which is relied upon in the west,
highlighted through Jonathan who acts a motif for the west and their ideology.
The apparent change between the west and east: “the impression that we were
leaving the west and entering the east” emphasises the distinct difference
between the two. Jonathan displays xenophobic attitudes towards this other side
of humanity with his dispelling that it was “very ridiculous and I did not feel
comfortable” suggesting that their immediate response of the east is that it is
inferior to Victorian morals. L6 AO1 startingThis fear of the upheaval of order
from foreigners is akin to how the Gothic tribes sacked Rome, heightening
paralleling19th century domestic unrest towards the British colonies and the fear
of the fall of imperialism which would perhaps threaten the structure of British
minds with more unconventional ideals. This recalls High Gothic utilisation of
foreign settings with Radcliffe’s ‘The Mysteries of Uldolpho’ being set in Italy
where unfamiliar settings are used to contrast to structured Victorian England
allowing the collapse of imperialism. L5 > L6 AO3
// Similarly, ‘Frankenstein’ utilises the foreign setting of Geneva in Switzerland
L5>6 AO4 to present the repressed emotions of Victor: “the sublime and
magnificent scenes afforded the greatest consolation that I was incapable of
receiving”. Contrastingly, this plays on the freedom of guilt and male ego with
Frankenstein’s potential freedom from these Byronic traits being reflected in
nature. This is influenced by the Romantic Movement where, evident in
Frankenstein, nature is often used for comfort and to find peace within,
portraying this healing effect. Yet the east portrays a more embracing attitude
towards these emotions: “our ways are not your ways”. Both novels use these
doppelganger settings to present the darker sides and ‘nightmarish terrors’ that
lie beneath the organised minds of the protagonists, utilising the anxieties of the
destruction of order and the breakaway from hiding these emotions which is
seen in the east where these anxieties are no longer hidden but embraced: “We
