All of these various styles responded to the industrialization of Europe in their own unique fashions, and resulted in a strange conglomeration of art, ideals, and themes. The earliest and perhaps greatest response to industrialization was the era or Romanticism. Disgusted by the squalor and pollution produced by industry, many artists and writers turned to Romanticism, glorifying nature over civilized society and emotion over reason. Romanticism prized natural beauty and despised the materialistic ideals of the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. Romantic art tended to revolve around nature or some heroic deed, ignoring or tuning away from industry and logic, and when it did not, it reviled it.
In The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter reverses gothic traditions so that the males become the victims instead of the females. Consider at least two of the stories in the bloody chamber in the light of this view. The gender constructs of passive, young, virginal woman who are victimised by dominant, strong and wealthy males is a common trait throughout gothic tales including many of Angela Carters short stories from “The Bloody Chamber”. However, Carter received the criticism of “[extracting] latent content, conjuring up a new exotic hybrid” in which she challenges the typical stereotypes of gothic conventions, influenced by her feminist nature. These caused the post modern versions of her stories to adopt dualisms of combining sexual desires with naivety and give alternative interpretations that perhaps the male characters suffered victimisation instead.
* Joseph Marie Eugene Sue (1804-1857) * French novelist at the time of Romantic Movement * His sympathy for the poor. * Victor Hugo (1802-1885) * Poet, novelist, * Les miserables (1862) offer another indictment of the conditions of the poor through the injustice of the era * From the roots of these works, we see a canon of characters, situations and tropes, which explore stories in VULGAR fashion. * That is, though their emphasis on our emotional connection to the events portrayed. * Arising between the Romantic period and the industrial revolution, melodrama as a genre appears to have been well suited to express the crisis of its time. * The persistence of melodrama in popular culture suggests a fascination the evolving nature of the social, political and ideological crisis of the day.
In what ways is your appreciation of both texts enhanced by a comparative study of ambition on Frankenstein and Blade runner? Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ridley Scott's Bladerunner both project dystopian images of society and morality, propelled by the main characters' ambition and egotism. It is through this that an audience’s appreciation for texts is enhanced. These complex texts can be seen as a pair that differs in context, seeing as they are separated through time. Frankenstein driven by romantic imagery and set in historic context, that analysis the European divide in society perpetuated by superficiality.
Washington Irving is identified with the gothic with his “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, however the gothic mode can also be identified in his story, “Rip Van Winkle”. To begin, both will be compared with their use of the Gothic Mode. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing set the mold for most gothic literature to follow. From “The Raven” to “The Tell-Tale Heart” his writing sets the reader on edge and fills them with unease. “Its style tends to be ornate, unnatural” (Carter 134).
Texts reflect the social, economic and historical contexts of which the author compose their work in. Both Mary Shelley’s 19th century gothic novel “Frankenstein” and the science fiction film “Blade Runner” directed by Ridley Scott propose similar concepts even though their work were compose during different era. As a Romanticist, Shelley put down the idea of man playing ‘God’, Scott’s responds to Shelley warning is also condemn man’s thoughtless ambition. However the context of greed and mass industrialisation shifts the criticism onto the pursuit of commercial dominance. Both texts have used many language techniques and features to describe similar dystopian visions result from man’s abandonment of nature.
Shelley draws from the characteristics of gothic fiction influenced by The Romantic Movement, through employing sinister connotations that forebode Victor’s downfall, “…the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out…” This portrays the reality that the value of creating life is unattainable, which is furthermore explored in Blade Runner, as Scott presents a world in which technology has eliminated the defining features of humanity. Shelley also alludes to The Promethean Myth and the symbolism of oppressing fire, “…the glimmer of the half-extinguished light…” to emphasise the danger of attaining knowledge beyond accepted boundaries. Shelley’s admonition of excessive knowledge is explored additionally within Blade Runner. Blade Runner is dominated by capitalism and social hierarchy, therefore mirroring the values of the 18th century context of Frankenstein. Scott, influenced by the gothic-novel features in Frankenstein, has employed the style of
This novel was written during romantic times and because Mary Shelley was a romantic writer, and was in favour of nature and God. She makes references to nature and God e.g. life, sky, etc, to promote her romantic ideals. Although the monster is hideous it is still Shelley’s hero. Chapter 4 becomes extremely preoccupied with Victor’s obsession with galvanism; a belief which is thought to be that you can ‘infuse life, into inanimate body’.
o His downfall is usually due to excessive pride Two famous characters I would consider tragic heroes are Victor Frankenstein from Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. An English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, and also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy By she Shelley. Her father was the political philosopher William Godwin, and her mother was the philosopher and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. The other being Macbeth from the Famous Macbeth penned
Context is a powerful influence on composers’ concerns and the way these are expressed.’ How have the different contexts experienced by Shelley and Scott influenced the way they explore concerns about love? Context: -Time 20th century compared to the 19th -Marys living arrangements, married to Poet Percy Shelley -Love influencing perfection -Societies expectation in the 19th C compares to Blade runner extreme differences in the expectation of love. -Similar-both aspiring perfection and progression -The norm of society was not accepted in science -Frankenstein symbolising woman in society of this time Frankenstein: Blade Runner: Technique/Effect: “There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied in the one, I will indulge the other.”