There are many gothic conventions in ‘Dracula’, and this is what makes it an eerie delight for the viewers, as well as making it fit into the ‘gothic’ genre. The movie is cleverly adapted from the book, sharing the same title- that was scribed by Bram Stoker. Some very common gothic elements include the theme of isolation and security. Both of these things can be seen in ‘Dracula’ The theme of isolation is presented by the way Dracula’s castle is shown to the viewers- dark, isolated from any form any other form of civilization in the middle of a great landscape consisting of myriad and secret passageways and being a ruin in itself. The settings presented are also dark and eeire, and Dracula himself lives in solitude with no other companion.
For a novel to be considered gothic, it must contain certain elements; Dracula reflects many of these unique principles. The setting largely affects the gothic feel of the novel. The medieval castle, the literally dark location, and the gloomy and suspenseful atmosphere, which are all utilized in the novel, are examples of a gothic setting. In his journal, Jonathan Harker described Count Dracula’s castle as he approached it: “...in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlit sky” (Stoker 22). This quote shows the medieval castle aspect almost always found in the gothic novel type, but also even begins to set up the dark, gloomy, and uneasy atmosphere that is so important in this kind of literature.
Explore the ways Shelley uses setting to contribute to the gothic concept of the novel. Shelley uses setting as a vital contribution to the gothic concept of the novel; Mary said “The very room...he glassy lakes and the high Alps beyond”, would be the pivotal settings in her novel. Shelley knew from this stage that exterior and interior settings would be significant; interior “dark room” which refers to Victor’s laboratory of “filthy creation” in Chapter 4, an epitome of the gothic genre revealing a sense of darkness and seclusion mirroring the eponymous character Frankenstein. The idea of the lake and high Alps can be observed as being influenced by the Romantic poets, Percy and Wodsworth on nature being a restorative agent. Hence Shelley’s use of the exterior setting of the Arctic, which unravels the framework of the novel through epistolary form.
4 Analysis of Grotesque elements in Frankenstein It will be proven in further parts of this analysis that Frankenstein or, Modern Prometheus is a novel full of grotesque elements, such as alienation, monstrosity, terror or caricature. Mary Shelley quoted herself in “Author´s Introduction to the standard novels edition” in the third edition of her novel from 1831, that she wanted to write a story “which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror – one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beating of the heart” (Shelley, 1831, p. 7). Also, as Robert C. Evans claims, breathing life into a dead body is grotesque almost by definition. 4.1 Genesis of Frankenstein Frankenstein or, the Modern Prometheus is one of the best British gothic novels ever written. It was first published in London in 1818 and in that time the author remained anonymous.
Both successfully utilise setting to create the mysterious atmosphere in the gothic genre. In the novel The Strange Case the gothic theme of mystery is explored through the use of setting. Stevenson uses dark and descriptive settings to create the mysterious mood of the story. In chapter 1, as Mr. Enfield recounts a story, he uses vivid imagery as depicted in the phrase “black winter morning…street after street… as empty as a church”. The atmosphere of the scene is revealed as
Page 1 Gothic Themes of Frankenstein JacquelynWilliams-Eid English Literature Tue-Thu 10:30-11:45 Page 2 Mary Shelley is a British writer who is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein was written in the eighteen hundreds and is now one of the most best known novels of the time period. When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein she used a gothic theme throughout the novel. The term gothic refers to a genre or elements that came about in the eighteenth century. In a gothic novel there are elements of horror, mystery and suspense.
These events are discussed by several of Ephron’s closest friends in Everything Is Copy, including journalist Marie Brenner. At one point, she chides Jacob Bernstein for not asking her a direct question about his father. She dated Bernstein before he and Ephron met in 1976, and she says that during their affair, he would call his other girlfriends from her telephone. Ephron’s novel and its cinematic adaptation are hilarious, if bittersweet accounts of infidelity, and Bernstein underscores their importance to his mother’s work—they are evidence of a lesson Ephron learned from her mother. Hollywood screenwriter Phoebe Ephron taught her daughters that “everything is
According to the Journal Beyond the Feminine Mystique, it listed two popular magazines that show the emergence of women beginning to believe in themselves and participating in the society (Meyerowitz). The movie Mona Lisa Smile described the American social culture prevalent during that period. When facing unexpected things that happened in Giselle’s life, she was strong and bold to move on and appreciate the changes that were being introduced. Giselle was a victim of the1950s America as her parents were divorced after the war. Her parents’ love had faded and she was stranded.
English 113 February 16, 2013 “The Tell-Tale Heart”: Elements of Gothicism As an offshoot to Romanticism, Gothic literature became keen in the 19th Century, leaving Edgar Allen Poe to claim his title as the father of Gothicism. In Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the narrator himself is a classic character of Gothicism. Witnessing the insanity his character is consumed by and the murder he commits, this story really gives the reader a dark perception and demonstrates a feeling of abnormality and general deviance. Throughout the entire story, the conflict morphs from the narrator versus the eye, to the narrator versus his own madness. The “Tell-Tale Heart” can be definitively be classified as Gothic literature because Poe’s strong use of imagery, symbolism, and the element of suspense captivates and further heightens the sense of how insane the narrator really is.
Inventing the Cosmo Girl The article was written by Laurie Ouellete. This article shows us how Helen Gurley Brown with the publication of “Sex and the Single Girl” helped change the goals and expectations of the working single girl. She was able to take a magazine that was first published in 1886 as a women’s fashion magazine with articles about home, family and cooking and turn it into a magazine about how single working women can use their sexuality to get what they want. She became Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan in 1965 when the magazine was dying and immediately turned sales around. In a world where men were still predominate in the workforce, she let women know that it was ok to have a “Pink Collar” job and to use it to benefit you in whatever way that you wanted.