Whilst the attraction of luxuriating in the dark side of the human condition is undeniably strong in Gothic texts it must also be acknowledged that Gothic texts provide considerable insights into humanity. Discuss the above with reference to one prose core text and one related text of your own choosing. Gothic texts encompass the ability to convey the fear that underpins the human psyche in many contexts, with particular relevance to societal concerns and anxieties. Although concerns vary throughout different time periods, those confronted within texts often consist of universal themes and ideas that can be translated through different generations. Brahm Stoker’s “Dracula” highlights concerns prevalent within the Victorian era, shown through characters, symbols and themes throughout the novel.
First of all we need to consider the debate about religious practice and the importance of religion for Christina: 'Religion played a major role in the formation of Rossetti as an individual, and it is oftentimes reflected in her poetry. I would venture to say that religion is a very strongly felt presence in “Goblin Market,” which some critics believe is a Christian allegory'[3]. Her poetry, her fairy tales characters, her use of grotesque can be related to a movement called “Gothic Revival”: 'it's an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England [...] In England, the centre of this revival, it was intertwined with deeply philosophical movements associated with a re-awakening of High Church or Anglo-Catholic self-belief concerned by the growth of
However if the responder were to read Fay Weldon’s Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen, the connections between the two would shape and then reshape the responder’s understanding of both texts. The two texts are connected most obviously through Weldon’s commentary and analysis of Austen’s writing and social and historical context. However the two texts are also connected through their didactic purpose, examination of values, use of epistles and their female author’s status and feminist messages. Whilst all of these connections do enrich each text, it is to a limited extent as both texts also work in isolation. Aunt Fay writes to her niece Alice in the hope of teaching her about Austen and her writing and what better way to do that than by direct reference to Austen’s most successful text, Pride and Prejudice?
BRIAR ROSE-JANE YOLEN Yolen has created an ingenious story of great significance in Briar Rose. Aside from the novel itself being a fictional text, the book stresses the intrinsic importance of fairy tales to the responder. The resilience and power of these tales are emphasised as is the significance of true stories form the past. It is through the examination of the allegorical story told by Gemma and the characterisation used by Yolen that the concept of the hero and heroine is explored. Yolen has enabled her readers to understand the value of the past for the present and to witness both the true horrors as well as the acts of courage in her novel Briar Rose.
Atwood discusses the several genres of fiction that are available in this time and explains how this is not only a time of gender crossover but of genre crossover. By using the comparison she shows how literature has evolved as well as gender relations. In conclusion Margaret Atwood’s speech “spotty handed villainess” is a speech that explores the flaws in extreme feminism, challenges the patriarchal order and examines the intentions of literature and fiction. The speech still has relevance today as it examines gender roles and expectations in modern day
Whilst texts may be fictitious constructs of the composer’s imagination, when created, they also reflect the ideas and values of that era. This is clearly the case in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’. However, despite the different times and contexts of which these two texts were composed, both Shelley and Scott have crafted texts that explore similar content and that warn us of the dire consequences of the desire for omnipotence and unrestrained scientific progress. It’s these concepts and their enduring appeal through the centuries that suggest they are universal themes, linking the texts through time. ‘Frankenstein’ reflects directly the context in which it was written.
Imagery in Fiction Writing Authors often use imagery as a powerful tool for describing and delivering their main point in fiction writing. Imagery can hint at an underlying meaning, let the reader know character traits, describe the setting, and has a host of other uses. As such it is one of the most important literary devices. Two excellent examples of how to use imagery properly are Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby” and Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”. In both of these stories the authors use imagery to help drive home their main points, although in a somewhat different manner.
“The Awakening” By Kate Chopin Kate Chopin uses many different situations and different settings in the novel “The Awakening” to get her points and aspects of the story across to the readers. Throughout the story Chopin also uses many different literary techniques and situations to explain the characters and their place within the story. Chopin seems to be very specific at points, but also very vague when brining new characters into the story and the meaning behind such characters. From the many different aspects of the story the significance of the ending of the novel seems to be the most important and most interesting within the works writing. Chopin seems to use many different themes and symbols throughout the story to portray Edna’s character and way of life that causes the many problems and difficulties for her.
Both books have similar writing style as gloomy, but foreshadowing and dystopia bring about the effectiveness of gothic literature in both books. Firstly, the story’s title “The Fall of the House of Usher” has a symbolic meaning to itself. “The House of Usher” refers not only to the house, but to the family as well, the Usher bloodline. The title refers not only to the literal fall of the physical house, but the symbolic fall of the Usher family. There are many events which lead to the true meaning of the title, the author uses foreshadowing to enlighten the meaning.
• Feminist critics are especially interested in issues concerning women’s culture. Also, they insist on the autobiographical side of the story, especially on the centrality of the act of giving birth. • An intertextual reading of the novel reveals echoes of several romantic poems, of various authors. It is a well-established notion that references to other texts add to the meaning of the work in question. In other words, if you consider ‘The Rime’ as a hypotext (= underlying text) to Frankenstein, your understanding of the novel may be enriched thanks to suggestion from Coleridge’s