The Use of the Elements of Gothic Novels during Victorian Era

A Dissertation

By

İpek Gürün 1202102046

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for the Degree

BA in English Literature

Advisor:Asist. Prof. Dr. Uzay Kılıç

Department of English Language and Literature

Faculty of Arts and Science

BEYKENT UNIVERSITY

May 2016

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Topic: The Use of the Elements of Gothic Novels during Victorian Era

Abstract

I will be researching the main features of gothic novels that were published during Victorian

Period (1837 to 1901) contains horror themes such as death, terror, madness and curses and

supernatural elements such as ghosts, vampires, monsters. “Gothic” was used to

describe as an architectural style characterized by tall designs, pointed arches, gargoyles and

mostly castles. The genre was called as gothic due to their hysterical limits and their dark

motifs, because gothic novels’ common ambiances were materials like castles, churches,

mansions and monasteries that were any of the conventional gothic architecture. My goal in

this paper to examine gothic novels which were written during Victorian era by using

supernatural elements and horror themes which I have mentioned above and the dramatic

style of the texts and the gloomy settings which call a sense of danger but also

freedom, creating a hole to run away from reality.

l- Introduction

What is Gothic Novel?

Gothic Literature is one of the known effective writing style. It is a perfectly frightening

mixture of horror and romance. However, Gothic literature is not just examined to include

the horror or gothic elements yet it is blended with romance, supernatural events, women in

distress, omens, mystery, vision and terrifying creatures. Even though, sociological,

psychological, and political contexts of the Victorian Era has been involved it. In the book

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which is considered as the first gothic novel ‘The Castle of Otranto1’ (Walpole) says

‘There is magic, the supernatural abounds and they are wholly unbelievable. The style of the

"new" romance is what the novels of the 18th century, when Walpole was writing, would

generally have looked like. These novels were realistic: they purported to depict events and

people as they truly were2’. Then, Walpole created something truly ‘literature’. He creates

supernatural events and settings get real people into these situations and watches them to act

in a "real" manner. Therefore Walpole’s work was built on a foundation of

several elements. Walpole's novel was popular due to these elements and introduced most of

basic features of the kinds are odd characters, secret passages, ruined castles and supernatural

sitituans. The Castle of Otranto was followed by Victorian Era’s gothic novels such as

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and

Mr Hyde (1886), Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (1842), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897).

Escape from Reality

Gothic literature is the dramatic style of the texts and the gloomy settings which

call  a sense of danger but also freedom, creating a hole to run away from reality. A

movement withsadness, tragedy, chaos and terror tells ‘’ How could be the truth

possible?’’ If evenGothic novels have truths to tell , Could we still find a door which

open to the fiction?

When the sense for Gothic fictions began, the truth claims of reality were being

questioned. Realism is making a reality using the experience of one single thing. It is

considered within drama of the individual rather than the outside and discovers

original knowledge. "if the novel were realistic merely because it saw life from the

seamy side, it would only be an inverted romance; but in fact it surely attempts to

portray all the varieties of human experience, and not merely those suited to one

particular literary perspective: the novel’s realism does not reside in the kind of life it

presents but in the way it presents it.3" (Watt, Ian)

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According to Ian Watt, we must remember that Gothic Literature strives to work in

almost the complete opposite direction of formal realism in the way each novel

conveys its story and that Gothic Literature is a response to formal realism. When

looking at what defines a Gothic novel, the very basic aspect of Gothic fiction is that it

does not strive to reflect everyday life, like the works of Fielding and Richardson.

This is why, while reading a Gothic novel, you can expect to find ghosts and other

supernatural features absent from the works of formal realism.

2) The Role of Genders Within Gothic Literature

Throughout Gothic literature, women are shown to leave apart by men. As we all know, Women

have been marks of many steoretypes. They have been self-dedicated mothers, beloved and

faithful wives, victims in danger and dependent on men. The perfect woman was ‘spoken of as

little as possible among men, whether for good or for ill ’1 which means it is not significant that

what women thinks or wants, women have to support and stand by their men.

In Early Gothic Literature, We can mention about gender inequality. If Gothic novels are focused

on the related issues of defining male and female roles and gender role steoretypes, we can

determine the terms of ‘patriarchy’ and ‘feminism’. According to Donna Heilhand ‘Early gothic

novels make absolutely clear the genre’s concern with exploring, defining, and ultimately

defending patriarchy.’2 Patriarchy is a term that social structure controlled by men authority or

power. Therefore, Gothic novels often concerns the struggles of women in a superior patriarchal

society. Before I start to examine sex roles in ‘Dracula’ and ‘Bronte Sisters’, I will compare the

roles between Male and Female as a gothic element. Male characters have power, as a lord ,

father, or hero, to appeal that the female characters who do something ignorant of foolish . The

woman might be urged to marry someone she does not love. These kind of circumstances force

women into hysterical emotions: fainting, screaming or sobbing. Female suffers because they

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often left theirselves in horrifying sitiuation or abondoned by men. However, lately Gothic Novels

in Victorian Era , the female characters have been taking a feminist movement in a patriarchy

literary society.

a) Dracula

Bram Stoker’s legendary novel, Dracula, focuses on lust, sex, horror and evil motifs that are

all around gothic elements. Stoker breaks the barrier that is about gothic novels only have

theme of horror. Dracula is shown the characters like they move from darkness to

awareness.

Women in Dracula

The power of Bram’s gothic element is that his evil Lord who has entered even our modern lives

in Victorian Era. Views of the Victorian society in forced patriarchy and dominance over women

‘’Dracula: A Victorian Novel .The twentieth-century interest in the sexuality of Dracula has not

waned, but while the early psychoanalytical readings, on the whole, tend to suggest that Dracula

is concerned with universal anxieties, later critics have fruitfully considered how the text may

rather be an

expression of specifically late Victorian concerns3’’(Byron 17). Therefore gothic fears(Victoria Era)

and Stoker’s own personal views on women and sexuality. There are two important women

character in Dracula who are Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra that I can analyse. Throuoght

Dracula , Mina can be seen as a smart and loyal woman all the Victorians consider her a perfect

wife due to her purity. Not only Mina reflects traditional profiles of the Victorian woman , yet she

also represents the profile of the Victorian woman because she is not sexualized. By not making

Mina a sexualized being, Stoker contains Mina’s purity and goodness that has highly benefit in

Victorian society.

If we have a look at Lucy Westenra , she is much like her friend Mina. However , unlike Mina,

Lucy has three admirer. The most important difference between them is that Lucy is sexualized.

There is a clear emphasis on Lucy’s beauty. Even Mina cannot stop talking how beautiful Lucy is.

In Dracula, she says to Mina, "Why can't they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her,

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and save all this trouble?" (5.11). Some people can think What Lucy said is scandalous. This is the

point that we say Lucy is more sexual than Mina. Due to Mina’s innocence , even she would never

imagine such a thing like that . But, Why does Dracula go after Lucy not Mina? Or What makes

Dracula turn Lucy into a wampire? I think the other key detail is Mina has knowledge about

dangers of Dracula also she is protected, unlike Mina, Lucy is unaware , defenseless and accesible.

Therefore, we see the presentation of two typical Victorian females such as pure, innocent Mina

who, is loyal his husband and keeps inform about the dangers of Dracula and is so protected , and

Lucy’s slight promiscuity is overstated as she becomes a vampire. Though there are many

similarities between the two characters, Mina is a ‘ideal’ Victorian wife in the sense of her loyalty

to her husbund , compared to Lucy who is more sexy, and this difference that runs Mina and Lucy

to their individual destiny.

b) Bronte Sisters

‘Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)  and her sisters Emily Bronte (1818-1848) and Anne Bronte (1820-

1849) have charmed, inspired, and even shocked readers from the Victorian age to the present. 

Raised in Haworth, Yorkshire, the three sisters produced such classics as Jane Eyre, Wuthering

Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.  Influenced by British Romantic poets like Wordsworth,

Scott, and Byron, the Brontes produced a cast of unforgettable characters such as the devoted

governess, Jane Eyre, and the lovers, Heathcliff, Cathy, and Hareton.  The Bronte Family website

explores the lives, literature, and art of these important Victorian women writers.’7

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is one of the most important literaty Works

for its gloomy atmosphere , and for its dark themes such as ghosts, the revenge

motif tells us why the novel is in the Gothic genre. While Analyzing Wuthering

Heights , I will examine portayal of women. There are two main femaleCharacthers who are slightly different. We have ‘’old’’ Catherine and ‘’young’’

Catherrine. Catherine is a beautiful and charming lady. In her heart, She is

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wild, free girl, yet is tamed little by little. After she spends time at Linton’s house,

She marries Edgar Linton. With her marriage , she tries to fit in society and she

Finds herself into trouble. She is no longer the girl who wants to be free and wild,

And now, she is limited to suffocating and following the sense of morality of the

Victorian society. If you succeed as a mother and wife , You will be very

İmportant for Vicorian people. However , Catherine fails at both. She is not in

Love with her husband and while she is giving birth a girl , she dies.

Young Catherine( Cathy ) who is Catherine’s daughter, follows her mother steps.

She is also had to face same problems, yet she gets happy ending. By choosing to

marry Hareton, Cathy takes an important decision, but which was only made

possible in the first place because Heathcliff and Linton were dead. She does at

times try to rebel against her role: “I’ll put my trash away, because you can make

me if I refuse,’ answered the young lady, closing her book, and throwing it on a

chair. ‘But I’ll not do anything, though you should swear your tongue out, except

what I please!(p. 32) but she does not get much out of it.    Even as both girls have

a strong personality and shouldve been able to fight for their own rights,

Catherine is disaffected to give them and try to follow her duties

as a responsible daughter, sister, wife and mother. The biggest ripped of this is that

she does not even succeed and have to give her own identity for anything. Cathy

who is also aimed to be a mark due to the fact that she has no capability over the

men who controlled her, only urged to be more successful because they are all

dead.

Gothic and Feminizim in Jane Eyre

As I mentioned, It is important to be women expected to marry, have children , dedicated

herself to husband and look after home in Victorian Era. Women are dependent on men and

do not have equal rights. When we have a look at our heroine Jane Eyre , we can see that she

is not that one of the our typical victorian era ladies. She is a woman who always has passion

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for knowlegde. Bronte would have chosen a male character instead of female one. So , Why

did she choose such a independent woman like Jane Eyre?. I think Bronte makes Jane that

powerfull , wistful and rebellious character which is not commonly pretty to challenge

Victorian society’s aspect on women. Jane can be the “portrait of a Guardian, detached, poor

and clear yet Jane is absolutly not a boring character. So, What makes Jane Eyre gothic and

also a feminist novel? There are no ghost in novel or a vampire but every stage of Jane’s life is

gone head by supernatural visitation from a different world. Furthermore, Edward Rotcheste

(who is Jane Eyre’s husband) has telephatic communuccation to Jane. I think Bronte breaks

the sterotype of Gothic Novels by writing Jane Eyre. ‘What matters most are a person's

strength of character and moral values, not their gender’6.

3) The Use Of The Science

Science seems so natural yet it is mankind’s tool to improve their lives. All the invention,

creativeness about science comes from imagination. It may seem impossible to us, but most of them

are likely to happen. Its concept is very wide and abstract. Furthermore , any new concept or idea we

read or think of may not only turn into life on its own. When I look into literature, I can see aspects

of science with authors’ imagination. Esspically in Gothic novels, there are so many elements of

science such as doubling, scientific experiments, life after death and electrical science. First of all, I

will move into the famous gothic novel which is written in Victorian Era ‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll

and Mr. Hyde ‘ by Stevenson and Secondly, Shelly’s famous Monster and Doctor will be analyze with

its scientific aspects.

a.Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The relationship between scientific discussion and the Victorian Gothic is greatly emphasised

when reading Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.15 The novel is about 'split personality',

which is two personalities with different character in one person. That Dr. Jekyll refers to the

normal and socially acceptable personality and Mr. Hyde the deserted and criminal side is the

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most clear element of Stevenson’s novella (bit longer than short story). I will examine the

elements of doubling with using science .

Dualism

Dualism evolves from the Latin word  duo that means two. Dualism can be accepted as a image which

tells about the world in general or of a particular class cannot be explained except by supposing

ultimately the existence of two different, often opposite, and irreducible principles. Dualism is most

often discussed in context of the systems of religion and philosophy16

The purpose that I examine Robert Stevenson's famous novel, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and

Mr. Hyde”15 from the gothic elements of the above mentioned to discuss the novel from a different

perspective of me . Dualism includes duality which is represented as a gothic element. In the novel,

This is explained to the reader via the terrifiying transformation of Dr. Jekyll into criminal, awful

Mr.Hyde. The reason of the transformation is the fear of regression, as both men are revealed to be

the same person. Stevenson's depiction of the respectable gentleman Dr Jekyll as capable of the

terrible behaviour exhibited by Mr Hyde, is evidence of his manipulation of Victorian anxieties and

social fears17. With Dr. Jekyll experiments, he succeeds in outcoming a project that allows him to

free this evil in him from the control of his good side, so giving boost to Edward Hyde. Edward Hyde

is evil and uncontrolled. Not only is his soul different from Dr. Jekyll but also his body is absurd and

damaged. Well then, Where is this science used for?. Why did Dr. Jekyll maket he potion? I think that

that Doctor Jekyll has a powerful interest and desire to split up these two sides of one person’ spirit.

He made belive himself that wether he could do this, after that he could get rid of the unhappiness

that has in the ‘evil’ . That’s why he started to study science, started to theorize the that all men have

basic in dual nature. As I mentioned before about, Victorian society’s moral codes back then people

acted under harsh moral codes. Feelings such as deep anger, bad manners, over sexuality were

disapproved upon. For this reason Dr. Jekyll, usually gentle behaved and rather ‘’dull’’, wanted to

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entertain in his worse side. Dr. Jekyll wanted to feel the happiness of being bad in a society that urged

he is a honorable man at all times.

The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be seen at various levels. As a story, it talks about the

concept of good and evil that exists in all of us. At another level, it is a critique on the hypocrisy and

double standards of the society. It is also an interesting study into the mind of the author and into the

theories of dualism. Finally, it can be seen as a remarkable study into human psychology that

presaged the structural personality theories as detailed by Freud18

b.Frankenstein

Dr. Frankenstein is a scientist who examines the dead.Victor wants to give life to a dead body .I will

use Frankenstein to analyze science in society, and see that the danger which science creates between

the scientist and his subject. His life was destroyed due to the fact that He has an obsession creating a

life. The monster that he did can be seen as a mistake in science. But, w hy did Victor create the

monster? I think it is because of his ego and desire to have superior powers. At first, Frankenstein

wanted to create monster for the better future of humanity, considered that he is serving by making a

“human”. He is obsessed with the idea of life and death, he wants to trick so that he can have godlike

powers. he said it himself, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and

excellent natures would owe their being to me. I might in the process of time (although I now found it

impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.”(shelly,18)

In my opinion while reading this chapter , His main purpose to succeed in science so he could

aggrandize himself by creating a life. However, The Monster is not accepted by society due to the

appearance given him by Victor. The main question is that who is the real monster? I used to laugh

when people think that monster’s name is Frankenstein. From now, I think it’s not wrong to call the

monster “Frankenstein” The monster was born like an adult; due to its size, also it is a baby because it

knows nothing about world. It can be argued that the monster’s mind is like a baby’s and that it only

learns to be good or bad from its experiences. That’s why. Main idea is not born good or evil, but

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experienced the bad behavior we see in the book from people who the monster encounter with. When

Dr. Frankenstein abandoned the monster, it turned into angry and spiteful. The monster is beaten, and

when the De Lacey family leaves him, he lost the hope of fitting into society. Therefore, it decides to

take revenge from Victor who had left the monster to its destiny. When the monster asked mate

from Victor, we can clearly see that it just wants to be happy. This is where he starts takin ravange

from Victor by killing his loved ones. I think that this is what makes the monster evil. Yes, Victor was

bad and irresponsible to failure his creation, but he certainly did not deserve all of the suffering that

the monster made him bear. So, he could have been good, but instead of dealing with his emotions, he

chose to be evil.

3. Main Supernatural Elements Found in Gothic Novels

Setting

The setting is significant, usually a terrifying place, like a castle where have lots of doors that lead to

secret rooms, locked passageways, unknown elements that exist beyond the doors create mystery and

suspense. The castle may have passages to caves where are often seemed home to scary creatures

such as monsters, or deviant forms of humans: werewolve,vampires.

Mystery and suspense

When a chapther depends on mystery, it gets the attention of the reader, as our minds always need

ending. However, when you add to that deeper mysteries that link life, death, destiny Gothic element

comes to life.mystery, such as disappearance, or some other strange events. People disappear or

become dead strangely.

Women in distress

As I mentioned above , The novels involve women who are in danger or seeks help from male

characters who dominates the fiction.

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Conclusion

To Sum Up, Gothic Literature is an, dramatic genre of writing works. The isolation of the main

character is also a symbol that it is a Gothic Novel. High, even overwrought emotion makes the novel

more suspenseful.We see that elements as a supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events, people

vanish or died curiously, the aim the dark andmysterious setting, there is threat of physical violation

to women, and all support element of abstract, danger, or the supernatural. Furthermore, The reality

depresses us, we find gothic or fantasy worlds and escape in them. Also, This essay examined the role

of science in the two gothic novels Frankenstein Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The

argument focused that the role of science in these novels is changeable both a friend and an enemy,

depending on the main character’s moves. Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll discover science selfishly

and without sense. Furthermore, I argued about the role of the women in Gothic Novel. Their roles are

often placed in the bad side of society where they might either be weak or distressed and treated badly

by male characters. We see that elements as an overwrought emotions, supernaturalor otherwise

inexplicable events, people vanish or died curiously, the aim the dark and mysterious setting, there is

threat of physical violation to women, and all support element of abstract, danger, or the supernatural

Furthermore, The reality depresses us, we find gothic or fantasy worlds and escape in them. Stephen

King says ’’ We make up horrors to cope with the real ones’’ means that Gothic is meant to apart

distract us from terrifying realities that we do not want to fight against difficulties.

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Heiland, Donna. Gothic & Gender: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. Ebook.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Ed. Glennis Byron. Peterborough, ON: Broadview, 1998.

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Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Broadview, 2001. Wuthering Heights - Ed.

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and Mr. Hyde." Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Medknow Publications. Web. 01 May 2016.

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