Please read the article by David Punter about the Gothic here
Then, please add a comment, making a specific reference to both the article and at least one of the stories from 'The Bloody Chamber' that you have read. You may also wish to consider other critical material you have encountered.
Could you please also write down the 6 key words/phrases Punter lists for "Why is the Gothic?" and bring them to our next lesson (Tuesday 26th June).
Nussbaum
Although Punters arguments are valid, they could be described as rather generic, pointing out idly the obvious such as the psychological boundaries the gothic genre pushes (both artistically and in literature), and the idea of feminism being explored.
ReplyDeleteIn both the Snow Child and The Bloody Chamber, we as readers are confronted with visceral sexual images that differ and break the boundaries of the previous contempory 19th century literary style. The introduction of sexual innuendo and alterier motives not just in these stories, but in poems and short stories by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake (i favour Blake :] ), re-established the Gothic Genre, not just as a culture descended from the Goths of germany, but as a new "phase" - were original ideas were challenged and contradicted, exploring openly themes of Death, Lust and Love, in a society that frowned upon venturing into taboo subjects. To second Punters opinion that "Gothic, perhaps, tests the limits of the human.", where he meant this simply on a basis of science and technology, i believe the Gothic pushed EVERY limit of Human nature and qualities...socially, in ideas, and in the way that Literature developed..
Kira =]
In relation to Shakira's comment, I do believe Punter is being rather general in exploring the Gothic genre. Yet, he specifically points out in his conclusion, "there is no one simple definition of the Gothic." We can see this if we look into the modern writer's interpretation of Gothicism, as the Gothic genre accompanies many more genres as a "sub-genre" (as in Dracula, the archetecture and monsters are "motifs" of Gothicism, whereas there is a strong element of romance throughout the novel).
ReplyDeleteIf we relate the different angles one can take on the Gothic genre to Angela Carter's stories, we can see in such tales as 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' and 'The Tiger's Bride' that Carter draws in ideas of love and desire, extending the limits of human nature by expressing that the lion can indeed 'lie down with the lamb'.
Emma
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ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article but I feel that the author mentions contemporary Gothic literature very briefly, and only discusses the basic conventions of Gothic art and literature; there are some things which have been omitted about Gothic literature. He does talk about a contemporary period with the evolution of horror stories and that is about it.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to Angela Carter, a contemporary Gothic novelist, "The Tiger's Bride" shows that male ideas of women will not change until women have changed themselves to be as autonomous and independent as men, especially those who have dropped their mask of masculinity hence the transformation at the end of the story. Therefore, men and women should see each other as what they really are and so that mutual respect of a shared animal nature is the basis of happiness in human relationships. Carter challenges the conventional preponderance of women in Gothic literature.
"The Snow Child" is incredibly disturbing as it is an exploration of sexual jealousy and competition between women for the attention of men, as well as an allegory of familial tension between parents and children. Also, the graphic necrophilia implies that men desire dead fantasies rather than accept women as they really are. Thus, Gothic literature is considered to be sexually violent. This is something that Punter should have mentioned as a criticism of Gothic literature.
By Yusuf.
the article by Punter seem to be rather thought provoking as the word 'Gothic' conveys a sense that it doesn't have a fixed meaning but rather is merely a subjective style of writing. Despite the reoccurring motifs that authors use e.g castles and supernatural elements in which can be identified in Carter's 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon', these are only elements that appear in tales in response to the word 'Gothic', but is however, not the definition of Gothicism itself. (I think it's arguable to say the Beast is a supernatural being as he is not human himself, equally he was enchanted by a witch/ fairy in which owned powers that can be classed as supernatural).
ReplyDeletecertainly I think what Punter stated as 'literary opposition' can be founded in the ideas of tigerishness and lambishness, as well as the colour contrasts against white; which tends to depict vulnerability and innocence, thus the colour used against white would be the contamination of this purity.
Ka Yin
As Punter explicitly states in the article, "the Gothic, in fact, has an even longer history and a broader cultural spread", than just the initial idea of "black robes, black lips, vampire fixations, a certain type of music" therefore I believe it's interesting in how he has introduced cultural and social aspects into this Literal Genre which one would not initially associate it with. The gradual entry of supernatural beings as Punter has said in Mary Shelly, Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake's work evolved the genre entirely, moving on from the typical ghost or witch with the introduction of Vampires/Dracula's/Beasts/the Supernatural.
ReplyDeleteWhat was particularly thought provoking for me was the description of the moods, where Punter claims: "In the Gothic, this mood always has something to do with the past". However, I disagree with this point made as I see from Angela Carter's work such as: 'The Snow Child' and 'The Werewolf' where moments of 'terror' and 'horror' happen extremely instantaneously without a reference to the past at all.
Interestingly, Punter displays the Gothic to be a conflict between two polar opposites such as: "barbarity versus civilisation; the wild versus the domestic (or domesticated); the supernatural versus the apparently ‘natural’" - an incredible phrase which encapsulates exactly how most of Angela Carter's work is functioned. The battle between 'life and death' and 'abnormality contrasted with ordinance' (this can be seen in her choice of setting, castles/palaces/the woods).
Loresa.
Apologies if what I'm trying to argue isn't very clear..it's the simplest way I could put it
Punter suggests that there is no specific definition for "the gothic". Although most people relate the term to the typical ideas of Black robes, black lips and dark music. The gothic is actually made up of a long history and broader cultural spread. Different writers are able to take the different visual ideas associated with gothism, for example images of cathedrals and other medieval cathedrals and use them as inspirations for settings and places in their own works. The Courtship of Mr Lyon uses specific gothic elements when describing the place of the beast and the beast himself. His monster like character reflects the gothic motion of monsters from our nightmares and the character of beauty can be seen as a victim, a possession of first her father and then of the beast. Punter believes that in gothic literature men always have the upper hand." this theme runs throughout most of carters stories. By saher and sadia
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