Doppelgänger In Gothic Novels

“The Enlightenment” or “Age of Reason”, was a period roughly around 1685 to 1815 during which, movements such as the rise of empiricism, natural philosophy and modern scientific inventions were quite prevalent - especially preceding and during the Victorian era. Literature written within the Victorian period of 1837 to 1901 was largely influenced by these movements and often portrayed an opposition or alignment towards them. Dracula and Frankenstein can be great examples, both written during, or slightly after “The Enlightenment” and Victorian era, while being great examples of “Gothic Fiction”. As such, today’s discussion will summarize the way in which Victorian literature - specifically Dracula and Frankenstein - were both influenced by movements during the “The Enlightenment”.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Frankenstein’s direct association with fundamental Gothic literature is extremely renowned. However, the novel’s originality is derived from the foundational thematic values found within the relationship (or lack there of) between Victor Frankenstein and the monster he had created, in combination with a fascinatingly captivating plot. Understandably, Frankenstein can often be associated with a multitude of concepts; however, in this particular instance, the circumstances in the book seemed remarkably coherent with Shelley’s Romantic beliefs in preserving the natural world, and one’s natural existence. These values present themselves as metaphorical symbols that

Along with being contradictory, the era was also ironic because although so many things were considered socially unacceptable, they were practiced commonly. The Victorians only wanted others to think that they lived chaste lives, but in reality they would give into human emotions. They strove to become something that they were not able to become. The main social code to live by during this period was to not to give into human temptation, to keep a calm and poised composure.

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s Creation reach similar conclusions humanity by seafaring to the North Pole, delving into the dark depths of science, and observing the rejecting nature of humans. The three tragic heroes Walton, Frankenstein and the Creation are all character doubles in their initial enthusiasm for knowledge, inner dualist personalities, religiously glorified personal goals, possessive relationships and negative effects of gaining knowledge. The three character’s views of humanity are a microcosm of the culturally accepted importance of beauty, and how the culmination of knowledge can be blinding and lead to utter ruination.

Humans are known for bestowing their judgment irrationally and based on the “book cover” of a person, they may degrade their fellow human into the worst positions of the social ladder. Mary Shelley, in her novel Frankenstein, expands on this perspective by using mood and tone to parallel with the circumstances of an event occurring in her novel with shifts throughout the context of the book, symbolized by the changes in nature and seasons. This shift is made frequently between the agonized, desperate, frightful, maybe even suicidal mood and tone with the occurrence of dreadful acts of murder and execution, to the more calming, soothing, optimistic and life-full during a physical and spiritual recovery.

     Romantic writer Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein does indeed do a lot more than simply tell story, and in this case, horrify and frighten the reader. Through her careful and deliberate construction of characters as representations of certain dominant beliefs, Shelley supports a value system and way of life that challenges those that prevailed in the late eighteenth century during the ‘Age of Reason’. Thus the novel can be said to be challenging prevailant ideologies, of which the dominant society was constructed, and endorsing many of the alternative views and thoughts of the society. Shelley can be said to be influenced by her mothers early feminist views, her father’s

Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, explores the duality of human nature. He writes this novel to show us that humans have split personalities, and that there are two sides to human’s personality: good and evil. In the late-Victorian literature, duality appears to be a common theme; serving as a way for modern readers to analyze late-Victorian literature and culture. Stevenson weaves throughout the novel a theme of duality + which appears in the characters of both Jekyll and Hyde as well as in Stevenson’s characterization of London itself.

Mary Shelley discusses the themes of birth and creation, appearance and the necessity of companionship, love and acceptance in her novel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in Frankenstein are relevant to today’s modern world. Shelley challenges readers by endorsing and confronting attitudes and values in her text through the events, circumstances and outcomes that take place in the novel, thus causing the reader to reflect upon their own lives and in turn the society around them.

In 1837, the start of the Victorian era, Britain began experiencing massive changes in the culture of the nation and in the industrial sector. Cultural works began to move away from rationalism, and became more romanticized and more influenced by mysticism. Privacy became a hallmark of British life as well; the outer walls of citizens’ homes were transformed into a façade by which innumerable mysteries resided behind. This romanticized idea of mystery that seemed to lurk behind the doors of the common, everyday man became a prevalent theme in the works of many writers and artists throughout the time period. Robert Louis Stevenson uses this theme of not knowing the true nature of an individual, as well as the idea of duality, to develop his theme that an evil side lies within every man and that balancing both sides is vital to preservation of ones sanity.

The novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was a piece written in 1817 during a time when women weren’t considered to be adequate authors. Shelley’s work is both intriguing as it is thought provoking. She brings to light the true nature of society and life altogether when tested. She factors in how the outside world can influence our choices in writing. George Levine from “The Ambiguous Heritage of Frankenstein” and Benjamin Truitt from “Frankenstein Critical Analysis and Literary Criticism” both share their opinions about Shelley’s piece of written work.

Stevenson's novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a great example of a Victorian novel, by showing the prominence of reputation, and using London's urban setting. In this article, the novel is discussed using a religious framework, and Freud's theory of the mind. It also uses the ideals of good versus evil in dualism. Dualism is defined as the thought that facts about this world in, general or of a particular class, cannot be explained except by without using 2 principles (Singh, Shubh M., and Subho Chakrabarti.). Robert Balfour Louis Stevenson was a born in Scotland.

Primarily, The Victorian era, during which the novella was published, valued appearance and reputation. The era encouraged and strived for propriety, mainly on the surface. It rejected anything that went against society’s rigid, restraining values. It resisted anything that appeared immoral and corrupt. The era was

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) present two different ways that duality can be seen in human nature through the use of the composers individual style. Although both texts were set during the Victorian period, there is a clear distinction between how the theme is expressed. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde’s use of mirrors symbolises the duality in Dorian’s nature, and the façade that covers up his true self. The “most magical of mirrors” that is his portrait which contains and represents his soul, juxtaposes beauty and consciousness exploring the duality of Dorian’s life, and the slow decline into lunacy that results from the separation of his body and soul.

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein conceptualise how the confusion between central character’s appearances and the reality of their personality marginalise the capacity for independence from that character. The unique implementation of characterisation, setting, and symbolism are used by both authors in their respective texts to illuminate the complexity of human relationships both with each other and with themselves. Characterisation is used in both texts to explore how protagonists are unknowingly trapped in the preconceived ideas about their appearance held by society. Ibsen and Shelly use the social setting of both texts to explore how the independence of an individual can promote a change in societal views. Additionally, both authors utilise symbolism in their texts to communicate how the characters view their situation and to incorporate foreshadowing within the texts. Ibsen’s naturalistic modern tragedy and Shelley’s gothic novel both examine the relationships between the protagonists and the culture they were created in to explore how a society can marginalise a person by their appearance.

Poe and Hawthorne are the most significant American writers of 19th century. They have their own way of relating to their audiences that’s varied and similar at the same time. Poe’s writing involves the reader emotionally. Hawthorne on the other hand considers author’s imagination important and paints a picture based on it. These innovative thoughts and experimentations in language have forever changed what we appreciate in writing. Poe and Hawthorne used various techniques in their writing including symbolism, allegory, suspense, characterization and great use of setting to make it very real to the reader. Both gothic writers set a different mood for the reader in their writings.