Gothic Horror : Frankenstein And Dracula

            Anyone who has ever seen one of the several adaptations of Dracula as a movie will know that it was intended to be a horror story.  Stoker goes to great lengths in order to create an

In what ways can Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Be considered as a Gothic novel? Can Gothic literature still appeal to us today? Gothic Literature was most popular from about 1764 until 1832, a period of nearly seventy years. At this time there were many successful and famous authors who wrote books which contained a somewhat 'gothic theme'.

The foundation of horror genre was set by monsters that not only haunted your dreams but also conveyed rich themes found deep beneath the surface. Vampires are considered a symbol of seduction and sophistication while Frankenstein monsters represent misunderstanding, oppression, and rebellion. Some of the strongest symbolism is found in standard films of the horror genre does not come from the frequently updated relics. Utilizing fear and horror as mechanisms for subtext, social commentary, and symbolism, George Romero created a new horror genre, one that scares and shines just as much as great horror classics. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead revolutionized the once stagnant zombie film and made into something unstoppable, still to this day zombie movies rake in millions of ticket sales at the box office while remaining culturally relevant.

In the 19th century, this basis of scary and thriller books started to emerge. This essay will be about who Dracula enticed women, how his detainer was unsettling and demonic. How the era in which the novel was written plays a part in the ideas of Dracula and how behaves; with such things as women, food, and Harker. The Victorian era definitely influenced the writing of the time through reflections of exploitation of women and a certain darkness in ones self, also explains of mystery and suspense.

The world of copyright was just as convoluted in the 1920’s as it is in our world today. The film studio Prana Film, which produced the 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, was sued for copyright infringement by the estate of Bram Stoker, the author of the 1897 Gothic Horror novel Dracula, and ended up filing for bankruptcy after only distributing one film. While this may seem like an immense failure for the studio behind the silent film, it ended up influencing almost a century of vampires, in novels, television, and other films, and made the name ‘Nosferatu’ synonymous with the equally influential novel that it was based upon. On the surface, Nosferatu is a blatant copy of Dracula, from it’s plot, to the characters (besides the change in names), to the portrayal of vampires in general; in reality, many aspects of both bodies of work differ immensely from one another, providing both Stoker and director F. W. Murnau pieces that have influenced generations of vampire media. The structure, characterization and overall tone of Nosferatu is developed differently than Dracula in order to differentiate itself from it’s source material and provide an alternate adaptation of an iconic tale.

Classic texts are valued as their representation of cultural and social concerns are constructed in a way that continues to resonate with audiences despite their personal context. Cultural values are regarded by larger society as they reflect the social and political attitudes of the time. “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, is a gothic science fiction novel written in 1818, which explores the dark side of the human psyche, a highly valued cultural value, formed from the romanticism era. Shelley explores the role of man as creator as she forewarns of the impact of scientific advancement. These issues are re-examined in the twenty- first century film, “Edward Scissorhands”. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ is an appropriation of Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, directed by Tim Burton in the 1990. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ also explores the dark side of human psyche. Burton examines on what makes us human, as well as the perspective of living in society, being regarded as a ‘monster’. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a 1975 gender bender, sci-fi, comedy, horror musical film, directed by Richard O’Brien. O’Brien pursue in encouraging to expand our society’s social standards, a cultural value from the sexual revolution throughout the eras of the 1960’s to 1980’s. Shelley’s “Frankenstein” has been adapted by Burton’s “Edward Scissorhands” as well as O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. These films have adapted to “Frankenstein” as it explores the cultural value of the dark side of human psyche

Mary Shelley is noted as a brilliant novelist for writing the unorthodox tale called Frankenstein at only 18, creating one of the earliest examples of science fiction. This spark of a new genre inspired countless pieces in the Gothic-Romantic era of literature; many of these stories are cliche and typically featuring a tall, green, bolts-in-the-neck giant named Frankenstein. By now, we know that this is false and that the real monster was a grotesque man formed by a scientist named Victor Frankenstein. However, there are a few pieces that do capture the beauty of the original novel. The American horror-comedy Young Frankenstein is one of them.

Evil features in both ‘Dracula’ and ‘Frankenstein’ but the personification of this evil is different in both novels. A feeling of menace and doom pervades ‘Dracula’ because of his supernatural powers. One feels that he has control of the evil and he has the power to manipulate the environment and people for his own ends. ‘Frankenstein’ centres on the creation of a monster made from parts of dead bodies and the fear created by the monster due to circumstance and the ignorance of society. Also, one feels a certain amount of apprehension that the monster is deserted by his creator and loses control without his support and guidance.

While reading James A. W. Hefferman’s essay a multitude of points came about. Foremost, I came across the question of what can film versions of Frankenstein offer to academic critics of the novel? As well as can they be anything more than vulgarizations or travesties of the original? Furthermore, Hefferman invokes the question of what is a monster? Next, we are asked to look at the nightmare Victor has and what desire comes about. Lastly, we are asked to take a cultural look at how the nameless monster has captivated popular imagination for nearly two

The first inspiration that the Dracula novel has on horror movies is the use of

“By the early 1930s, horror entered into its classic phase in Hollywood - the true Dracula and Frankenstein Eras.” (Horror Films) The original Dracula was released in 1931. Dracula was a five hundred year old vampire was that was very frightening to early audiences. This undead villain entranced and charmed his victims with his veracity.”(Horror Films) The 1930’s also brought the first production

With figurative eye of newt and toe of frog, Tod Browning’s Freaks stirs a grotesque, boiling caldron of Terror, Horror, and Revulsion within the viewer. Perpetually flinging itself between these three genres of fear, in an artful dance of death, Browning splices, mutates, and combines images to create a Frankenstein’s Monster of conjoined dread and trepidation.

The Gothic genre does suppress vulnerable women. They are exploited in order to please the tyrannical male and feed his desires. When the women is no longer of use, she is then discarded. The Gothic genre is described as ‘formulaic” and one of the key features is a tyrannical male who abuses his power to assert his dominance over a perceived futile women. Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ was written in time where women started to want more equal rights and opportunities. For example, in the same year Dracula was published (1897), Millicent Fawcett founded ‘The National Union of Women’s Suffrage’. Bram Stoker feared the decline of the patriarchal figure and could have created ‘Dracula’ as an attempt to scaremonger the public into thinking what would

Wuthering Heights, Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey. What do all these titles have in common? The answer is simple- the genre of Gothic literature, one composed solely from English authors during the 18th and 19th centuries. Illustrated beautifully, the novels’ combined an air of horror and mystery, seamlessly entwined to form a medieval setting.

As time has progressed in the same regard so has film, the cinema styles we see today contain modern film techniques and state of the art cinema equipment, however elementally they all draw influences from film eras of their past. Many established current day film directors have done an in-depth analysis of past film movements and often incorporate those elements in their films. Tim Burton, one of the most esteemed directors of our time has done extensive studies particularly on films from the German Expressionism era and often incorporates those influences as seen in his 1990 blockbuster, Edward Scissorhands. Metropolis, in particular, regarded as one of the greatest films from the German Expressionism era, showcases aspects of this era that Tim Burton’s film directly derives from, everything from the generally dark visuals to the development of setting and storyline. In viewing both films and examining them side by side, it is quite clear Edward Scissorhands contains many modern-day film styles, however at the same time draws numerous influences from Metropolis and from the German Expressionism era in general. The most astounding aspect of the German Expressionism era is the influences it has made in films that were made far past its prime. At any point in history films and directors incorporate clear influences from past cinematic eras, films such as Edward Scissorhands included modern day film styles while drawing key characteristic influences from films like Metropolis