Manderly as an Appropriate Setting for a Gothic Novel

In Rebecca du Maurier has hybridised the romance with the gothic genre and the psychological thriller. In Chapter One the scene at Manderly closely resembles a nightmare. The imagery often relates back to a labyrinth and a monster which the readers can connect to the Greek story about Theseus and the labyrinth. The story of the labyrinth and the monster symbolise Manderly as the labyrinth and Maxim being the monster at the middle of all the problems at Manderly. Du Maurier has also written a lot of imagery of death, and monstrosity and unnatural matings. All of

Gothic literature is a literary genre that began in england in the late 1700’s that “Gothic” refers to medieval buildings, such as castles that were seen typically as dark, dreary, gloomy and mysterious which inspired a mood for many books. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a good of example of gothic literature because it had a gloomy tone commonly found in most gothic literature. This can be found in the first paragraph when the narrator says “ a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit”. This shows“The Fall of the House of Usher” is gothic literature because it sets up a gothic tone in the first paragraph.

A setting in an unnatural or exotic place as well as multitudes of supernatural occurrences are characteristics that define a piece of literature as gothic. Gothicism, as a part of the Romantic Movement in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, was commonly used during this time period as a way to entertain audiences in an unfamiliar way that would keep them engaged. Gothic pieces are written to be “thrill-provoking manipulations of our unconscious” (Randel 185). The setting is a very important aspect of gothic literature, with “the rationale for setting its horrors in particular places ... ‘what happens depends a lot on where it happens’” (185). The places that dark situations occur tend to add to the suspense and the gruesomeness.

Gothic literature is a literary genre that began in England in the late 1700’s. It contains bleak and remote settings as well as weird plots and violent incidents. Strongly dramatic, descriptive language is used here, which sets the overall mood. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a good example of gothic literature because it portrays all of the elements of the gothic style; gloomy/eerie mood and symbolism. For example, in Poe’s story, the narrator stated, “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country.”[13] This sets the melancholy mood as well as the mysterious setting. The setting was written in a descriptive manner, which is another aspect of gothic literature. Therefore, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is

As the gloom sets in and becomes known, the atmosphere is intensely described, "There was an iciness, a sinking, sickening of the heart an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime." (Poe, 294) This illustrates an unsettling vibe to the reader as, "Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from the eaves." (297) The impression of the surroundings can be reported as harsh and wearisome, which then creates a foreshadow of the uncanny events to come. A weariness in atmosphere can also be depicted in, "During the whole of a dull and soundless day in the autumn of the year when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens," (293) as an ominous presence in setting is again being emphasized to show the conditions in which the Ushers have been living in. Nature is being used to set the chilling ambiance making it gothic and eerie. It is also noted that, "Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction," (297) showing how the old house has a history much as the Ushers do. The setting in the story contributes greatly to the element of goth.

Gothic Literature includes a gloomy mood and a dramatic description throughout the story. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a good example of Gothic Literature because it has a gloomy mood which helps the story feel more eerie and also contains a dramatic description which makes the reader feel as if they are in the moment and living the event. For example, in Poe’s story,”...but the first glimpse of the building a sense of insufferable gloom prevademy spirit.”(13). He sets a gloomy and dark mood which is one of the requirements for Gothic Literature and describes it in a way that makes everything sound like a crucial event. He also explains the building using words such as “spirit” making the mood very menacing and creepy. Therefore, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is considered Gothic Literature because it meets all of the requirements and views the world in a dark and mischievous way. (Melissa Medina)

Gothic literature has an incredibly vast and important history. It is based off of gothic architecture and became a genre in literature in the late 1700s. This genre was created by the rejection of predictability and this sent writers to the “murky past”, The Middle Ages, to write about (Snodgrass). Overall, this time period provided substantial inspiration for gothic literature because it was highly contrasting with its prominent improvements and horrible crimes. Later on, in the 18th century, gothic literature evolved from being about the Middle Ages to current problems with contemporary culture and social problems of the specific time era. Each time period and each different place in the world had different subjects that gothic literature

In the stories “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “A Rose for Emily”, both main characters decide to isolate themselves from the rest of society. However, the two genres also have their fair share of differences when it comes to things such as setting and architectural design. In Gothic Literature the setting paints a gloomy tone and tries to paint a surreal image of how somber things are. The architecture found in it enhances this feeling, painting an eerie picture for readers to imagine. This contrasts with how Southern Gothic Literature expresses itself. Instead, it uses a setting more readily recognizable, from a somber time to create a serious tone for the reader. The architecture used in it is also a reflection of the time, foregoing fantastical images of castles in favor of more practical and recognizable buildings, like southern-styled homes and plantations. No matter which genre is chosen, both go about delivering a Gothic tale in their own

Have you ever thought about what makes you become scared when reading scary stories? Gothic writing developed in the late eighteenth century and it was mainly a style of writing where abnormal or ghostly experiences were portrayed. In the stories Castle of Otranto, “Sir Bertrand,” and Romance of the Forest, terror is illustrated by emphasizing the architectural environments that are encountered. The architectural environments in Gothic literature, engage readers and immerse them into the story so that supernatural events can be imaginable, by using common features such as darkness, intricate or secret passages, and abandoned or isolated buildings.

Although the phenomenon of doubling had become a Gothic trope with many seminal works of Gothic literature, with ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, came the paradigm shift that stepped away from the far off and medieval settings to a more urban landscape that was marked by uncanny architectural layouts serving as a favorite site for uncanny disturbances and psychogeographic effects of the environment on the emotions and behavior of individuals. Both the novels deal with inherent dualism both at individual as well as the societal level where the aristocracy has dedicated sites for uncanny occurrences and both are “set in London in the present day, (1800’s) and situates horror within a respectable individual, with its vision of evil reflecting on a much

Gothic Literature is a genre that includes dark settings from the past in their stories, these settings are often desolate with tormented characters and macabre plots. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is an excellent example of Gothic Literature because the author utilizes many elements that are essential to the genre. For example, in Poe’s story, he describes a decrepit mansion with great detail. ”Its principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity. The discoloration of ages had been great.” (Poe 15). This line uses descriptions that are vital to the genre of Gothic Literature. Therefore, “The Fall of the House of Usher” is Gothic Literature because of its dark and aged setting.

He begins to describe the house of having an evil, desolate look that creates despair in him. Through his description, he implies that the house is filled with fear and evil. The house evokes fear inside the narrator, just in its mere physical appearance alone. “I again uplifted my eyes to the house itself... the vivid force of the sensations which oppressed me” (Poe). The house is described of having bleak walls and an oppressive atmosphere that is unavoidable.

Elements of gothic literature are prominent in writing from the romantic period. These works were inspired by the beauty of nature and they emphasized emotion and imagination over reason. Works such as “The Black Cat” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs, incorporate the gothic elements and themes of violence, psychological issues, the supernatural, and death. In “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe, violence and psychological issues are prominent elements the author uses to cause the reader to develop an attitude of discomfort and disdain towards the main character who remains anonymous.

In gothic literature, the architecture that inhabits a story can go a long way not only in establishing the mood, but also in establishing the story’s characters. In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1839, readers are introduced to a dreary house that is falling apart, while in another story by Poe published in this same year, “William Wilson,” readers are introduced to a school that, although not in disrepair, is labyrinthian and similarly dreary. Moreover, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, published in 1847, showcases a house, the size of which would normally reflect the wealth and high class of it’s owner, and yet the grounds are overgrown, indicating a lack of attention to maintenance while the house itself only features sparse furnishing. In all of these stories, the buildings that inhabit their pages are more than merely settings. Instead they are fragments of specific characters, representations of some form of wellness, while almost being characters in their own right. In “The Fall of the House of Usher” the house represents the physical wellness of both Roderick and Madeline Usher; whereas in “William Wilson” the school reflects the mental wellness of the lead character; and in Wuthering Heights, the titled building represents the emotional wellness of its owner.

The central theme of all Gothic novels is the presence and symbolism of the Gothic castle. Depiction of ruinous abbeys, monasteries, subterranean passages, vaults, secret panels, and the trapdoors is a standard method of achieving the atmosphere. Howells sees the Gothic castle as being ‘a shadowy world of ruins and twilight scenery lit up from time to time by lurid flashes of passion and violence ’(6). Therefore, the gloominess of the exterior and interior environment is illuminated by intense emotional and passionate moments of the characters that inhabit the castle. As Sage claims, the castle is ‘the lair of the villain’(166), and it is an accurate reflection of his dark and frightening character. Gloomy, dark, and dangerous, the castle reflects the emotions and psychological experience of many of the novel’s characters.