Elements Of Gothic Genre In The Bloody Chamber And The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Gothic literature engages the reader, playing with their emotions using elements of terror and horror to connect them to a particular story. Within the novels ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde and ‘The Bloody Chamber’ by Angela Carter both authors use elements of gothic to provoke a readers reaction of terror and horror. Both authors present gothic elements in their own forms by using different literary techniques and forms of structure within their plots. In ‘The Bloody Chamber’ Angela Carter sets a plot within the chapters, each are laid out differently however they all hinder the same idea of the supernatural, much like in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. Commonly the supernatural was a popular feature within gothic literature in the 17th century. “Since the advances in science were so fast, for some time, the distinction between natural and the supernatural often became blurred. Even the literary culture of the Victorians was touched by the interplay of science and magic”. Therefore, supernatural elements were becoming more apparent in literature during the Victorian era. Much of Gothic literature comes from the genre’s suggestion of supernatural or inexplicable events, such as inanimate objects coming to life (as seen in The Picture of Dorian Gray), ghosts, spirits, and vampires like that of Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic fantasy. It follows the convention of fear and horror, calling upon supernatural elements like that of the past coming back to haunt the future this drives the plot much like in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, which is set in the 19th century, the dominant aspect of the supernatural inhibits the connection between Dorian Gray and his picture. While the picture is growing old and wrinkled, the man it represents remains young and beautiful. The picture also bears the burdens of Dorian’s life. The novel can be considered as a gothic tale but also a psychological drama. Wilde presents this idea here, 'he would examine with minute cure, and sometimes with a monstrous and terrible delight, the hideous lines that seared the wrinkling forehead, or crawled around the heavy sensual mouth' (Wilde, p143). The work of Basil’s painting creates a supernatural atmosphere contributing to the novels later tragedy. It contributes to give a general expression of foreshadowing, an expression that is not far from what lays in path for Dorian. “It seems that a sort of duality exists between Dorian and his picture which is the visible symbol of h and the representation of his conscience” says (Jean S. Nounadonde, Lecturer-Researcher, at University of Abomey-calavi). Whereas, in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ Carter uses elements of the supernatural to show a realist perspective. She “serves to deepen the reality of what has transpired” says (Tower notes). The tranquility of her writing style depicts the morality of gender roles however by presenting these ideas she sticks to traditional gothic writing styles, contrasting modern and older gothic elements within every chapter. Carter uses traditional Gothic supernatural elements but changes the perspective to give us a different view for example, the female vampire a femenist, yet gothic twist and the werewolf rather than the wolf. She also uses the supernatural transformation from human to animal and vice versa.
In ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ and ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’ Carter uses transformation from human to animal and vice versa, exploring how two natures can exist in one person, and how transformation can reveal some idea of truth. Metamorphosis is essential in these tales and the idea of blurring reality and fantasy is traditional in the gothic genre. This introduces the idea of traditional gothic supernatural elements, which intrigues the reader with mystery. However, it could be suggested that Carter used the metamorphosis and described successive layers of female flesh being removed to reveal a true identity unconstrained by human form, metaphorically this also happens between Dorian’s reality and the life in which his sins allow him to live in ‘ The Picture of Dorian Gray’. In the chapter ‘The werewolf’ Carter took a wrote more typical to gothic genre by using common supernatural creatures such as wolves, witches and the devil. She also introduced popular superstitions like ‘wreaths of garlic on the doors’ which was believed to keep vampires away.
Another main gothic element which is widely used in literature to create a gothic story in genre is setting. Gothic novelists set the tone by carefully choosing the physical location of a scene, as the atmosphere and environment of a Gothic novel directly contributed to the feeling of fear and uneasiness. Authors often used settings like dark forests, unnerving mountain regions, ominous climatic conditions, and threatening storms. Castles, romanticised in the Medieval period, played a large role in early Gothic writings. For example, Gothic writer Mary Shelley set her scenes amid creepy locations such as graveyards, gloomy castles, and even developed the persona of a grotesque monster to emphasize the eerie plot of her 1818 novel Frankenstein.
Many early writers had a fascination with exoticism and foreign, unexplored territory. This was explored in William Beckford’s 1786 novel Vathek, an omniscient story about an Arabian caliph whose reign is marked by turbulence and unrest. It is set in the Middle East and helped spark interest in Arab and Asian culture. “Gothic” also alludes to a style of grand, ornate architecture in France in the 12th century. In Gothic literature, you see lots of haunted houses, cobwebbed castles and derelict churches. You also see dark, cramped, and claustrophobic interiors with hidden doors and secret passageways, settings with hidden skeletons. The outside world in Gothic literature is usually portrayed as being a dark, wild, and treacherous place full of wrathful weather, malevolent forests, and ghostly graveyards.
In the novel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ Wilde sets his story into Victorian London, ascribing it features of a Gothic environment. London acquires negative attributes such as “grey”, “monstrous”, “horrid”, which gives ambivalent connotations to the strong status of the capital. Dorian Gray explores the double face of the city, the West End and East End, the contradictory sites of fortune and degeneration. Dorian lives in a large house in the Grosvenor Square situated in the West End. Though not a Gothic castle, the large town house has Gothic components. There is a Gothic space in the house. Dorian uses a secret press in a library where he keeps his disguises. When he murders Basil, he puts there Basil’s belongings as well. Gothic fictions commonly employs secret places as passages, or trapdoors, Dorian uses the press to hide his corruption. Similarly Angela Carter also uses setting to present her intriguing ideas. ‘The Bloody Chamber’ is set in a castle. The castle is a typical gothic setting, occurring in many gothic texts. It is described as being in 'faery solitude', and this is a classic gothic theme of blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The narrator also says 'That lovely, sad, sea-siren of a place', this foreshadows the death that surrounds the place. A sea-siren lures sailors to small islands and this eventually kills them. A sea-siren is typically a femme fatale, and Carter may be subverting the trope by making the siren the Marquis lure women to their deaths. The setting seems to be a strong indicator of the Gothic in the novel. The abandoned room at the top of a large house which hides the changing picture resembles Gothic chambers which served as a concealment. There is another secret place in the house which hides Dorian’s disguise as well as Basil’s possessions.
The author also provides a vivid depiction of one of Dorian’s journeys to the East End. Wilde portrays a gloomy night atmosphere of dark streets and shabby houses. He intensifies the scene with grim weather and disturbing sounds of a barking dog and a screaming seagull. “Dorian likes to sink in those places of ill-repute where he can get opium and enjoy the company from the bottom of society”.
Within the gothic genre plot conventions are the building blocks to creating an unsettling atmosphere. A Gothic novel is something of an inverted romance, as it tends to see things from the seamy side. During Victorian times, Gothic literature gave authors and readers an opportunity to explore romance and sexuality, and transgressive thoughts, desires, and impulses, although usually in fairly heteronormative ways. As it’s widely believed Gothic literature stemmed from Romantic literature, the two genres share overlapping characteristics. Many Gothic novels are plagued by a passionate romance that often leads to sorrow and tragedy. The works of Charles Dickens centered on a Romantic-style love affair, but also featured horrific villains and Gothic settings. In the Victorian era, Gothic novels even provided an outlet for exploration of sexuality, as seen in Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 poem, “Annabel Lee.” Commonly, Gothic sexuality is usually somewhat repressed, women are expected to be pure and helpless while men are expected to be quietly predatory. It's also patriarchal, with men making moves and women reacting to them. We see a lot of this within Wilde’s writing. Dorian neglects Syball, his fiance and has multiple affairs whilst with her, when she tries to reason with him on his estranged behaviour he instantly shuts her down. By doing so she chooses to end her life and commits suicide by drowning herself. This gothic romantic tragedy conveys a darkenning plot which alters the bounds between gothic and romance.
A key gothic element used in genre within literacy is horror alongside terror. These two elements elicit intense suspenseful feelings of fear, shock, dread or disgust. Gothic literature likes to flirt with the boundaries between good and evil keeping us guessing which is which. Often, Gothic writers use melodrama or “high emotion” to convey a thought. This exaggerated, impassioned language helps convey the panic and terror inherent in many characters. Themes of madness and emotional distress were seen in many of the 20th century Gothic novels that depicted the condition of psychosis. For example, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” is written from the perspective of a woman suffering from postpartum depression. Further on from this ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray includes a feature very common to Gothic genre, passages which inspire both horror and terror. The extreme feelings are connected with Dorian. Dorian either spreads terror or he is himself filled with it. He produces terror in Basil on their first encounter which prefigures Basil’s death. On other occasion, Dorian fears that Basil might see the changing picture. The second horror scene portrays Dorian close to death. It combines both horror and terror as Dorian is “paralysed with terror” of his death when James Vane wishes to shoot him. The last horror scene is indeed the last scene of the novel which reveals Dorian’s hidden personality projected onto the decayed body. Dorian, in the end, personifies the portrait of his soul. Wilde uses both horror and terror in his novel in order to evoke strong feelings in the reader. Similarly in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ the foreshadowing of the heroine’s death awokes terror in the reader's emotions letting us fear for what is to come. Alongside the heroine‘s fear of her husband’s return which is used as built up suspense and increased terror. The metaphors of Marquis as a beast and as God invoke terror in the reader as he is very powerful, dominant Gothic male. Also ‘All the better to see you’ creating perverse imitation of childhood fears terror. Carter uses horror to shock and scare her audience. However, it is her use of terror that appeals to the reader’s intellect, creating suspense and fear typical of Gothic novels. Terror is more important and more prominent in Carter’s stories and this makes them fit in so well with the Gothic genre. Much like in Wilde’s style of writing.
In conclusion to this Oscar Wilde blends in his novel traditional Gothic features as does Angela Carter. “The novel was published in 1890, a period called fin de siècle when the Victorian era of success was being questioned”. Accordingly, the work undermines the worries surrounding the age. It uses a common theme of degeneration which was proposed by Charles Darwin. Darwin challenged the established belief in human superiority when he argued that the men might regress back into a lower state. Also, the novel deals with a use of science which was both popular and feared. Third element which typifies the fin siècle novels, the setting, shifts from the distant past of exotic lands to the contemporary London. Hence London is the place of a prosperous West End but also of the decaying working class area of the East End. Consequently, the work might be regarded as a typical example of the degeneration fin de siècle Gothic novels.
