Sublime In Frankenstein Essay - 1497 Words

Most Gothic novels aim to show the sinister side of human nature. They depict the dark terrors which lie beneath the reader s mentality. The term Gothic suggests a genre which deals with frightening and mysterious settings by giving connotations of ghostly castles and supernatural events. The Sublime experience as stated by the critic Longinus is, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a matter of treatment. The particular form of the sublime experience that requires prepossessing objects is not only the form; it is simply the form in which enthusiasm preponderates over irony [1] . The Castle of Otranto is the first Gothic novel written by Horace Walpole in which the idea of the Sublime is presented through its physical, transcending and overpowering imagery. This†¦show more content†¦Edmund Burke a theorist stated in his works that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger; that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime [2] . The critic attempts to assemble an authoritative definition of the sublime here. Furthermore Gothic castles were built as symbols of systematic power; they were definite assertions of ambition that rested on the owner s control of others. A sense of empowerment is suggested through this idea therefore indicating to the Sublime having a dominant role in the Gothic genre. Intended to convey a disputing power, Walpole implies images of force, hierarchy, stability and command in the novel. The Castle Of Otranto, attempts to capture a sense of realism through its illustration of settings and characters. Burke commented that: whatever is fitted to produce such a tension must be productive of a passion similar to terror; and consequently must be a source of the sublime, though it should have no idea of danger connected with it [3] . Consequently the Sublime is shown to be produced by a passion which is closely related to terror, this is evident through the tension created by the settings and characters; a sense of terror is illustrated. The novel was an original Gothic behind the overthrow of the Roman Empire, therefore Gothic at the time applied toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1527 Words   |  7 Pagesoutcast of society. To emphasise this, the sublime settings in the text, provide a space where the marginalised can be heard, however, for in contrast to the power of beauty which works to contain and maintain social distinctions, the sublime in Frankenstein opens the way for the excluded to challenge the dominant discourse and this appears to be one of many things the creature substantially appears to represent.1 There is a critique of beauty in Frankenstein on anaesthetic grounds as well as what isRead MoreFrankenstein, by Mary Shelley1078 Words   |  5 PagesMary 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. 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