Change uncanny to conscious/sub????
Ruby Canary
‘The greatest source of terror in Gothic Literature is the Self.’
To what extent do the works of Robert Browning, Robert Louis Stevenson and
Angela Carter support this point of view?
The Self is how we all identify ourselves individually, it is our
thoughts, perceptions and emotions; 'the self is therefore an "immediate
given"' (wiki) The Self learns through human experience and thoughts, our
thoughts are ours alone so the only definition of ourselves/ The Self is our own,
alone. The self will always continue to hold awe over humans as we try to
discover our enlightenment, to understand that we are a mystery to ourselves,
The Self proves itself as a source of terror as we do not know who we really
are.
The terror of the self can be explored through the Freudian
uncanny; throughout the works of all authors Browning, Stevenson and Carter as
we learn the character of the uncanny presents itself as wary, scary and
unfamiliar characters in all of the author's writings, creating fear in the
works of literature to a huge extent, and the uncanniness in the Self. In
addition, the haunting theme of animalistic qualities prove to be a threat to
our readings of the three authors, the inhumane and raw unevolved passions in
the Self give the impression of a backwards and unstable species who cannot
control themselves, proving fear to our safety and terror to the gothic. Lastly
it is fair to mention that society's norms are creeping into the terror of the
self in gothic literature to a huge extent in the mentioned works, the outsider
of society can be used as the example to show the individuality of humans, the
unpredictability of us, and how we are shunned by each other if we chose to be
different. Overall, this essay will delve into how much of an extent the works
of Carter, Browning and Stevenson support the view that these three key points
identify how the Self is the greatest sense of terror in gothic literature.
The theory of the Uncanny, a concept further developed
by Sigmund Freud, published 'Das Unheimliche' (1919) which
translates to "the opposite of what is
familiar"/ 'unhomely' examines the uncanny and how it’s something
that is so close to home that it is ‘unhomely’, examples being dolls,
automatons, deformed or deceased human bodies, robots, and
figures that are resembling to the human appearance.
Earlier works by Jentsch, quoted by Freud
examines "the uncanny would always, as it were, be something one does not
know one’s way about in", this can further imply the same truth about the
Self, suggesting the uncanny aspect in The Self. The works of Carter, Stevenson and Browning highlight the popular
gothic convention of the uncanny with analysis on The Self to prove the gothic
convention as a terror.
The uncanny is seen as a truly evil convention in the works of R.L
Stevenson, 'The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. The
character of Mr. Hyde is defiantly classed as the 'uncanny', Mr. Hyde is physically
attributed as stated; 'The other snarled aloud into a hissing laugh' the
description of 'the other' is a synonym for Mr. Hyde as an
uncanny, Mr. Utterson in this quote does not name him as 'the man' or 'he' as a
correct counterpart, which suggests Mr. Hyde is not a man or a gentleman as Mr.
Utterson cannot comprehend exactly what Hyde is, showing Hyde a fit
representation of the uncanny. Additionally, 'if ever
I read Satan’s signature upon a face' Mr. Utterson remarks of Mr. Hyde, this
strongly identifies and pictures how evil Mr. Hyde is to the reader. Mr.
Utterson is suggesting that Hyde is the work of the devil
himself this alone is suggesting how disgusting and demonic an appearance of
the uncanny can be examined, as Mr. Utterson cannot comprehend exactly
what Hyde is, it can be suggested he is then seen as something of a devious
creation; a common conception for misunderstood concepts for Victorian times.
But also, how the human with a conscious (unlike Hyde) can identify if slightly,
how something doesn’t sit right instinctively or subconsciously. It can be evaluated then, as Mr. Hyde is part
of Dr. Jekyll, he is not fully human, and therefore he lacks
a conscious. Stephen LeDrew furthers "for
Freud the experience of uncanniness is linked to unconscious desires and
beliefs that are repressed or surmounted..through the prodding of the work of
uncanny texts, find their way back into consciousness and produce that
discomfort," This implies how the Mr. Hyde is found as 'the other' and
'the outsider' in the sense of repression, as he purely demonstrates his raw
desires split from Dr. Jekyll it can be analysed from this that Hyde is the representative
of the sub-conscious as it, given the chance will unrepressed carry out the raw
desires of the mind.
The works of Browning, demonstrates how the uncanny appears
through the poem of 'Porphyria's lover', with
the examination of the woman Porphyria, as a mental illness. Contextually
speaking 'Porphyria' is a disease that causes hallucinations and
death, it can be suggested that through this poem she is the speaker's mental
illness. Porphyria is suggested as a comforting, sexual, and warm figure to the
speaker 'She shut the cold out and the storm,' is our first suggestion that she
is a comfort and relaxes the speaker, and that the chaos in his mind is relaxed by
her 'from the storm'. Additionally, the conception of the sexual
imagery is suggested that she is tempting him into giving into his mental illness. 'She put my arm about
her waist,
And made her smooth white shoulder bare,' 'bare'
suggests the uncanny element of un-repression, by openly showing herself to the
man, it can be suggested that she is teasing him to give into his raw desires
the ID, through the temptation of Porphyria. In addition, the murder of Porphyria can examine
her as the mental illness as 'she was mine, mine,' suggests she is
his possession, his repetition suggests that he has difficulty
asserting himself, familiar to someone who is losing grip or control, just as
Porphyria tries to persuade him to give into her, suggesting he is struggling
for control as in comparison with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,
he himself is an uncanny figure as without a conscious thought,
he kills her. Critic Barry L Popowich suggests the "the seductress
embodies a disease" ‘seductress’ embodies Porphyria as a taunt to the man
here, as she is a ‘disease’ (that furthers Porphyria as the mental illness) it
can be suggested that Popowich feels Porphyria wants her lover to kill her as
she seduces him to do so. ‘No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain’ To
strange her with a lock of her own hair can suggest how she is not really physically
there, as he has not used a weapon to murder her, additionally she allows him
to do this to her which is furthering the idea she is a taunt and a disease, and
it is also suggested that he is so aware of what he is doing, and sure of
himself as he is confident she felt no pain ‘no pain felt she’.
Overall, the idea that humans, raw, unsuppressed and without a
conscious thought, furthers the uncanny element in The Self as without a
conscious thought, as seen here, the self is destructive and of
terror.
Lastly, the uncanny
aspect of the Marquis is fair to mention as he is of a contrast like that of
Dr. Jekyll, a well-respected man who has a mysterious enigma about him, a dark
side. His aristocratic background and wealth would put anybody at calm; however
his lack of expression, his dark qualities and his sadistic and collection of
violent pornography reveals a mysterious and contrasting aspect to the Marquis.
His eyes have an ‘absolute absence of light’ this can be suggested as it is
picked up on by his new wife, how strange this is, it can be remarked he has no
life, no light in his eyes can suggest he is a dull, unmoving and perhaps a
bored character, his eyes can be remarked or compared like that of a doll eyes,
lifeless, but alive, almost without a soul, suggesting the uncanny aspect in
the Marquis. ‘the face underneath this mask’ is another early remark on her
husband, suggesting how straight away she can notice his lack of conscious, ‘this’
suggests perhaps he has had more than one mask, and this is just simply another
disguise; it is also fair to mention that masks are an uncanny object but also
can be remarked as frightening, as the wife feels towards her husband, she can
only hope he will reveal his true self. Lastly, the comparison of the ‘sentient
vegetable',
and a ‘lily’ are strange comparisons that show beauty but unawareness,
something presented for funerals suggest the foreshadowing of her husband, but
something that stains you also foreshadows, with the comparison of the vegetable
to the lily it can be stated it’s hard to relate to the Marquis, as an uncanny
it is hard to pin him down. All in all, the Marquis is a mysterious man that
relates the uncanny to the Self.
To mention, primal and animalistic qualities
have come so far as for us humans to learn how to control our desires, we
repress our ID from a Freudian perspective for the sake
of adaptation to society, so how do we react when
one chooses to unsuppress their
raw animalistic emotions?
The works of Angela Carter in The Bloody
Chamber examine how the Marquis represents an animalistic and raw
self that can support the claim of the atrocity that
raw animalistic qualities represent the self as a gothic
convention. The Marquis, an aristocratic businessman, therefore he is seen by
society as a great man has he is someone of importance and wealth, addressed by
his 'wealth' and 'gold'. The title Marquis is the only association with the man
in this story, suggesting like an animal he has no name, just a title, and that
he is also more of an unknown and hidden character as we only have
one name for him. 'Marquis' translates to a French nobleman of high status
and politics further suggesting his claim to high society.
The appearance of the Marquis consists of dark, manly and rugged
features that suggest the unknown and animalistic qualities of the
Marquis. 'opulent male scent' is a suggestion that his 'scent' is familiar to
what an animal would have, and his maleness may suggest his dominance and his
opulence may try to hide
his animalistic qualities by wealth
and fortune but his raw animalistic qualities shine through. The
'dark mane' is a further implication of his qualities resembling like a lion, a
lion's dark mane suggests the dark secretive quality and his 'mane'
like a lion he is a dominant king of the land analysing that his wealth
and status suggests the higher authority. His raw sexuality is a further addition
to the Marquis' animalistic behaviour. Marquis de Sade was a great influence on
the works of Angela Carter and who the Marquis is instantly based on, Sade
(sadism) believed violence and sexuality were entangled, which suggests the
behaviour of the Marquis in The Bloody Chamber. 'examined her limb, by limb' is
a suggestion that the marquis is preying on his young new wife like a piece of
meat, as if he is the lion that is admiring his prey sexually
but predatory. "little nun" and "white, enclosed
quietude" The are quotes that suggest the contrast
between the marquis and the 'little nun' as he calls, her, she white and
virginal, him dark and mysterious. Majority of the male characters in the
stories of Angela Carter have a beast-like or are animals themselves this
furthers the indication that the Marquis is an uncanny human as he is a human
of wealth which is comfort to society, however his raw animalistic and
murderous behaviour distances him from the norm of society's behaviour.
CRITIC QUOTE
In addition, the works of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr Hyde present how animal qualities can appear throughout the
characters of the novel. Dr Jekyll states in 'Henry Jekyll's Full
Statement of the Case' how humans are concepted of good and evil and
the splitting of those selves resulted in Dr Jekyll
and Mr Hyde. He states that the Hyde was too strong, pure evil where as Dr
Jekyll was a mix of good and criminal, it shows he had a conscious in
contrast to Mr. Hyde. CRITICAL QUOTE? In chapter 10 it is remarked 'the animal
within me licking the chops of memory;' the 'animal' being Hyde, this suggests
both selves enjoy the thought of devilish thoughts, and like an animal
they reminisce back onto it like a piece of meat, 'licking' to savour
the moment and as if Mr Hyde is patiently waiting to release; this is
where Dr Jekyll spontaneously combusts into Mr Hyde without
aid of a potion, this suggests Mr Hyde has the dominance and control over
Dr Jekyll at this point to control the former self. This overall is suggesting
the dark and animalistic side can easily triumph over the self, which further
suggests the conception that the self is a gothic convention.
Lastly, the works of Browning portray how predominantly the men in his poems identify with the animal side within and how it plays into effect of the self. The poem 'The Last Duchess' identifies a Duke in search for his next duchess, a murderous, jealous, and in need of a wife. The Duke identities as a man who intends to have ownership over his women, 'my duchess' his use of 'my' is suggesting his dominance is like that of an animal, as he needs to control them, or else they die. In Victorian society it fits the mold to try and control women, however as it is pieced together that the Duchesses death was brought on by the Duke's doings it is fair to say that the no remorse killing of his wife resembles that of an animal, as they do not feel remorse as such compared to humans, it is human to kill your wife, and disregard for another, younger mate. It is also suggested that his search for a younger female could be for fertility, as an animal would do in search for a mate. 'Her husband's presence only' on the detail and the portrayal of the portrait further suggests how the poem is through only the Duke's perspective on these events, which suggests his overall now dominance now that she is dead, as well as how unreliable the story is pictured, but as he tries to present himself in a great light 'my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name' it is evident that the Duke is a possessive, murderous man of intention of worshipping his nobility and status, further showing how his murderous intentions and seeking of a controlled, dominated wife identifies how these qualities are representative of how the self is a dark convention of the gothic literature.
