Duality In Gothic Fiction
Within the genre of Gothic Fiction, the aspect of dualism is clearly evident and significant. ... Dualism present in the Gothic Fiction of this time then can be seen as a reaction to a dualistic society. ... These examples of dualism will be examined in detail, with the aid of primary Gothic texts from the appropriate era. Death in Gothic Fiction was a prevalent and much discussed topic. ... Thus, the inclusion of vampires in Gothic Fiction is one of the ways of representing desire for literal immortality, as well as more subtle kinds. ... Indeed, nowhere is the criminality or duality more clear than in this particular work. In Jekyll’s final confession he states, “I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either it was because I was radically both” (Stevenson, 42). ... This generally reflects the ideas of the society as a whole during the era when Gothic Fiction was produced. ... Good and evil in the one being is expected, natural and was part of the society of the time of Gothic Fiction. ... As the Gothic Fiction audience largely included the middle class, this repression was an important part of these texts. ... The period when Gothic Fiction was produced heralded great scientific achievements and discoveries. ... The themes of science and religion frequently occurred dualistically in Gothic Fiction. ... Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the result of scientific readings and time spent in the company of Gothic writers including Byron, is a prime example of the science and religion dualism. ... It can be seen, then, that dualism is an important and telling aspect of Gothic Fiction. ... Looking at Gothic Fiction, it is clear that it is a complex and meaningful genre, perhaps due more attention than many critics have previously been willing to give. ... EN218 Studies in Literary Traditions and Genres: The Gothic Novel.