Okay, so with a paper due today and a number of absences, the class did not cover itself with glory today, as revealed on the impromptu quiz. So. Let's try again: The first two chapters for Wednesday, the rest of the novel for Friday. If you weren't in class today, have a look at the Preface to the first edition, which we talked about.
A handful of questions to guide your reading:
1. According to the world depicted by Walpole, is Bianca right, that a bad husband is better than no husband?
2. What reflections do you have on the depictions of working class characters (Diego, Jaquez, Bianca) in this novel?
3. Is the Castle of Otranto sublime?
4. What's up with Manfred?
Cite some text to support your claims.
Deadline: Wednesday (4/27), 1pm.
6 comments:
Question #3: Is the Castle of Otranto sublime? At least up to this point in the novel, I’m finding it a bit difficult to say that it is, something that kind of bums me out considering I spent hours trying to prove the connection between the Gothic and the sublime, and why that matters, in my third assignment. Considering Walpole’s Preface (as well as the reviews we covered in class yesterday afternoon), it’s difficult to read this novel as anything more than novelty and entertainment; that is, after all, how Walpole himself promotes it. I also can’t help but think back to what Kirstin mentioned during one of the first classes this semester—that maybe eighteenth century literature isn’t supposed to be read for anything but what’s on the page. So far, scenes including Conrad’s death and Manfred’s attempts at seducing Isabella just seem to me to be strange and ridiculous for the sake of being strange and ridiculous; I find myself trying to search for a meaning (that may not even be there) and coming up a bit short. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking for it; I’m sure this novel is bound to surprise us. In other words, I guess what I’m saying is that at this point, it may still be too soon for us judge whether or not this Gothic novel is sublime, and I’m looking forward to seeing if further reading of it will prove otherwise.
Ah. Manfred. He is an intensely passionate character that comes off as both terrifying and humorous. I think the primary issue with him, or “his deal”, is his absolute need to pass down his legacy. It is very obvious in the novel that the only way to do this is by producing a son. Here is where his humorous side begins to unveil. On page 22 of the novel, Matilda disobeys her father by visiting his chambers. At first he in unable to conclude who is at his door, but once she reveals herself his response is “Begone, I do not want a daughter” followed by a door slam in Matilda’s face. Rude? I think so. He makes it quite clear here that female offspring are too incompetent to pass down the family genes/names. Along with that, women in general , especially his wife, are useless unless they can produce a son. This point is reiterated numerous times in the following pages with lines such as “Hippolita is no longer my wife…Too long has she cursed me by her unfruitfulness: my fate depends on having sons” (24). This quote is quite sad, actually. Not only is he disregarding the worth of his daughter and wife, but he is also disregarding the “success” of having a son because the boy was sick. Manfred’s insensitivity and selfishness abounds in this chapter. The last quote I want to address is the line “I hope in a few years to have reason to rejoice at the death of Conrad” (23). As a reader, I have to laugh at this because what parent would rejoice at the death of their child? Perhaps I would have to agree with some of the critics in the “authenticity” of the story on this level. It’s just baffling to see Manfred completely disregard his son’s death. The important point to get out of this quote though is the underlying message. It Is evident, from other clues within the narrative, that Manfred’s happiness would stem from the birth of a new, healthy son at the hands of young fertilized Isabella. He’s rather persistent about passing on his genes which makes Manfred such a fascinating (hilarious) character.
The Castle of Otranto definitely has a sublime feeling to it in terms of its haunting, chilling atmosphere. The theme that really caries me through this novel and makes it a worth-while investment to keep reading is the haunting, surreal instances, such as when Manifred is chasing Isabella and the paintings begin to talk to him and when the moon naturally becomes very bright. Manifred says: “Do I dream?" cried Manfred, returning; "or are the devils themselves in league against me? Speak, internal pectre! Or, if thou art my grandsire, why dost thou too conspire against thy wretched descendant, who too dearly pays for.” He is haunted by the pictures of his ancestors showing disapproval of his actions, but that does not stop his pursuit of Isabella. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of Scooby Doo, when they would be in a haunted mansion and the paintings on the walls would have the eyes cut out so the bad “monster” could peer into another room and watch “the gang.” So, in this regard I do think the castle is sublime and has that eerie, supernatural, chilling aspect that creates a great atmosphere and a precursor for gothic literature.
Manifred definitely reminds me of a king/father in one of Shakespeare’s plays. He is hard-headed, has a lot of hubris, and usually is wrong and dies for it. Manifred just had this epiphany that he should marry Isabella and the next logical step in his mind was to divorce-by words- his wife. His actions are completely irrational and out of his own selfish, homoerotic needs. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which is usually the downfall of Shakespeare’s characters.
I kind of feel that working class characters in the novel are basically set up to act as foils to the other characters. For example, in Chapter Two we get a great discussion between Bianca and Princess Matilda. While Bianca is hysterical when she thinks she hears a voice ("Indeed! indeed! madam, said Bianca, half-weeping with agony"), Matilda is much more calm ("They can mean no hurt to us...thou art a very fool"). I think that Bianca's character is over-exaggerated so that we can see how rational Matilda is. While this in and of itself doesn't really speak highly of working class characters, the way Matilda chastises Bianca also seems to put her down, like when she says "[Isabella] knows your idle babbling humor". Bianca says nothing about these insults, which insinuates the lack of agency and respect the working class had at this time, and that readers would not have found fault with Bianca's treatment.
Question 2: I found the depictions of Diego and Jaquez towards the end of chapter 1 to be quite funny. At this point, Manfred is demanding information from them to find out what scared them so much. Although the two are visibly shaken by what they experienced, Manfred cares not as to whether they are alright, but only cares about what they saw. The dynamic that Diego and Jaquez provide serves to infuriate Manfred even further. They both speak at the same time and when they do speak, they continue to skirt their way around Manfred's question at hand.
At the same time, the two are very aware of the fact that Manfred should be at least a little bit concerned over the death of his son. They relay their story, however slowly, in a way that shows they do not want to offend Manfred but by attempting not to offend him, they actually anger him even more. It is clear that Diego and Jaquez are concerned with the proper form of deference to convey toward Manfred. On page 31, Jaquez says: "My gracious Lord, if it please your highness to hear me; Diego and I, according to your highness's orders, went to search for the young lady; but being comprehensive that we might meet the ghost of my young lord, your highness's son, God rest his soul, as he has not received christian burial-Sot!" At this point, Jaquez is cut off by Manfred because they continue to blabber about irrelevant aspects.
In reality, the two show more concern for Conrad than Manfred did in the first place. The fact that Jaquez uses every opportunity to say "your highness" shows how afraid he is of Manfred, to the extent that it clouds his ability to give a straight answer. All the two had to say was that they saw a giant, but it took two full pages for them to express that, only because of the working-class relationship between Jaquez/Diego and Manfred.
What's up with Manfred? Probably just the typical ailment of the feudal English lord who obsesses over wealth and progeny and the continuation of his line. Like we discusses a little on Monday, he and his family are being punished for the sins of his forefathers, but I see it also as the inevitable fate men like him faced because of where they always placed power and influence: in wealthy men, and particularly in wealthy men with healthy male heirs. I see a lot of King Henry VIII in Manfred and perhaps C18 audiences did as well, and I imagine this was also a selling point because of how fascinated people become of the story of him and his wives. When the story starts he has a humble, beautiful and pious wife ( a la Catherine of Aragon) and a daughter with the same traits (much like their daughter Mary I)...but because his only son Conrad dies (having started off as an non-entity anyway), and because Hippolita isn't bearing him any more children, he grows out of his mind obsessing over producing more children, so much so that he seems not even interested in relying on Matilda to give him grandsons. We know Manfred is haunted in his mind and in real life by his ancestors, but he is also certainly cursed by his culture, which dictates he have a male heir or risk losing everything.
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