The Power of Contradiction in the Gothic Novel

Many of the Gothic novels that we have read in class have been filled with characters of similar social and economic class. The white, upper class characters that are present in The Castle of Otronto, A Sicilian Romance, and Joanna Baillie's play De Monfort all have similar qualities that can be observed from their character's actions, despite all three literary pieces being written at different times. Many characters in all three stories contradict their actions throughout their respective stories. The use of contradictions in the Gothic novel allow the readers to examine the different sides of the characters as well as the actions that are affecting them.

The marchioness from Ann Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance is a character that contradicts the role that society has given her. The marchioness poisons the marquis at the end of the book, noted in her letter she left by her body after she killed herself. Women were not expected to have this power in the society in Radcliffe's novel. Women expected to act caretakers and to provide children to the men. By taking the knife and killing herself, she is invoking an important contradiction. A knife is a very masculine image. It can come to symbolize power as well as masculinity. The marchioness took her own life by taking a knife in her own hands and killing herself. She took hold of her masculinity, plotted the end of the life of the marquis, and created her own destiny. This was not expected of women at the time of A Sicilian Romance.

Is a knife or weapon itself a symbol for contradiction?

Contradictions are not only seen in people, but also in objects themselves. The Castle of Otronto presents a haunted castle right at the beginning of the book that presents how contradictions  can also take place around the characters' environment. The beginning of the book opens with the prophecy that the castle will change owners should the present owners be seen unfit to live in the castle. Following this prophecy, a helmet crashes down and falls on the son of Manfred. The castle becomes alive as the horror of the novel gives light to the supernatural. The supernatural element that is presented contradicts how the castle is supposed to function. Castles and buildings may have a symbolic meaning, but the superstition is something more. The contradiction in Walpole's novel gives light to the supernatural elements present.

The contradictions in Joanna Baillie's De Monfort are different. The aforementioned contradictions are two very broad and important contradictions that affect their respective environments of the novel. The contradictions in De Monfort can be seen when he dies at the end of the play. De Monfort is murdered, but many people consider it more than murder. One of the monks refers to it as "the strong hand of death," is dealing with him while Jane refers to his murder as "that death which best becomes a man." Many of the characters in the play, including De Monfort, think little of murder. This is a contradiction because murder is thought of as an inhuman act which cannot be reconciled. The characters in the play are not emotionless, but their morals contradict what society expects them to think and believe. 

Al three contradictions have important similarities and differences, but the one thing that can be drawn from all of them is the layers of the emotion and thinking that the contradictions add. This also contradicts the expectations of the Gothic novel as such novels often contain static characters that are only there to let the story run through them. The contradictions mentioned show how important the environment surrounding the story is.  

Discussion Questions:
1) What are the different impacts of the various contradicting actions as well as personalities that have been present in the Gothic novels that we have read so far in class?
2) Why are there different levels of contradictions? The marchioness is on a social level, but De Monfort's can be considered a personal level. Which level is more important? Do any of the levels of contradiction affect each other?