Editor's Choice
How does Gothic literature represent transformation and change?
Quick answer:
Gothic literature often explores transformation and change through themes of the past lingering in the present and the metamorphosis of characters. While characters like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights remain consumed by past grievances, others transform into monsters, as seen in Dracula and Frankenstein. Positive transformations occur in stories like Jane Eyre. The genre also reflects historical changes, such as the French Revolution, by portraying the tension between good and evil.
Oddly enough, gothic literature is often about how things do not change, how the past lingers in the present. Ruin and death often overcome the forces of new life and change. Gothic stories often feature characters consumed by the past. For example, Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights is obsessed with getting revenge on people who hurt him decades ago, destroying others' lives and his own in the process.
However, transformation does occur in gothic novels. Many gothic stories feature characters who transform into monsters, such as in Dracula or Frankenstein (in the latter, the Creature was born innocent and becomes monstrous only when treated poorly by others). In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the titular Jekyll turns into Hyde often, showing how baseness still lurks within civilized people. These characters often show how easy it is for someone to become cruel or bloodthirsty.
Transformation can also...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
be positive in gothic stories. InJane Eyre, Mr. Rochester becomes a better, humbler man through both Jane's love and foregoing his own selfishness in trying to save his mad wife. In Wuthering Heights, the second generation does not repeat the cruelty and mistakes of the first, transforming the Linton and Earnshaw families into a happy whole through the union of Hareton and Cathy.
Although transformation and change are not necessarily themes that we readily associate with Gothic literature itself, it is clear that many critics believe that the birth of Gothic literature is very closely associated with the far-reaching historical changes that were occurring at the time of its birth. In particular, the American Revolution and French Revolution are two influences that are credited in having sparked Gothic literature. Some argue that Gothic literature was a medium through which England tried to grapple with the realities of the massive terrifying changes occurring just over the channel in France. The French Revolution, although it started with noble aims, quickly degenerated into "The Reign of Terror" which was associated with indiscriminate violence and senseless cruelty. This produced massive fear in England in case such uncertainty and anarchy spread into other countries. Thus links can be established between this situation of violent revolution, transformation and change and the horror in Gothic fiction and the way that it includes images of evil overpowering good.