Our class discussion over Radcliffe's style and her ability
to produce emotional tensions through the narrative made me look for more
instances like this. It wasn't a particular scene that struck me, but as Volume
II progressed I noticed the writing style changed slightly. After Adeline is
rescued by Theodore and as they leave the ruins, though the tensions are high,
the emotions produced aren't as strong and powerful as they had when the abbey
was present. Even though they encounter difficulties, Radcliffe's writing style
seems to alter. There are less descriptions of scenery and even though Adeline
and Theodore are still in great danger it doesn't have the same affect as
before. It isn't until Adeline is captured and nearing the ruins that the Gothic writing style appears again, which I think is used purposefully by
Radcliffe as a way to generate high, powerful emotions once Adeline returns.
As discussed in class over some of the poetry, when the author changes the rythme, tone, or writing method, it is usually in order to catch the readers attention at that moment; as to say "hey, pay attention this change in pace if for a reason! It has an important meaning for the story; literal or symbolic." I agree that authors, in this case Radcliffe, do this in their writing specifically to create high and powerful thoughts and emotions during a certain point if the story. It's a great writing strategy.
ReplyDeleteI agree, with less description of scenery more attention is payed to the characters and their emotional pain instead of getting exposition through long winded diplays of scenery. The tonal shift also like you said BIGred13 makes you pay attention to the characters emotions and writing more than if Radcliffe hadn't written it that way.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight! Radcliffe is certainly using the gothic setting to ramp up the emotional tensions in the narrative, which she then counteracts with descriptions of picturesque scenery. The first volume of the novel thus pushes the reader back and forth between relative calm and heightened emotion, replicating in us Adeline's response to her surroundings and the events. In this context, I'm interested in what you think about the function of the manuscript that Adeline reads: it introduces gothic scenes, but in the form of writing not experience--is Radcliffe using this to make a comment on the gothic and its emotional effects?
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