The greatest fear is our other self

Throughout the course of the semester in reading many of the gothic and romantic novels and poems, many of the texts all had obtained there ideas from the same source. Which is the dark side of the human self which the church and parents always guide our focus away from. The poets and writer dare enter a world in which many see, but few pay any attention because the truth in what the human consciences and subconscious live with often reveals not only the beauty of humanity, but also its personal demons. From the unveiling of the truth, whether the beautiful or the horrible, one truth remains the same, which is people do have big reactions when confronted with a presence far greater than what is theirs. However, the way the truth reveals to the individual varies among person to person as the writers and poets of the romantic period reveal.

Truth revealed in the impending doom

Often when faced with the truth, the truth lays out the prophecy of whether the hope of the future or a person’s doom. Therefore, in reaction to the end approaching the individual the individual often may behave in certain ways and make decisions which may seem unreasonable at times. In the story of Castle of Otranto with the character Manfred being an  example of the truth leading to the destruction of the individual self by the prophetic truth presented in front of him, creates a scenario in which people with power do not want to give it up or lose it. Whether or not he is alive to keep it, his heirs are the extension of his will of power. This reminds me of a painting done by Eugene Delacroix. 

The painting, the death of Sardanaplus, reveals the king obviously faced with the defeat of his war ultimately destroys everything he owns from the concubines to the slaves he owns. The art is a representation of humanity’s inevitability to face the truth presented in front of it and rather than face the doom head on, they rather destroy themselves and others to say we were destroyed by our own hands instead of our enemies. In closer examination he has no care of the horrors he has done, he has become instead the enemy of death he has been fighting all along. The fear of death is the theme in which he had inflicted on others as instead aimed towards him. Therefore, is own fear has become the monster of inflicting death on others.

The horror of the truth revealed in our dream.

The idea of fear becoming the extension of ourselves was a completely new idea of the time during the romantic era. For many years people of thought dreams, the environment, and other people were just independent forces which often times people were afraid of because they knew nothing if the forces they didn’t control would harm them. People give the horror image of the forces external from themselves, in which entities are not giving meaning until we give them meaning. A blog by Maposa mentions the idea of dreams holding significant power over the will of the person, therefore alters the state of mind in which the person doesn’t have a secure idea of where he is or what is happening. Now for most people who experience nightmares all have the central theme in which they have no control to their desires in the mind. From this we receive the notion if losing control of what is happening as sometimes we feel helpless.

This painting is an example of the idea of fear overwhelming us with no hope of overcoming the nightmares which are presented to us. We see that the environment itself has become the entities in which give us are fears more power over us. The painter Henry Fuseli gives an accurate description to what most endure in sleeping through the nightmare. The nightmare itself is an entity in which is the truth of our fears in the subconscious. Our subconscious plays a huge role in which dictates not only by our consciousness, but also the way we interpret the world in front of us. The subconscious is one of the key to unlock our greatest vision of the horror in the world.

The truth revealed in the state of mind of substances

Another case in which the truth of horror is revealed is in the state of mind in which the character in the story the confessions of an opium by Thomas de Quincy. In his display of seeing the truth through the opium he consumed, he sees the horrors in which his subconscious is forced to display therefore becoming almost paranoid. The truth about himself and the fears in which manifest in his dreams opens the mind of the reader to which this drug use isn’t for pleasure anymore as he started, but to escape the pains of himself and the reality that has harmed him. Most drug addicts usually use it for other purposes other than the mere pleasure itself, in which they see the life nothing more as meaningless. The state of mind they are under they see it as their perfect world. Drugs create false consciences in which they feeling of bliss are the perfect world.  As Thomas de Quincy states in one passage from “Confessions of an English Opium Eater”:

“That is the creative state of the eye, increased, a sympathy seemed to arise between the walking and the dreaming states of the brain in one point-that whatsoever I happened to call up and to trace by a voluntary act upon the darkness was very apt to transfer itself to my dreams, so that I feared to exercise this faculty, for as Midas turned all things to gold that yet baffled his hopes and defrauded his human desires” (Thomas).

In reference to king Midas who turned everything into gold believing the gift was the best thing he had ever received which created his perfect world, Thomas believed the same thing when he consumed the opium to his will. Though his imaginative was open, the imaginative part of him was overrun with the horrors of what his subconscious was displaying. So as his body aims for the pleasure he first obtained from his early usages to reach the new state of mind and his perfect world his body paid for it. As Kalant states “in the nervous system, the adaptive changes take the form of "drug-opposite" changes, which offset the action of the drug when it is present and thus give rise to tolerance, so that larger doses of drug are necessary to produce the effects that were formerly produced by smaller doses” (Kalant). Though to reach the state of mind of seeking the truth through subconscious was sought ought for by many by the usage of drugs, some people did harm to themselves in doing so. The substances of drugs reaching to the truth were by within itself one of the horrors of seeking the truth within the consciousness.

The truth awakened by the environment and setting

In another instance where the truth of the other self is revealed is the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The story displays the truth to the characters in the story it’s revealed by the environment itself. Setting and environment in literature tends to also been entity in which impacts the person through the overwhelming presence of surrounding the character. As A.C Swanepoel points out, “the language used to describe the mariner's seascape contributes less to a visual picture of the space than to a sense of awe and wonder at a world that is greater and vaster than humans can comprehend. Put differently, Coleridge's images combine and synthesis familiar and unfamiliar phenomena and guide readers to reconcile these in such a way that they are constantly brought to an important realization, namely that the world surpasses human understanding” (Swanepoel). As the reader obtains the idea of what the imagery, the environment is like for the mariner in the story, we are introduced to what the sea truly is in the face of mankind. Here is art piece in which displays the overwhelming power of the setting affecting the very self of the characters:

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The display of the sailors in the art piece shows the anguish of an individual when presented with an ordeal that tears all sense of hope within the individual. However, recalling a discussion in class about the ancient mariner, the sailors were at guilt in partaking in the slave trade. The conditions for the slaves in the ships were horrific and the men who operated the ships were often unforgiving to those who did not want to obey orders. Therefore, the sufferings the sailors endured were punishment of the crimes they have committed. Many of the people in class never read the story as a form of abolitionary literature, but as man’s ordeal against nature. Coleridge questioned the actions of what the British people did in regards to slave and had adopted the ideals by the French revolution that men had liberties when born.   Also another theme that was discussed in the story there was the symbolism of hope being destroyed or lost by nature itself. One instances the shooting of the bird which marked the fate of many of the sailors. The bird was an albatross, a bird which was a symbol of hope for many sailors. In addition, the sun was represented as a god that punished the sailors for the death of the bird they killed. The sailors in the story gave the meaning to what the sea and animals were in the story, which originated from the sailors self.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner uses the entire setting to alter the behaviors of the characters in the story. The truth in the story was revealed by the setting itself which affected the conscious and unconsciousness of the characters. From this notion of the truth revealed by the sea, the reader then understands the power of what nature has among humans. The story reminds us we are small compared to what nature really is.

In conclusion the writers of the romantic and gothic era opened the eyes to the audience to the possibilities of opening the doorway to the truth of the other self. From the drugs to the environment itself which awoke something inside the individual which opened to the beauty or horror of themselves. Poets and writers obtained there awaking through many paths, but many commented of the times they lived in. Therefore, the truth goes both ways and the keys towards the unlocking of the horrors we tend to stray away from are much closer to ourselves than we think.

Work Cited

Kalant, H. "Opium Revisited: A Brief Review of its Nature, Composition, Non-Medical use and Relative Risks." Addiction 92.3 (1997): 267-77. ProQuest. Web. 7 May 2013.

Swanepoel, A.C. "Coleridge's transcendental imagination: the seascape beyond the senses in 'The             Rime of the Ancient Mariner'." Journal of Literary Studies 26.1 (2010): 191+. Literature           Resource Center. Web. 8 May 2013.

Quincy, Thomas D. The Age of Romanticism. 2nd nd ed. Vol. 4. Toronto: Broadview Press,        2010. 580-81. Confessions of an Opium Eater. Print.

We are the Monster

What is the legacy of Frankenstein? In both graphic novels posted, we themes presented that endure to this day. Mary Shelley was more than a writer. In many ways she was a prophet of the 20th and 21st century. Electricity, biotechnology, limb replacements, "designer" genetics, gene therapy, all these innovations in many ways go beyond what Mary Shelley envisioned, and yet are becoming more and more commonplace today. In a way, we are all Mary Shelley's children. Our culture also bears the mark of Victor Frankenstein.  Those researching  stem cells, splicing human and animal DNA and other areas are accused by their detractors of "playing God." The question of "how far is too far" is perhaps even more relevant today than during the time the novel was written. We are also Victor Frankenstein's children. And what of the monster? Our culture is becoming more and more heterogeneous. Immigration, gay rights, multiculturalism, and other issues have stratified this country more than at almost anytime in history. At a fundamental level, groups in this nation speak a "different language" and lack an understanding of the thoughts and motivations of others. Such a culture reacts with fear and violence when confronted by that which is does not understand. We are the children of the mob and the monster. Which leaves us with a question. Will we be the children of Prometheus? And what does that mean? Does it mean reaching to lofty heights and falling miserably, or does it mean daring to reach beyond what is known into the unknown, and carry the "fire" of knowledge and science as far as possible, no matter the cost.

Reaching for More or Humanity is "Never" Satisfied

In the spirit of Kubla Khan is a poem about reaching for something beyond yourself and basicly not getting it. The problem with the narrator in I Am by John Clare is that they want to be closer to "god" or a godlike being because they feel they have nothing left so being something other than what they are is appealing. The need that people have to want something beyond all sanity is frightening in and of itself because we recognize that theirs a limit to when we just have to stop, but obsession can of course drive people to do insane things, such as bringing a dead person back to life when you "know" a person is suppoused to stay dead in Frankenstein. Humanities struggle to keep going even when your not sure where your going too is something that in the narration of the poem is explored where the narrator simply wishes to return to something or be reborn into a life where they aren't in pain or suffering from depression since the tone of the poem seems to lean that way.

Known and Unknown Monsters

When we are introduced to Lamia she is described as a serpentine monster with some redeeming human features. Only after receiving aid from Hermes does Lamia become a beautiful woman. Geraldine seems to be normal throughout “Christabel,” aside from several hints: needing help over the threshold in line 131, the growling dog in line 148, and the mark on her chest in line 252. Yet even though Lamia is the more physically monstrous, Geraldine strikes me as more evil. Lamia is motivated by her desire to be with Lycius. Geraldine is never given any motivation but the reader is still led to believe she has some ill intention. The mystery surrounding Geraldine makes her appear sinister. In reality there is not much to indicate that Geraldine is evil but Coleridge sets the reader up to believe that she is. Keats describes a monster but gives her motivation that is somewhat innocent. Geraldine, to me, is more frightening than Lamia because she is entirely mysterious.

Opium the key to the subconsciousness

In the confessions of opium eater on of the interesting aspects of the story which it crosses is the boundary between reality and fantasy. The main character in the story explores what is created for him in his subconscious from his desires to the fears he has. One thing to note is that drugs of any sort that enters the body affect the brain and sometimes changes the whole functionality of the brain. With this in mind, the drugs seem to unlock a further truth inside himself in which he didn't realize without the drug. Therefore, his desire to seek the higher truth makes him want it more and eventually becomes the addiction. The opium in the story could be represented as a key to the subconscious mind the main character ignored. Often times the story goes in to the perceptive of what most drug uses in our time face, not the law, but themselves. 

Usage of the setting to the character

I believe what the author does so well in the story is that he doesn't reveal the character’s true identity till later on in the story. The characters actions reflect on what they do, but in this particular instance the environment they are in is what defines the identity of the characters. In most traditional story telling the environment only plays the role of what the characters walking through, but the setting plays a role in the decision making of what the characters do as the result of what the environment does to them. A scene that I believe is an example is the scene where Pierre is forced to take Adeline because there is really no other route to escape.

The Problem with A Poison Tree

Of all the poems in the songs of Experience I thought the Poison Tree was a good take on explaining how hatred and envy can destroy someone. I thought it was very odd  though how in this set of poems with such a clear message of morality would have a poem about destroying another person, even if that person is someone you don't like and killing them without it being admonished or shown in a light of horror or disgust. The only reason I can think of to do this is that it's a allegory that the foe is killed but the narrator is just as "dead" as their foe because they had to "feed" the seed of hatred with tears of fear and deceit a clear showing of that hatred and wrath change a person yet their are no ultimate consequences for the narrator. The religious symbols of a snake and a apple are clear references to Lucifer and the ultimate sin of pride and envy that got him and a third of the host kicked out of heaven, so perhaps the narrator is lucifer with the fow being humanity, a very disturbing idea.

Imagery with Emotion and the Sun

In the ancient mariner, I believe the storyteller uses a lot of imagery description to best describe the sailor’s emotional ordeal they are going through.  An example would be the scene where he attempts to pray, but a bad whisper discourages his heart, which may be the other part of him that wishes to give up all hope. The poems imagery and the characters emotions go in harmony with each other in order for the reader to be able to obtain a better grasp of the tragic scenes played out and the agony the character endures. Also one thing to note is the sun is represented as a vengeful god that punishes the sailors while the moon seems to be a calming figure that gives peace to the sailors. Perhaps the author was referring God as the sun who gives and takes life in the poem.  

The curse the opens the eyes of the Mariner

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner contained the basic structure that both Wordsworth and Coleridge had discussed. The two Cardinal points of poetry (according to the Biographia Literaria, chapter 14 (1817) in the anthology of the conversations between Coleridge and Wordsworth) it had to contain: The power of exciting the sympathy of the reader by the faithful adherence to the truth of nature. The second was the power of giving the interest of novelty by modifying colors of imagination. Coleridge achieved both of these two points of poetry by adding both a spiritual force to the singing albatross and by emphasizing color (to the water, dead corpse, water thirst lips, etc.) despite the previous establishment of an eerie setting. The reader is able to sympathize with the mariner once he realized that killing the Albatross was a mistake because the bird helped the by bringing good luck to their voyage and instead of him appreciating what the bird brought to them he killed, bringing forth a curse to him, his crew and his ship. It isn’t till the end that he realizes that he had taken his blessings for granted. After he “prayeth well, who loved well both men and bird and beast.” “God who loveth us, He made and loveth all”. The bird can be taken as a metaphor for slaves, they were taken for granted too and once they were killed, and their life was missed because of their good deeds.

“In consequence of the film of familiarity and selfish solicitude we have eyes, yet see not, and hearts that neither feel or understand.” …Wordsworth         

Dreams

James Hogg is a fascinating character. I found his mixing of genres interesting, especially in “The Expedition to Hell” which begins seeming like a serious discussion on the nature of dreams, but ends with the curious case of George Dobson who in unable to escape his dreams. I’m not sure what to do with this inability to escape this nightmare. It’s as if the hell in his mind is real enough to make the real world irrelevant.

In the beginning of “The Expedition to Hell” Hogg talks about the lack of control people have in their dreams. Ideas you try to repress pop up, and those you try to dream about, you never seem to. Some of the poems we’ve read this week have the air of a nightmare that’s come true or rather a dream that turns into a nightmare. I’m thinking about “Ellenore” mostly. The return of William is a dream come true but it ends as a nightmare as she ends up dead. She has no control of her situation once she gets on the horse. She goes in search of the dream, but ends up with the nightmare instead. 

I’m probably overreaching now, but it does make me think about the French Revolution. People had a dream that they tried to create, but then they lost control and it became a nightmare.

Prophecies & Morality

Throughout Walpole the prophecy  is displayed as being a symbol for chaos and change for the characters in The Castle of Otranto. Manfred views the prophecy as a symbol of evil in that his name and family will be brought to ruin, leaving him to slowly become insane throughout the course of the book, as he manipulates family and friends to hopefully thwart the will of the prophecy, which only ends in the end of his household. The prophecy itself is chaotic in that it wants the rightful person on the throne and has no qualms about driving people into insanity, committing murder, and manipulating people to achieve it's goals. In many ways the prophecy is a doppelganger to Manfred in that morality and compassion aren't as important as fulfilling the his goals , Manfred to continue his household and the prophecy to put the rightful Lord of Otranto in-charge. This willingness to exempt oneself from morals and compassion is shown by Manfred in his willingness to commit atrocious acts of murder and unwillingness to accept responsibility for his actions.The prophecy itself commits murders and drives people to insanity, setting  up the fall of everyone except Theodore and Isabella so the prophecy can be fulfilled.