This thesis examines the role of marriage and gender relations in two influential Gothic novels, namely A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Both novels belong to...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of marriage and gender relations in two influential Gothic novels, namely A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Both novels belong to the sub-genre of ‘Female Gothic’ and deal with female protagonists who are victims of oppression by patriarchal figures. Female Gothic heroines rebel against their oppressors and are often successful in achieving some sort of freedom or independence. This striving for freedom can be defined as their ‘quest for freedom’. In their oppression, marriage fulfils a central role, as it is used to satisfy the selfish desires of their male superiors without any regards to their opinion. Simultaneously, however, marriage seems to serve as a key in the escape from their oppression, resulting in an interesting antithesis concerning the function and role of marriage in these novels. This raises the question of whether these marriages at the end actually align with the Female Gothic’s quest for freedom and independence. Therefore, this thesis examines to what extent Julia’s and Jane’s marriage in the novels A Sicilian Romance and Jane Eyre align with the overarching theme of freedom and independence of Female Gothic. I will do so by examining Julia’s and Jane’s quests for freedom and independence more closely in relation to the meaning of marriage in both novels. I will argue that Julia’s marriage in A Sicilian Romance is successful in strengthening the novel’s theme of freedom, as it shows that marriage in itself is not the equivalent of imprisonment and that it even catalyses her desire for freedom, causing her to actively oppose her arranged marriage. Jane’s marriage in Jane Eyre, however, undermines the novel’s theme of independence, as it shows her willingness to forgo her principles for the judgemental and possessive love of Rochester. Even though at the end of the novel, they reach equality, neither of them is able to recognize nor accept it, strengthening Jane’s feeling of inferiority.Show less
This thesis explores the Romantic-era nature/nurture debate as represented in Gothic fiction, by examining the representation in Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s standpoint regarding the significance...Show moreThis thesis explores the Romantic-era nature/nurture debate as represented in Gothic fiction, by examining the representation in Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s standpoint regarding the significance of nurture for human mental development. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores the role of parenting and education in the formation of individual identity. Frankenstein is first analysed in relation to the work of Shelley's parents regarding parenting, upbringing and education. Shelley's representation of the malleability of children is examined, after which Frankenstein's creature is read as a Female Gothic victim-heroine, in order to demonstrate how Shelley extends existing Gothic conventions to illustrate her beliefs regarding the influence of upbringing on the formation of individual identity. Finally, this thesis explores the role of the cult of domesticity on Frankenstein, in order to complete its analysis of Shelley's intellectual standpoint regarding the importance of nurture for the formation of individual identity. Shelley is shown to take up an intellectual position between the radical egalitarianism of her parents and her husband, that stresses nurture above everything else, and the more conventional – Christian – wisdom concerning human development as exemplified in Ann Radcliffe’s Female Gothic romances. Frankenstein shows that even though sociopolitical institutions have the power to corrupt individuals, the individuals have the responsibility to act according to their conscience.Show less
