These two genres both stem from an abundance of imagination: one exploring our highest hopes, and the other unearthing our darkest fears. Together they clearly show the notions and ideals of the period. The American and French Revolutions were characterized by a spirit of Rebellion and Freedom, and this led to the rhetorical criticism of society and the imagination of new ideas. Many Romantic heroes and horrors came from this new originality; simultaneously producing fantastical stories of Arthurian legend while introducing the world to horrors such as Frankenstein’s monster.
In the 18th century, Robespierre brought a “Reign of Terror” onto France and thus brought about bloodshed and destruction that led to this sense of individualism. There emerged a novel idea of the mobility of manhood, the individual could spark change in society no matter his position. We see this same ideal brought about in the American Dream that came from the American Revolution. Romanticism allowed men to embrace their individualism and create for themselves.
How is it possible that such beautiful notions could come from such terrible actions? This origin story of Romanticism explains the dichotomy of the Gothic and Fantastical. We see the elements of terror and horror from Robespierre in Gothic literature. The faraway and fantastical embody the idealization of mobility and individualism of the era. Together they encapsulate the new world of imagination that many now found themselves in.
We see the Fantastic and Faraway imagination take shape in the form of works like the “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” painting by Caspar David Friedrich and stories like that of King Arthur. These pieces instill a feeling of hope and wonder in the hearts of the people of this time, as well as readers today. Their imaginations allowed them to fantasize about the world and blur the lines between these faraway lands and reality. The heroes that came from this time period held this ideal, as stated by Napoleon: “The only way to lead people is to show them a future: a leader is a dealer in hope”.
In contrast with the brightness of fantasy, writers like Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley who authored “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Frankenstein” respectively, shined light on man-made horrors and man’s auto-destructive nature. These stories carried with them a subliminal message of caution to society. The terrors that are found in these pages mimic the terrors that many experienced during the Revolutions.
The light and the dark may at first appear to produce an incomprehensible gray area, although they both are manifestations of a newfound freedom and imagination. Although we might not know perfectly the reactions of society to such works we can admire the beauty that is found in the contrast playing on the idea that “The Darkest Nights Produce the Brightest Stars” and the brightest lights produce the darkest shadows. The Gothic and the Fantastical provide structure to a fluid movement: their contrast evokes the contrasts of a rebellious society seeking to move forward into the future.
I love the comparison that the Gothic and the Fantastic are similar to light and dark. I agree that these two genres are very opposite and I think their emotional extremity lends itself well to this metaphor. I think the intensity of both the Gothic and the Fantastic is a great display of Romanticism as a whole, contrasting, original, and dramatic.
ReplyDeleteSame. It seems to me that Chiaroscuro lends itself to the Romantic idea of sublimity, in that the greatest heights of nature and human emotion are experienced when they are contrasted with the lowest depths. That quote by Napoleon shows how a leader can go about exploiting that contrast to become a "dealer in hope." Very cool post.
ReplyDeleteOur minds are very good at adjusting to accommodate our circumstances, so even the most awe-striking experiences can become common. Like you said, contrast helps us to always be aware of how good or bad an experience really is. Like walking out onto a field of blindingly white snow after spending all day indoors, those hopeful moments are so much more overwhelming if you're not prepared for the contrast.
Deletei know a horror writer who says he love the genre because it allows us to experience intense emotions, particularly fear and tragedy in a controlled environment. the gothic is cathartic because you have the option of removing yourself if it gets too much-- something you can't do in horrific circumstances in real life. and that allows you to come to grips with that intensity and basically practice coping methods. so in that sense, the intense light and dark of romanticism is a way of clarifying the less intense lights and darks of the world, like your analogy of the compositional value of chiaroscuro.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that there's a lot of value to having controlled settings for experiencing the more tragic emotions - it's why we can find sad songs or movies so cathartic. We're going to have to deal with them in real life, so that sort of media is good practice.
DeleteOut of curiosity, what author is it that you were paraphrasing? I'm interested in looking up some of their work.
I *love* gothic literature, and I think you phrased it (or phrased someone phrasing it) very well. I am not super emotional by nature, so it’s fun to let loose and let passion reign by reading a book. In the same way, like you mentioned, by experiencing emotions at a melodramatically intense level, it’s helped me examine on a much smaller scale the identities, causes, and directions of emotion.
DeleteThis artistic style of Chiaroscuro, contrasting light and darkness, in the Romantic art and novels gives me a sense of morality. The fantastical nature of the art promotes and inspires us to do good, whereas the gothic is a warning against the evils of the natural man. I can honestly say that the Romantic period is the moral conscience of a society becoming ever more rational and practical, and is a necessary part of our culture. Without it, our ability to make correct moral choices would be difficult at best.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts! It would be interesting to see what our life today would be like without the Romantic period. I wonder how different it would be? It seems like moral conscience (or structure) is what keeps balance in society, but do you think that balance actually leads people to make 'correct' decisions?
DeleteThis is a really interesting perspective because I don't know how moral we can say Romanticism really was. There was a definite focus on human rights and other societal morality, but it seems like personal morality split a little at the seams, at least for a couple prominent Romantic poets and authors (Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe). But this does make me wonder if this could have been the start of people being "spiritual" and not religious--the start of self-made morality instead of God-mandated morality.
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