Making Monsters Constructions of Monstrosity in Gothic Literature

Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Wallace, Miriam

Keywords

Gothic, Monster, English

Area of Concentration

English

Abstract

This thesis discusses two different constructions of monstrosity in British Gothic literature through a close reading of texts that range from 1796 to 1897. This thesis finds that in these texts monstrosity is something that can be taught, caught like an infection, or be the product of uncontrolled sexuality. The two discussions of monstrosity intersect in their concern with the dissolution or perversion of the family and society. The first chapter discusses monstrosity as insanity in Mathew Lewis's The Monk and James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. These novels figure human men who are so mentally perverted by their educations (particularly their religious educations) that they are monstrous and commit heinous crimes such as murder and rape. The second chapter discusses monstrosity, particularly female monstrosity, as disease and problematic reproductive ability in John Keats's �Lamia,� Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. Monstrosity in the second chapter is something that can be inherently female, or something that women pass on to their children. The texts discussed in my second chapter are involved with multiple discourses about life and disease and with social constructions of Victorian women.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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