Elements of Horror and Gothic in Young Frankenstein: Old gothic castle/ house, mutated or irregular characters, stormy weather, ominous music, mysterious passageways, foreign country/ unknown, "mad" science, jump scare noises, ruins/decay, death imagery/ cemetery, body parts/gore, suspense, rats/spiders, isolation
Basic Elements of Horror/ "The Terror Narrative": Person/Thing of Terror, The Cassandra Effect, Place of Terror, Mystery/ The Unknown, Confinement (Mental or Physical)
GOTHIC is not "beautiful", but SUBLIME. It is about awe and appreciation for nature and experiencing life in reality. It is the post-adrenaline rush "carpe diem" feeling after a near-death experience. It is meant to wake you up from the monotony of the every day routine and make you appreciate LIFE.
The GOTHIC is seen clearly in the Harry Potter books and movie series. Looking at the stories as a whole, we immediately see the Gothic influence in the architecture, the atmosphere, and the numerous supernatural characters and items (the talking portraits, local ghosts, werewolves, enchanted animals). The "Gothic Heroine" role is filled by a few different women throughout the series. Professor Mcgonagall is an obvious one, saving the day in her brooding, honest and intelligent manner. Another interesting female character is "Moaning Myrtle" who remains classically gothic throughout the series, while wailing and moaning as a damsel in distress and remaining a parody of teenage girls. I especially enjoyed Hermione's character arch into the Gothic Heroine. We see her turning point, in a culmination of horror and the gothic female transformation narrative at a critical moment in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Hermione locks herself in the bathroom, crying, as Ron and Harry accidentally set a troll loose, confining her in the small space with the beast and her emotions. This is the first time we have seen her lie for her friends and her need for their company and assistance in situations. This near-death experience combined with the reveal of her raw emotions changes her character to one that is aware of the imminence of death and her inability to handle everything alone. Hermione goes on to become a very dynamic and developed character while Myrtle remains stuck in the girls' bathroom, a permanent sacrifice to female development and the gothic narrative. She is very symbolic of the way that some females get stuck, in her case literally, in certain behaviors and expectations of girls in society. In this way, Myrtle is a heroine in that she reminds girls of the path many take, while Hermione represents the alternative choice.
GOTHIC is not "beautiful", but SUBLIME. It is about awe and appreciation for nature and experiencing life in reality. It is the post-adrenaline rush "carpe diem" feeling after a near-death experience. It is meant to wake you up from the monotony of the every day routine and make you appreciate LIFE.
The GOTHIC is seen clearly in the Harry Potter books and movie series. Looking at the stories as a whole, we immediately see the Gothic influence in the architecture, the atmosphere, and the numerous supernatural characters and items (the talking portraits, local ghosts, werewolves, enchanted animals). The "Gothic Heroine" role is filled by a few different women throughout the series. Professor Mcgonagall is an obvious one, saving the day in her brooding, honest and intelligent manner. Another interesting female character is "Moaning Myrtle" who remains classically gothic throughout the series, while wailing and moaning as a damsel in distress and remaining a parody of teenage girls. I especially enjoyed Hermione's character arch into the Gothic Heroine. We see her turning point, in a culmination of horror and the gothic female transformation narrative at a critical moment in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Hermione locks herself in the bathroom, crying, as Ron and Harry accidentally set a troll loose, confining her in the small space with the beast and her emotions. This is the first time we have seen her lie for her friends and her need for their company and assistance in situations. This near-death experience combined with the reveal of her raw emotions changes her character to one that is aware of the imminence of death and her inability to handle everything alone. Hermione goes on to become a very dynamic and developed character while Myrtle remains stuck in the girls' bathroom, a permanent sacrifice to female development and the gothic narrative. She is very symbolic of the way that some females get stuck, in her case literally, in certain behaviors and expectations of girls in society. In this way, Myrtle is a heroine in that she reminds girls of the path many take, while Hermione represents the alternative choice.
I love your analysis on Hermoine as a heroine and the gothic elements in the Harry Potter series, as well as the contrasts/parallels between Moaning Myrtle and Hermoine. I hadn't thought about it that way before. Interesting read.
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