Year13 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [11th May 12]: Homework.

Students were offered an overview of the issues raised through gothic fiction. Following on from the discussion of boundaries last week the discussion explored:

• The idea that characters develop a distorted perception of their own reality and this allows each author to offer a clear idea. For example, Victor struggles to differentiate between dreams and reality when in Ireland and suffers bouts of madness throughout the novel. When Clerval visits Victor in Chapter Five Victor talks of his own 'disorder' and 'nervous fever' and Victor's nerves 'tingle with excess of sensitiveness.' Victor's psychological health is ruined by his obsession. This allows Shelley to use this psychological suffering as a form of 'hell on earth' for Victor as a consequence of his challenging the authority of God. Similarly, Macbeth suffers a series of hallucinations and experiences a psychological 'hell' after killing Duncan and Faustus has a distorted sense of his own value. Faustus is discontent with the earthly knowledge of Philosophy, Medicine, Law, and Religion ['Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man'] and aspires to be a 'mighty God' and desires a world 'Of power, of honour, of omnipotence.' Faustus rejects the traditional boundaries between Man and God, much like Prometheus, Victor and Macbeth/Lady Macbeth, and is consequently punished for this lust for forbidden knowledge. Faustus is deluded. He forgets that he is a Man and this distorted perception of his own human potential is criticised by Marlowe and the audience is encouraged to 'regard his hellish fall'. Marlowe's message is clear. He offers a delusional character with a distorted perception of his own human power to shape the meaning that God's power should not be challenged.Obviously, this reading views all three texts as rejecting the new ideas of the Renaissance and 19th Century Science and views the texts as Christian Fables.

• The idea that ALL three texts could be perceived as offering criticism of a CRUEL God that punishes Man for being human. It is possible to read all three texts as a criticism of a brutal and unforgiving Divine power. Students should consider the myth of Prometheus when interpreting all three texts. Does Shelley sympathise with Prometheus/Victor? Is she suggesting that conflict with God is an inevitable consequence of the human condition due to the instinctive and ambitious nature of human curiosity? Can this conflict be considered a feature of gothic fiction?

• Students need to be aware of the representation of humanity in gothic texts. How does each text present human nature? The class discussed the positive message being shaped by Shelley as Frankenstein appears to promote the value of human tolerance, human empathy, community, parental responsibility, the value of family and friendship, the virtue of women, and the value of human love. By offering an extreme narrative that offers a world inhabited by cruelty, ignorance, prejudice,violence and intolerance she is illustrating the flaws of humanity and promoting positive values. This could be related to Miller's view that tragedy 'points the heroic finger at the enemies of man's freedom' in an attempt to move towards 'the perfectibility of man.' Miller viewed tragedy as an optimistic genre as it highlights human flaws in an attempt to 'enlighten' the audience and perhaps this definition can, and should, be applied to Frankenstein. Is tragedy an essential feature of the gothic text? Can the same definition be applied to Macbeth and Faustus?

The whole of the session revolved around the class discussion of three potential exam questions:

1. 'In gothic texts, life appears to be a punishment for sins against God.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?
2. 'Gothic literature uses location to help explore key ideas.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?
3. 'Mephistophilis is the most significant character in Marlowe's play.' How do you respond to this statement?

The nature of the class discussion was, quite frankly, an inspiration. You lot are clearly reading the texts and are producing arguments that are succinct, precise, textually specific, and clearly consider how language, form and structure is used to shape meaning. I hope the notes created within this session will be useful.

HOMEWORK: OBVIOUSLY, being able to discuss the text in an eloquent and precise manner is NOT the same as creating a written response. ALL students are encouraged to attempt at least ONE of the essays discussed in today's session.