While you’re free to write about anything that interested you in the lengthy passages from Udolpho that you read, here are some prompts to get you started thinking:
- Consider Italy and the Italian background in the middle of the novel. How does Radcliffe present Italy and Italians? We have not only Montoni, Count Morano, and the many Signori and armed men at the Castle of Udolpho, but you might remember that Mme. Quesnel (wife of Emily’s uncle, M. Quesnel) is also said to be Italian. What does Italy seem to signify to Radcliffe? Are there differences in the nature descriptions of France, where the St. Auberts initially reside, and Italy?
- What do you think about how Radcliffe presents the lower classes in the novel? We talked about “scary poor people” as a convention of the Gothic, and we do see frightening banditti and gypsies early on, as well as plenty of thuggish men at the castle itself. But we also see a lot of scenes of dancing, happy peasants. (There are even more of these scenes in passages you didn’t read). What about the servants Annette and Ludovico? Is Annette only comic relief or does she serve a larger role? What do you think is Radcliffe’s view of the lower classes?
- Discuss the Castle of Udolpho itself. Why do you think the Gothic form presents so many decaying castles, abbeys, etc.—all of these large, frightening spaces that heroines get lost in? The critic Ellen Moers argues that domestic spaces in the Gothic form allow women to have adventures while staying enclosed within the domestic realm. They can travel without a chaperone like men do, but not offend proprieties because they’re within the conventional female, domestic space. Other critics see the labyrinthine passages and corridors and dungeons of gothic spaces as tied to nightmares and deep, Freudian-style fears and desires of the unconscious mind. What are your observations or ideas about the castle itself and what it represents
- Consider structural choices in the novel. What do you think about the fact that Radcliffe presents so many mysteries and leaves them unresolved for hundreds of pages? You might think specifically about the miniature portrait that Emily sees her father holding, the papers he asks her to burn, the mysterious voice in the dining chamber at Udolpho, or even more significantly, what she sees behind the black veil? Why might Radcliffe choose to delay solving these mysteries for so long? Do you think the technique is successful, or do you simply lose track of all these details as you read?
I would agree that large, sprawling indoor spaces allow female characters in the gothic to experience adventure within their own domestic spaces. Along with this, the grandeur and structure of Udolpho presents an interesting way for female characters to come into contact with substances that they otherwise might not. In chapter 5 of volume 2, Emily mentions the high and dark lofted ceilings and the black larch-wood walls. This combination creates a sense of the inside becoming the outside, with the high ceilings taking after the sky and the wooden walls acting as the thick forest surrounding the castle itself. There is also mention of damage to the castle, allowing the cold winds of the mountain to enter the building. This again supports Moers theory that these large domestic spaces are aiming to reflect a place of adventure in an otherwise docile place. In response to the idea that these gothic settings are supposed to be symbolic of deeper, Freudian fears and nightmares, I would also agree. However, I would argue that these are fears of the unknown, connecting back to Moers theory. Since women during this era were expected to act extremely domestic, and remain internal characters, the idea of a labyrinth – like house or castle would have inspired fear, just as in male characters in adventures with gothic features (such as ancient epics) could also be characterized as being afraid of the unknown. I am not sure if this is the clearest argument but I think that it is worth noting!
Though I find the prompts very inciting about the reading so far, I would like to comment on the female character within The Mysteries of Udolpho. More specifically, the relationships between Emily and Annnette, (I for one, am loving the character of Annette!) and motherly figures. I find the bluntness of Emily’s “boyishness” to be an interesting choice by the author. As the reader sees the dynamic between the two, the gossiping-loyal-feminine Annette juxtaposes the manly character Emily was taught to be. In Volume Two, Chapter Nine, the text states, “Emily looked calmly at him, and saw his enquiring eyes fixed on her; and Annette, looking up, screaming loudly…” This is what I believe to be such a great demonstration of the two women together, one erupting in a stereotypical scream of women of the time, the other of the pure calmness of a man. Seeing this character type in a manly woman in an earlier piece of literature is very interesting.
That being said, I see that Annette is to be the womanly figure that Emily subconsciously needs after the death of her mother. Emily often goes to her side for comfort or to confide in her during a time of uncertainty or fear, just like a mother. After the discussion in class about mother/daughter and female relationships told by Freud, seeking this idea within the pages of the story came to Emily and Annette. In contrast, the relationship between Emily and Madame Montoni, for the lack of a true loving “relationship” between the two, is far and few between. Personally, taking her out of this theory, at least so far.
I thought that the depiction of lower class people was very interesting throughout the novel. From banditi to gypsies to Emily’s aunt forbidding her from marrying Valencourt due to his alleged financial status, the story, overall, has a generally negative attitude towards members of the lower class. However, Radcliffe contradicts herself in the sense that ultimately it is the servants and prisoners of Udolpho who aid Emily in her triumphant escape. This begs the question of whether or not Radcliffe subscribed to the upper-class notion that poor people were only trustworthy or decent if they were in domestic spaces serving others. Regarding the depiction of both Italian people and the Italian landscape, Radcliffe definitely seemed to consider Italy to be the Wild West of Europe: the winding streets, the looming mountains, the shady behavior of the men she met there. Honestly some of the passages reminded me of the way some 19th century American writers wrote about California and the West Coast. Overall I genuinely enjoyed this story, and was truly surprised at some of the twists, so I hope Miss Radcliffe is happy to know that she’s still shocking people some 200 years later
Although I do think Moers has a point about the freedom of female gothic characters within the domestic space, I don’t think that’s the takeaway I’ve been getting from Udolpho. The first glance that Emily takes at the castle is daunting– she describes it as having a “solitary reign.” Castles are already symbols of the monarchy, which is often patriarchal, but this description really made me think about the outright masculinity of a castle. It’s this tall, intimidating, brooding space that entraps a woman in distress. It haunts her but also fascinates her– which is an interesting dynamic to consider when you think about Emily’s relationships with the real masculine figures in her life. When she is in more quaint and smaller homes, she has better relationships with the men in her life, and has more freedom as well. When she is in Udolpho, she is restricted and scared by most of the men in her life. So I think I would lean more towards the opinions of other critics after reading Udolpho, because to me it feels like Emily is being tormented by the castle instead of freed by it. So, even though it does grant Emily some form of freedom, I feel that it’s more of a restriction (which is also what it literally is) than anything else.
When reading these chapters, the pace hit the ground running from the last time, but there were still moments where I felt as if I couldn’t track where the story would head. (There was a moment I thought the story would reveal the original lady of the house was Madame Aubert.) With Italy, she described the landscape as a wild, untamed environment as they travel to the castle. Radcliffe then writes the Italians to be a dangerous group of people, especially when Emily and her stepmother had to hide away from the bandits and the chaos was unleashed. In the scene where Count Morano and Montoni had a duel in front of Emily, this is very cheesy to say, but it made me feel like I was watching an Italian mobster film, or something like Romeo + Juliet (1996) again. There’s a line that Annette says that caught me off guard, where she talks about finally seeing a Christian face in the castle, which makes me wonder about how Ann Radcliffe views how religion is taken in Italy as well as her thoughts towards Italians as a community, but it could have been how she was trying to make the castle and the servants to appear more mysterious as well as out of touch from society. Another thing that made me giggle when reading is whenever Emily and Annette were trying to learn more about the castle, the servant Caterina would appear, and they would have to keep their conversation hush hush. It almost made me nervous and scared whenever the servants would come around Emily because I was wondering what they were hiding.
In the opening of chapter 5, I found it to be quite interesting as it’s filled with beauty in vibrant color. The descriptions of nature are vivid and captivating, painting a picturesque scene that contrasts deeply with the darker themes typically found in the Female Gothic. From my understanding, the Female Gothic is often characterized by settings of doom and gloom, with decaying buildings, ominous weather, and an overwhelming sense of despair. Yet, in this chapter, the words feel delicate and almost ethereal, creating an intriguing comparison.
St. Aubert’s statement stood out to me: “Of the world he seemed to know nothing; for he believed well of all mankind, and this opinion gave him the reflected image of his own heart.” This line reveals a deeper layer of the narrative. It suggests that St. Aubert’s perspective is shaped by his own goodness, which makes the inevitable corruption of the world all the more tragic. I find hidden in the precious words the true tragedy of an all corrupting world. He compares nature and simplicity, saying that the world in general corrupts both the nature of scenery and the nature of man. It speaks to a broader theme of innocence being lost in the face of society’s flaws.