The Gothic Horror genre Essay Example for Free

The Gothic Horror genre Essay With particular reference to the construction of Mr Hyde, discuss how portrayal of the character places the novella into the Gothic Horror genre. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, a time where the Gothic Horror story was at its fullest expression, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde continues to remain one of the most well written, exciting and terrifying Gothic Horror stories to date. The Gothic Horror story has adapted over time, first being associated with dark, mysterious forces of the personality which were though of as uncivilised and therefore medieval and Gothic. However, it was then being used to describe the mysterious, the fantastic and occasionally, the horrific, appealing to the emotional side of human experience and throwing off the shackles of reason. Gothic Novels all shared similar settings, which were not just castles but anywhere that created a dark and mysterious atmosphere, and by the nineteenth century, Gothic Horror began to develop into ordinary human beings in familiar environments, to make the reader even more inclined to believe the unbelievable; that such dreadful events could actually happen; and this is exactly what Stevenson has done. Stevenson wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at a time where science was still relatively new; Darwins theory of evolution had turned what was a very religious world upside-down, and that, combined with the discovery of electricity and other scientific breakthroughs, made people start to believe that anything was possible. It is this that makes the events in Stevensons novel, which consists of ordinary characters in familiar settings, that much more believable, and therefore even more terrifying. Stevensons Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde fits into this mould of a Gothic Horror story perfectly, and this is largely down to the construction and portrayal of the character of Mr Edward Hyde; the evil half of Dr Jekylls personality. Stevenson introduces the theme of their being two sides to everybodys personality with his opening description of Mr Utterson. Stevenson begins by creating a negative impression of the lawyer, that he is of a rugged countenance and that he is never lighted by a smile. This creates the impression that he is unfriendly and cold, and that he does not show his feelings, yet Stevenson manages to compensate for this by saying that Utterson is yet somehow loveable, and explains that he helped people rather than to reprove. Stevensons use a lot of pathetic fallacy throughout the novel is apparent, and this technique is a very strong and common factor displayed in a lot of Gothic Novels. Stevenson has used it to emphasise the horror that he is describing, and it helps to create a generally terrifying and Gothic atmosphere. An example of this is that Jekylls evil side only comes out at night, as this relates to Stevensons theme of good and evil, where evil is associated with darkness and mysterious atmospheres. The first we learn of Mr Hyde is through the very odd story that Enfield tells Utterson at the beginning of the novel. Utterson and Enfield are walking through a street, which Stevenson describes as having an air of invitation about it, and readers are led to believe that as they are walking, Utterson and Enfield are quite safe in their quiet, peaceful town. However when Enfield begins his odd story, it is about three oclock, of what he describes as a black winter morning. This gloomy atmosphere, where there was nothing to be seen but lamps, leads readers to believe that something odd is about to happen. The very first description of Hyde is that he is a little man who was stumping, which suggests that he is not as proper as the other characters in the novel, and that there is, perhaps, something different about him. Quickly, Stevenson lets the readers know that this inkling is right, as Hyde trampled calmly over the childs body, which is horrible enough, but readers then learn that Hyde left her screaming on the ground. This suggests that Hyde was not fazed by what he had just done, and walked off as if nothing had happened; this is almost evil. Although it is not a particularly horrific event, it gives readers a taste for what is going to come, and they can guess that this is not going to be the first of many such incidents, that can only get worse from here. When Enfield collared Hyde, Stevensons description of Hyde at this point already suggest that he is not quite human, and that although nobody can quite pinpoint it, he has a peculiar effect on all those who encounter him, and this is Stevensons way of conveying the sinister atmosphere that is so often created in a Gothic Novel. For example, Enfield describes that Hyde just gave him one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. Also, Enfield explains that the girl Hyde knocked over was screaming not because she was in pain, but because she was frightened; and Hyde had such an effect on the doctor, Sawbones, that every time he looked at Hyde, he turned sick and white with the desire to kill him. When Utterson asks Enfield what Hyde looked like, Enfield explains that he is not easy to describe, and that he gives the strong feeling of deformity, which suggests that his appearance is enigmatic, which backs up what I have already mentioned of him having a peculiar effect on all those who encounter him, and also that he is not quite human. All of this makes Hyde a typical Gothic character and he certainly fits into the tyrannical males mould that is often used to describe such Gothic characters. The house that Hyde goes into to get the gold and the cheque Dr Jekylls house showed no window and throughout the novel there are further references to this, as well as to locked doors, barred windows and a thick, muffling fog. All of this adds to Stevensons creation of a Gothic atmosphere of secrecy and mystery. Although Utterson and Enfield agree never to refer to this again (this being Hyde), Utterson makes it his mission to seek Hyde, and try to work out the mystery regarding him and Dr Jekylls will, and after nights of waiting for Hyde to appear at the door he was first associated with, Hyde does just that. It is always night time when Utterson waits for Hyde, and this particular night was accompanied by frost in the air and was very silent and very solitary, which puts readers on guard, as throughout Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses dark, silent nights as the setting for horrific events, such as when Hyde trampled calmly over the childs body. This use of pathetic fallacy makes it easy for Stevenson to make events instantly terrifying, as the recognition of this setting automatically frightens readers as they know that something bad is about to happen, and it adds powerfully to the brooding and menacing atmosphere he has successfully created. Stevenson represents the beast in man by referring to Hyde in a number of animal images, and when Utterson greets Hyde, Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of breath, which shows his momentary fear, as if he has been caught off-guard. Hyde avoids showing Utterson his face, and only does so on request; this builds up the element of mystery that is sustained throughout the novella, and readers still do not know very much about Hyde. Further on in the novel Stevenson describes Hyde as moving like a money, by which, with reference to Charles Darwins theory of evolution, Stevenson is suggesting that by turning into the ape-like Hyde, Jekyll is evolving backwards. As the pair question each other, Hyde snarled into a savage laugh, which gives Hyde an element of terror about him. When Hyde is described for the second time this time from Uttersons own point of view he has the same dwarfish stance and gives the same impression of deformity without any nameable malformation of which Enfield emphasised when he tried to describe the character, which again adds to the air of mystery surrounding the character himself. Hyde speaks with a husky whispering and a broken voice, which although readers do not yet know, Stevenson is referring to the fact that Hyde is not a whole person. Utterson continues to be confused and frightened by Hyde even after he has disappeared, as he tries to describe the unknown disgust, loathing and fear that he senses from the character, which convinces the readers that Hyde is most certainly someone or something to be feared, and this is confirmed when Utterson links Hyde with the devil by saying he says that Hydes face was marked with Satans signature. Stevenson continues to leave readers in suspense until Hydes true identity is revealed to them in the ninth chapter, although he does drop clues along the way to allow readers to try and figure the mystery for themselves. The plot is eventually exposed by Dr Laynon, who witnessed Hydes transformation back into Jekyll for himself, and recalls his account in detail in the ninth chapter; Dr Lanyons Narrative. Lanyons first task is to recover, with all its contents as they stand, the fourth drawer down in Jekylls cabinet. Stevenson uses the recurring motif of the locked door to re-enforce the atmosphere of secrecy which pervades the Gothic novel; the lock of which was so strong that it took two highly skilled men two hours to open. Of the contents, Lanyon notices in particular a blood red liquor with a highly pungent smell; Stevenson has used this to suggest that Jekyll is involved in highly dark, secretive and dangerous practices, and that the reader is soon going to be dragged further than ever before into this terrifying mystery. Lanyon is told to meet Jekylls messenger at midnight, which adds to Stevensons creation of a Gothic atmosphere and adds mystery and suspense to the story. Stevenson is using his clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ setting of it being a dark, silent night, as he has throughout the novel, to build up to the main event. Readers will recognise this familiar setting and horror will rise inside them, as they do not know what is going to happen next; only that it will be terrifying and is going to involve the evil character of Hyde. When the messenger does appear, it is instantly recognisable to readers that it is Hyde through Lanyons use of Gothic vocabulary to describe the figure. The first description of him is that he is a small man crouching against the pillars, and Lanyon describes his disgustful curiosity at the sight of the man wearing a ludicrous accoutrement of oversized clothes which was far from moving [Lanyon] to laughter. Stevenson again refers to the beast in man by demoting Hyde to a creature that is seizing, surprising and revolting. This description of Hyde is sinister and grotesque, to make him fit even better into his Gothic role as a tyrannical male, which further builds up the Gothic atmosphere of mystery and suspense that Stevenson is trying to create as readers wait for Hydes true identity to be revealed to them. Stevenson lets readers know that something dangerous is about to happen as the policeman not far off causes Hyde to make greater haste. Hyde appears to be hysterical with sombre excitement, which leaves readers terrified as to what is going to happen when Lanyon gives him the contents of the drawer. Stevenson builds up the atmosphere of excitement, mystery and suspense by building up Hydes joy; he is so excited at the prospect of Lanyon having got the drawer for him that he has to put his hand to his throat to wrestle against the approaches of hysteria. When Lanyon does reveal the package to him, Hyde sprang to it, and this suggests that the contents are very exciting, yet dangerous and leads the reader to fear for Hydes life as Lanyon does. Stevenson suggests that Hyde is pure evil when he turned a dreadful smile and then when he opens the package he uttered one loud sob which was of such immense relief that Lanyon sat petrified. This event is building up the tension, and it appears that Hyde is getting so excited that he can no longer control himself; to Stevenson uses Lanyons narration to emphasise the horror of the situation and describe just how terrified Lanyon is. In turn, this makes the reader terrified, as they know that something dreadful and horrifying is about to take place. Stevenson is building up to the main event, and is using as much Gothic description as he can to terrify readers and get them gripped for what is about to happen; this is another classic sign of a Gothic novel. On pouring the potion, Hyde gives Lanyon a choice; this is that Hyde can either go home and drink the potion on his own, or he can stay for Lanyon to watch what is about to happen. This is clearly a challenge to Lanyon and everything he represents. Hyde obviously intends to teach the doctor, Jekylls ignorant, blatant pedant, a lesson; to him this would be to settle matters. He is in total command here, recognising that Lanyons greed of curiosity controls him. It is important to remember that Lanyon is given a clear choice, and it is in his own greed that he chooses to watch Lanyon drink the potion. Jekyll is obviously proud of his scientific achievement, and teases Lanyon that he has denied the virtue of transcendental medicine and ridiculed his superiors (by whom he is referring to himself), and readers know that something amazing and exciting, but at the same time horrific and terrifying, is about to happen once Hyde says behold! Stevensons use of Gothic language to terrify readers as Hyde reacts to the potion is particularly important, as he describes how Hyde reeled and staggered; he clutched at the table; he stared with infected eyes, gasping with open mouth, and suddenly the figure standing right in front of, and staring at Lanyon is no longer Mr Hyde, but Dr Jekyll. Stevenson continues to use Gothic language to describe Hydes metamorphosis to Jekyll which will particularly terrify contemporary readers as Stevenson was writing at a time that people thought anything was possible with science, and many believed that transcendental medicine, such as Jekylls own potion, was probable; therefore contemporary readers would think that the events in Jekyll and Hyde were not that unlikely, and could be happening on their street. Therefore they would have been more terrified at Hydes transformation than modern readers, and Stevensons Gothic description of the figures face becoming suddenly black and his features seeming to melt and alter as he is now half Jekyll, half Hyde, helps readers to really imagine the metamorphosis as if they were seeing it for themselves. Lanyons petrified reaction makes readers even more scared, as he sprung to his feet, raised his arm to shield himself from the prodigy, and his mind submerged in terror. This terrifies readers as they begin to imagine Lanyons reaction as their own, and they can see the figure staggering about, his features swelling, and they suddenly realise the truth of Jekylls two personalities. Stevenson describes Lanyon to have destroyed himself, and his life has been shaken to its roots, and this makes readers realise the full extent of what they have just witnessed. Overall, I think that Stevenson has portrayed Hyde to fit in with the typical Gothic mould of the tyrannical male, not only through his use of Gothic language, but through the horrific events themselves; the chilling, secretive, mysterious atmosphere; and the after-thought to contemporary readers that something like this is entirely possible to happen. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a lot more terrifying to contemporary readers for several reasons. One reason is that at that time of scientific breakthroughs and Charles Darwins theory of evolution, the world had been turned on its head, and people thought that anything was possible with science; they certainly believed in transcendental medicine, which would take human beings from beyond the realms of normal experience. Also, Stevenson has left clues throughout the novel to allow readers to guess the plot by themselves, which would lead to all sorts of wonders in their imagination; however the story is so well known now that modern readers know the plot, the twist and all events in-between the novel, that it would neither frighten nor surprise them. Also, Stevensons use of Gothic description is particularly terrifying as it allows readers to conjure all sorts of horrific images, however the play has been re-enacted in theatre and in film now so many times that there is not much left to imagine for modern readers anyway.

war poetry and one related material :: essays research papers

â€Å"When the Power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.† Jimi Hendrix. The topic we are studying is Experience through Language. This type of text is used to get a message through to the responder using literary techniques. From the start of time people have been documenting expressions on war for and against. Two articles I’ve chosen that relate to war are a Propergander poster from England in 1914 and the poem â€Å"The Soldier† composed by Rupert Brooke in 1915. We see how both composers try to convey the glories of war. This is one of the main messages in both pieces of material. In the poster there is persuasion to Patriotism. This is displayed by the bold letters spelling the sentence â€Å"Britons Wants You†. The effect of this makes the viewer feel as if what is said is directed at him or her. The same message is found in ‘the soldier’ in the first few lines ‘if I should die, think this of me, that there’s some corner of a foreign field, that is for ever England there shall be in that rich earth a richer dust concealed’ – this quote makes the reader feel pride for his country. It glorifies war. There is a visual aid in the poster of Lord Kitchener pointing at you. Lord kitchener was displayed on many recruitment posters pointing at ‘you’. The technique of him pointing engages the viewer by making him or her feel dedicated toyou their country. Another message in ‘The soldier’ is the sacrifice for your country. A technique used to show this is 1st person speech as in the line â€Å"if I should die, think only this of me.† Using 1st person makes it more personal as it lends an authenticity. Another technique is the repetition of the word England. This emphasizes an important point the composer wants to send to the reader. He has respect for his country. Rupert Brooke uses lines like â€Å"Shaped, Made aware† it gives personification as if England has nurtured them like a mother. Both sources mention biblical or religious allusions. In the poster there is the words â€Å"God Save The King† in capital letters.

Internet Does More Harm Than Good

Do you really want to hear the news of having your child being mass murdered? Committing suicide? Or even viewing inappropriate content? The internet can be a dangerous place for you, your computer and your children. It is extremely important to be aware of the fact that not everyone on the internet is as honest about themselves that you are about yourself. Undoubtedly the Internet brings more harm than good. Predators, they are everywhere waiting for you and your child. Sexual predators do exist and are a real threat.They target both girls and boys of all ages and use the anonymity of the internet to their advantage since they can meet whoever they want. Many are master manipulators with skills that can cripple any child's sense of awareness. These predators mainly aim for emotionally vulnerable children, trying to gradually seduce their targets through attention, kindness, and also affection. They use these seductive techniques against their victims to build a relationship. This pl ays right into the adolescent mind as they look for people that can relate to their feelings.With the presence of searchable Facebook and Twitter profiles predators can easily find information about potential victims since many naive children list personal information with no regard to safety. Even simple statements listed on a profile such as school attended, state lived in, or even work place can allow predators to gain necessary information to target these children. Once the predators achieve their victim’s trust the predator often manipulates their victim into doing things they shouldn’t be doing to compromise their safety. One in five U. S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet says they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Internet†1. Of the five U. S teenagers the victims are often pressured by their predator to send pornographic images of themselves to their predator. The victim often mistakes their trust as feelings of love whic h could ultimately result in the victim’s death. Even though children are willing to engage in conversion that appears innocent and harmless, parents must keep on guard to protect their families.Consequences could be authorities finding the dead body of their child in a lake, their child getting raped and left to die, or even only finding the remains of the body. The internet imposes lots of threats, one of them being viruses. According to Norton Symantec, they cannot cover every single virus that is out there, because some are just too strong. There are some viruses that can’t be put off, and some viruses that even put you in danger of seeing inappropriate material. Even though you may not have been doing anything incorrectly, harm may still come your way.Not only are there viruses, but there are also inappropriate websites that reach innocent eyes. Children suddenly get pictures or a file in their computer, and out of curiosity, fall under the trap they are put in. C hildren then click on these files and out of nowhere they are no longer in control of their computer. Not only are children at risk, adults are schemed of their money through the internet, â€Å"55. 7% of people say that email or internet is the most common known method through which victims are exposed to a scam.Around one in seven victims stated they were unaware of the scam. †2 Using the Internet is a great skill at any age; however the slower speed among some older people makes them easier targets for Internet scammers since seniors are thought to have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts. Their unfamiliarity with browsing the web makes them especially vulnerable to such traps as pop-up browsers and fake items on sale. This is not something we certainly do not want to continue, but merely something we want to stop.If this doesn't prove internet is dangerous, nothing does. Cyber bullying is not just some insignificant problem experienced by a few. Cyber bullying is widespread, your children are aware of it, they understand how it happens and yet they are not aware of or concerned with the consequences of such actions. It is widely known that bullying can cause long-term psychological problems that are harmful to victims, including low self-esteem, depression, anger, school failure, violence and in worse case scenarios suicide.In a study of over 3000 students, it was found that â€Å"38% of bully victims felt vengeful, 37% were angry, and 24% felt helpless†3. Cyber bullying is even more harmful to young people than face-to-face bullying. The insults, comments or images can be repeated by the bully or by others so that the victim may read or view them over and over again as the harm is re-inflicted with each reading or viewing. The size of the audience that is able to view or access the damaging material on the Internet increases the victim’s humiliation.In addition, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter allows cyber bullies to engage in campaigns against a particular person which may involve many others. Due to the humiliation felt by the victim they are at a vulnerable position in which they are afraid to seek help but rather think to take the easier option to end their life. Regardless of any situation, cyber bullies are ought to be dealt with, parents should be more concerned about their child’s safety, and more help should be offered to the victims.If we ignore everything, the crimes of cyber bullying will go unpunished. Are we ready to lose another young life? The internet definitely does more harm than good. An individual could feel so helpless to the point of taking their own life. A computer could be taken over by a deadly virus and never return to its original form. But perhaps the scariest Internet safety concern is what could happen to an unprotected child doing battle with an Internet predator alone in cyberspace. Word count- 981

Retribution The Battle For Japan - 1591 Words

Retribution: The Battle for Japan 1944-1945 written by former British journalist and military historian, Max Hastings tells a story about one of the most brutal and horrifying wars in history, the Pacific War between United States of America and Japan. Through a very detailed style of writing, Hastings was able to clearly narrate the happenings in the last stages of World War II, especially the fall of Japan at the hands of America. Through some stories and interviews from the people who were directly involved, Hastings was able to chronologically relate the experiences and convey the thoughts of the military and civilians. Hastings also gave his thoughts and understanding about the rights and wrongs of America’s strategies to outlast†¦show more content†¦His purpose for the book is to give readers a glimpse of the horror experienced by the people who were part of the Pacific war. He focused on how and why the Americans and the Japanese did their actions during that w ar and their purpose for doing it (Kort, 2010). He also gave his opinions about the behavior of the people, especially the leaders, in making the decisions that led to a lot of unnecessary casualties and deaths during the war (Schilken, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze Retribution: The Battle for Japan 1944-1945 and the way Max Hastings wrote it. The additional sources gave the writer of this paper a better understanding about the book’s flow and content in general and the opinions of other critics helped shape his point of view of the as well. Retribution tells the story of the American and Japanese brutality; how the ideals of their methods and strategies doomed tens of thousands of lives during the final stretch of World War II. The book exposed the cruel fate suffered by the prisoners during the two nations’ year-long encounter. Both countries were determined to win, but were extremely inconsiderate of the lives of their prisoners during th e war. Hastings wrote that when the United States prioritized the destruction of Japanese ships over the lives of POWs (Prisoners of War), the latter did the same (Thomas, 2008). As Hastings wrote, â€Å"Most of the