Realism/melodrama Flashcards
(13 cards)
Intro
Realism and melodrama throughout Dracula and the bloody chamber amolify the gothic themes making the supernatural credible and intensifying passages to create suspense.
Realism themes
-achieved through precise, tangible details
-familiar, sensory details
-psychological depth of characters,
achieved through precise, tangible details
In both The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, realism is achieved through precise, tangible details that ground the fantastical elements. Dracula by Bram Stoker is an epistolary novel, built like a dossier of evidence, giving a very realistic impression to the story:
-the note by an unknown narrator before chapter one states that “ the compilation of the following papers has been made in order to ensure the story’s fluidity and exactitude,”the epistolary format in Dracula adds realism, with Harker’s journal capturing Transylvania’s landscapes and Dracula’s castle. Stoker’s clinical descriptions of Lucy’s illness and burial rituals further ground the supernatural events, making them feel immediate and credible.
Carter uses familiar, sensory details
and precise descriptions In The Company of Wolves, like the “howling wind” and the “frosted snow” to evoke the cold forest where the protagonist encounters danger. making the fantastical feel tangible and believable.
Similarly, in Dracula, Stoker enhances the realism of the supernatural with detailed descriptions of settings,
Harker’s clinical observations of the architecture and landscape, such as the “high, dark walls” and “lofty windows,” contribute to a sense of authenticity, making the eerie events feel grounded in reality.
realism is also achieved through the psychological depth of characters, particularly the protagonists.
In The Tiger’s Bride, : “My father, who had sold me for a few cards, had lost me to the Beast.” The narator’s growing awareness of her powerlessness and pragmatic style of writing ads to the realism
In Dracula, characters like Jonathan Harker, a solicitor, and Mina, a teacher, respond to the supernatural with fear, curiosity, and skepticism. Harker initially doubts the warnings about Dracula’s castle but grows terrified as he witnesses bizarre events, like Dracula scaling the walls. Their reactions add psychological depth to their struggle with the supernatural.
Melodrama themes
-with vivid descriptions
-Realistic form of Dracula also allows exaggeration
-Sensational deaths
-Characters are often clearly good or evil,
In both The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, melodrama is used to amplify emotions and heighten suspense.
In Dracula, Stoker intensifies the horror with vivid descriptions such
as when Jonathan Harker describes Dracula’s castle: “The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!” and the chilling encounter with the three female vampires, where Harker is paralyzed with fear as well as Lucy’s tragic descent into vampirism, heighten the sense of dread and the supernatural terror surrounding Dracula.
Realistic form of Dracula also allows exaggeration
→ epistolary novel = joumal entries and letters written in the first person (subjective pov), which means an exaggerated expression of feelings and description of events as the characters are very honest and intimate when writing for themselves or to loved ones. The characters’ strong emotions thus make the story more appealing to the reader than a neutral narrative.
Lucy= drama queen, very exaggerative and expressive (punctuation, exclamations): *THREE proposals in a day! (chap 5)
Jonathan’s description of mina’s condition is more melodramatic as his emotions for his wife are. Heightened; he often calls her “my poor darling”
Jonathan Harker = : Lord, help me’, Goodbye all! / (chap4
in “Marianna” by lord alfred Tennyson, Mariana’s expressions at the end of every stanza are very exaggerated
she wept’ I am a weary I am aweary oh go that I were dead!” Her direct appeal to god and her self definition as weary is very melodramatic.
Similarly, in The Bloody Chamber, Carter’s characters experience exaggerated emotions, like Mr. Lyon’s loneliness and the protagonist’s intense conflict, which enhance the gothic tone..
In both The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, vivid Gothic imagery and sensational scenes heighten the melodramatic atmosphere, amplifying both allure and horror
Sensational deaths, such as Lucy’s violent transformation and death, are depicted with graphic, theatrical language, such as when she “moans and writhes” in agony during her transformation, and her eventual death involves the dramatic staking of her heart, releasing her soul from Dracula’s grasp. This emphasizes the terrifying power of Dracula and the grotesque consequences of his malevolent influence.
This is also shown with the sensational and gruesome death In, “The Snow Child” in the bloody chamber
Characters are often clearly good or evil,
This good-versus-evil structure amplifies the stakes and plays into the melodramatic conventions of high moral conflict
In The Bloody Chamber, characters like the cruel Marquis and the werewolves represent evil forces, The final standoff between the protagonist’s mother and the Marquis adds to the intense moral struggle between good and evil. In Dracula, the vampire’s supernatural powers and frightening appearance add to the Gothic horror, as the story focuses on the battle between Dracula’s evil influence and the goodness of the heroes. These villains and their dark traits build suspense and emotional intensity, reinforcing the melodramatic atmosphere in both stories.
Conclusion
To conclude In The Bloody Chamber and Dracula, realism and melodrama work together to make the stories more gripping. Realistic details and emotions make the supernatural feel believable, while exaggerated villains and intense conflicts add drama and tension. This mix of styles highlights themes of power, sexuality, and morality, making each Gothic story powerful and memorable.
