INTRO:
In their Introduction to The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre, editors
Morrison and Baldick write that, “In the frantically competitive world of the
magazines in the 1820s and 1830s, imitation was not just the sincerest form of
flattery but the surest route to commercial survival. It should not, then,
surprise us to find some echoes of the successful Blackwood’s tradition
in the productions of its monthly rivals” (xvii-xviii). While the stories in
this volume were reading and responding to stories published in the first magazine
of Gothic fiction, Blackwood’s, they were also responding to each other. For
this reason, we find many stories that seem obsessed with the same themes and
ideas (as well as plots).
PROMPT:
So for your first paper, I want you choose two stories that seem to respond
to or imitate each other in some important way. It doesn’t have to be
literal, as in the plot of the characters (though it can), so consider larger
issues such as similar themes, literary devices, or ways of telling the story.
How do we know that one of the authors read the other, and decided to respond
with his or her own story that develops, expands, further explains, or
contradicts some element of the previous story? To do this, I want you to compare
a short passage from one story with a short passage from the other. The
passage should be relatively short—a few sentences to a paragraph, but no more.
Examine the language of each passage closely and compare what they say—and how
they say it—to show the influence that one story had on the other. Use the
Chronology in the front of the book and/or the Notes in the back to figure out
which story came out first (since a story from 1831 probably isn’t responding
to a story from 1836). You can use one of the poems we discuss in class as
well, but only to add context/ideas—not as one of your primary works.
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HINTS:
What should your paper look like? Avoid a lengthy introduction that says,
“Since the beginning of time, man has been writing Gothic stories...” OR
“Webster’s dictionary defines Gothic as...” Instead, jump right into the paper
by briefly introducing the first story and your intended passage. Don’t quote
the entire passage in your paper. Instead, perform a close reading,
which means quote a line or two and then explicate it—tell us what you think it
means and how it relates to other parts of the story. This way, we can read
along with you, and we’ll understand much better what the story means and how you
read it. Then do the same for the second story, taking care to make
connections back to the first passage. It might be helpful to examine short
passages side by side to help us see the imitative themes and ideas.
When
quoting a passage in your paper, do it like so: In Catherine Gore’s story,
“The Red Man,” the twisted friar exclaims, “The soul of woman is the brightest
emanation of the eternal fountain of light and life; but the smallest blemish
upon its spotlessness, and corruption and darkness ensue” (Oxford 158). This is
an important passage because... (Introduce the quote; quote accurately and
cite; respond to the quote).
REQUIREMENTS:
At least 4-5 pages, double spaced; quote all passages using MLA format (as
shown above); make an attempt at proofreading—don’t turn in a paper full of
sloppy errors; due Friday, February 9th by 5pm
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