Burke’s Sublime in Walpole’s Otranto and Shelley’s Frankenstein 56

Burke’s Sublime in Walpole’s Otranto In Burke’s On the Sublime and and Shelley’s Frankenstein Beautiful, he discusses how the Sublime and the Beautiful both produce pleasure but are mutually exclusive as part of the imagination. Edmund Burke, a social and political Erica Roth philosopher, wrote On the Sublime and Beautiful in 1757, after studying the imagination in his undergraduate studies. He Erica Roth is studying to receive her Masters Degree in took an interest in the topic when concluding English and American literature at the University of his studies of Locke’s Essay Concerning Houston. Her interests are diverse and include poetry, Shakespeare, and nineteenth century literature. She Human Understanding (Harris). Burke’s recently graduated from Siena College in Albany, NY, theory was derived from curiosity, pleasure, where she received her teaching certificate in secondary and pain. He believed “the roots of human education, and, in the future, plans to bring her passion activity” were “passions” of these three for literature to her classroom. elements, where “curiosity stimulated the mind…while pain and pleasure…corresponded Edmund Burke in A Philosophical respectfully to self-preservation and society” Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the (63). Essentially, the human mind endowed Sublime and the Beautiful states: “the itself with these elements to answer natural Sublime is productive of the strongest instincts and to make improvements in human emotion which the mind is capable of feeling” society. Burke believed that “pleasure” is the (Burke 59). This emotion, as he details in his combination of “all senses” and is “the same On the Sublime and the Beautiful, processes in all, high and low, learned and unlearned” elements found in nature through the senses, (Burke 15). The human mind created these and from these senses, creates intense pleasure-seeking instincts as a reaction to the feelings in the mind. Through literature, human imagination. The creation of pleasure authors can produce similar emotions for their based on the senses allowed for the human audiences, providing intensely horrific mind to experience the Beautiful and the entertainment through literary devices, Sublime. Often the senses are used to satiate including descriptive language, plot, setting, curiosity, pain, or pleasure, and although and characters. Believed to be the first separate, they both depend on the Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, written in imagination. 1794, amalgamates horror, mystery, and the To Burke, imagination was influenced supernatural, denoting preliminary stages of by both horror and beauty. He strongly the Sublime. Later, in 1818, Mary Shelley believed “the imagination [was] moved to awe incorporated similar elements into her Gothic and instilled with a degree of horror by what novel, Frankenstein. Although written at is ‘dark, uncertain, and confused’” (Razeen different times, both texts illustrate aspects of 80). The greater the ambiguity of a situation, Burke’s Sublime, including passion, terror, the greater the horror the imagination feels. obscurity, power, and vastness, and ultimately Obscurity lends itself to the Sublime in that if depict the overwhelming power of this the mind is knowledgeable about the object emotion on the mind. through openness and lucidity, the imagination does not sense harm, but

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pleasurable fear. In essence, because the of any sort of pain….It may be mind is capable of seeing the object for what said, perhaps, that the pain in the object is, the mind experiences pleasure, these cases had its rise from the not horror. removal of the pleasure which the man enjoyed before, though that The imagination creates pleasure pleasure was of so low a degree as through the Sublime and the Beautiful; to be perceived only by the however, pleasure is experienced in the mind removal. (Burke 58) only if the object is perceived as fiction. When sight and associated certainty are The Sublime is an overwhelming sense removed, emotions such as fear are of power on the mind and Burke believes this produced, especially if one perceives the power is derived from an excited state of object as violent and capable of true harm tranquility. When one’s mindset is changed (Burke 76). However, if the mind processes from indifference due to “gratification,” this an object as fictional, the mind can then feel newly-experienced emotion of “pain” creates pleasure from horror. An example which the Sublime (Burke 48-9). But, if one is would exemplify Burke’s notion would be directly immersed in pain, pleasure is not felt peering down the ledge of a high cliff. The because the emotions experienced become mind instantaneously experiences horror too real. In Northanger Abbey, main because the knowledge of looming death character Catherine Morland is fixated with presides as a possibility. But, because the Gothic novels “in which the greatest powers of mind categorizes this knowledge as fictional, the mind are displayed,” and she hopes to pleasure is felt (Burke 71). Burke also experience situations similar to those in her argues, however, if “one gets too close to the book (Austen 12). When Catherine is invited perception, they no longer experience to Northanger Abbey, a supposedly haunted Sublime emotions, only fear” (30). If castle, she creates mysterious and horrific horrifying objects are too close in proximity or scenarios in her head. During her stay at the realness, Sublime emotions fade into sheer Abbey, a thunderstorm excites her “tranquil” horror, becoming painful. state and she begins imagining the horrors from her book taking place at Northanger Burke discusses the absence of pain or Abbey itself. She reaches “pain,” in the form pleasure, known as “tranquility” in the of terror, but because Catherine is too close in Sublime; Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey imagination to actual reality, she does not illustrates Burke’s theory through protagonist experience the Sublime, and instead Catherine Morland. In Part I of On the experiences fear. The mind, as proven by Sublime and the Beautiful, Burke states: Catherine, must remain at a distance in order The human mind is often, and I for Sublime emotions to be felt. think it is for the most part, in a According to Edmund Burke, the state neither of pain nor pleasure, Sublime and the Beautiful are broken down which I call a state of indifference. into five parts; many aspects of the Sublime When I am carried from this state found in Part II of On the Sublime and the into a state of actual pleasure, it Beautiful can be connected to the Gothic does not appear necessary that I novel. The sections within—Of the Passion should pass through the medium Caused by the Sublime, Terror, Obscurity,

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Power, and Vastness—all detail elements of The concept of terror relies heavily upon sight the Sublime found in Otranto and insofar as the mind sees an object and Frankenstein. Each element contributes becomes consumed by its horror. Typically, differently to the overall meaning of the the larger an object, the more terrifying it Sublime. becomes. A looming thunderstorm creates terror because of its size; in comparison to In Of the Passion Caused by the the storm, an individual is inferior to the Sublime, Burke explains how astonishment lightning, the clouds, and the rain. However, through passion leads to experiencing the Burke believes regardless of size, any Sublime. Burke states, “The passion caused horrifying object when looked upon will create by the great and Sublime in nature, when the Sublime, stating, “whatever therefore is those causes operate most powerfully, is terrible, with regard to sight, is Sublime too, astonishment; and astonishment is that state whether this cause of terror be endued with of the soul, in which all its motions are greatness of dimensions or not; for it is suspended, with some degree of horror” (95). impossible to look on anything as trifling, or He believes when one experiences contemptible, that may be dangerous” (96). astonishment, or great amazement, the The imagination presupposes the sight as Sublime is experienced because the dangerous or horrifying, thus creating the imagination becomes obsessively consumed Sublime. by one’s horror. Essentially, the individual becomes so enthralled with an object that the In Obscurity, Burke discusses how mind cannot “entertain” or conceptually terror is enhanced because of ambiguity fathom any others (95-6). The mind can only caused by light (99-101). Most often, terror focus on the object it is astonished with, and is felt in the darkest hours, or in locations of “disallows the proposal of any other form of utter darkness. Obscurity possesses one of object to be introduced” (Mishra 16). Passion the greatest Sublime qualities: uncertainty. is believed to be the introductory state before Where the mind is prohibited by light, the experiencing the Sublime as the imagination imagination causes one to believe there are focuses on a central object or idea and scary entities, such as ghosts or monsters, becomes obsessed with it. This obsession lurking. Additionally, because the eyes are begins the eventual descent into experiencing unable to clarify what the mind believes, the terror. threat of danger is enhanced and Sublime emotions are experienced. Burke believes Terror is a passion that relies on obscurity is the foundation of ghost stories: senses, especially sight, to ignite Sublime emotions. After the mind becomes fascinated Everyone will be sensible of this, by a particular object, the imagination cannot who considers how greatly night entertain any other ideas or objects, adds to our dread, in all cases of consequently creating horrible, scary danger, and how much the notions situations based around that object. Burke of ghosts and goblins, of which defines this ideal in Terror. He believes terror none can form clear ideas, affect removes all reasoning as it completely minds which give credit to the consumes the mind and the imagination, popular tales concerning such elevating them to a heightened stage of fear, sorts of beings. (99) and ultimately resulting in pleasure (96-9).

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Burke believes obscurity is the origin of In Vastness, Burke illuminates how spectres because the imagination creates dimensions function in relation to the Sublime ghost-like figures when light is removed. (127-9). Several extensions, including Furthermore, haunted tales stem from height, length, and depth, create Sublime darkness because clear and present danger is emotions. He alludes to staring down into a less threatening, while incomprehensible and deep valley, viewing the top of a high tower, unseen danger creates terror. Experiencing and overlooking the ocean as reminders of obscurity creates Sublime emotions because one’s existence, experiences which ultimately individuals are restricted from knowledge. delve into the Sublime. When one views an When one knows what to expect, the outcome infinite amount of space, the mind recognizes is exponentially less threatening. Additionally, its own finite existence. A relationship when sight is restricted, the mind feels less between dimension and existence is powerful and therefore believes it cannot experienced as the Sublime because, as Burke protect itself from harm (102-7). states, when “attending” to the “infinite divisibility of matter,” one recognizes his/her Horror is created due to an imbalance “diminishing scale of existence” (Burke 129). of power based upon sight, but can also be Dependent on one’s viewpoint, vastness produced by individuals. In Power, Burke creates the Sublime because the mind is describes many different forms of power. unable to fathom the object in its entirety, From a political standpoint, Burke denotes and cannot fully grasp the concept of how power can arise from “institutions in existence. Perspective is important in kings and commanders,” as seen in Otranto recognizing vastness; and, once faced with (Burke 110-124). Those who abuse their different extremities and dimensions, one has position of power strike fear in those they the ability to truly visualize how small their govern through superiority. The ruler’s presence is, creating Sublime emotions. actions become incomprehensible and unpredictable, and once the governed The Gothic novel takes into account individuals feel inferior, they become fearful the five Sublime elements listed above, which and experience the Sublime. In Frankenstein, directly influenced the popularity and overall the lens through which power is viewed is meaning of Romantic literature. Romantic “natural” power. Burke writes: “…pain is literature introduced “the subject of reflection, always inflicted by a power in some way philosophy, verifiable truth and the common superior, because we never submit to pain basis of our experience in a world of concrete, willingly. So that strength, violence, pain and measurable physical realities,” also known as terror, are ideas that rush in upon the mind the imagination (Damrosch 4). One specific together” (112). Upon witnessing the genre—the Gothic novel—intertwined coalition of “natural” power, which is strength philosophy and the imagination. The Gothic and violence, Sublime emotions arise. novel was developed between 1790 and 1830 Amalgamation of superior strength and in England, and was created as a reaction harmful violence invites the mind to entertain against the “rigidity and formality” of other the prospect of physical harm. Overall, the forms of Romantic literature as it “[took] its exertion of power, whether through rules or roots from former terrorizing writing that strength, causes others to feel insubordinate dates back to the Middle Ages” (Oates 1994). and inferior, creating the Sublime. With dark undertones and agonizingly

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frightening motifs, the Gothic novel invites beings, the Gothic villain, and the Byronic readers to experience terror based solely on hero—“an agent of terror”—are all “character their imagination. The Gothic novel was types” that inspire obscurity and create extremely popular during its time due to the horror, because “this iconography [of dark and “threat” or imaginative “fear” imposed on obscure figures] has haunted various critical readers because of an “interest in the bizarre, representations of the rise of the genre” eccentric, wild, savage, lawless, and (Evans 5). The reigning emotion over readers transgressive, in originality and the of Gothic literature is curiosity, transformed imagination” (Kilgour 3). The threat of into fear. In addition, while specific “bizarre” found in these texts excited readers, characters exhibit or create terror, themes thus enhancing their interest in the texts. function in this way as well. Themes of death, Some features of the Gothic novels elevated power, and love all play a role in the creation interest levels by captivating readers into a of a Gothic novel. Essentially, the Gothic state of both excitement and horror; this novel was popular because of the emotional, interest relates back to the pleasure gained yet pleasurable toll it took on its readers from being exposed to the Sublime. As Burke through different literary techniques. argued, because the suspense and threat of As the first Gothic novel, The Castle of danger looms close enough for readers to Otranto set the standard for the Gothic novels sense, but not close enough to seem real, the through plot, characters, and dramatic impending emotion stemmed derived from themes. The author of Otranto, Horace this pain is pleasure. The pleasure gained by Walpole, resided at Strawberry Hill, a gothic- eighteenth- and nineteenth-century readers styled castle that was the backdrop for his enhanced their experiences with this type of novel. In fact, “Strawberry Hill became literature, quickly launching its popularity. Horace Walpole—so much so that it formed a Many famous Gothic novels exposed new image of itself in his novel” (Fairclough pleasurably haunting motifs and features still 10). Walpole was determined to write a found in literature today. novel, and in 1764, he printed copies of Otranto for his friends and family to read. The Gothic novel is identified by certain The premise of the story was a union between features which are also found in the Sublime. old romances and realistic texts of modern Authors use these features—“specialized time. Set inside a medieval castle—much like settings, machinery, character types, themes, his own Strawberry Hill—Otranto “was and plots”—to exploit mystery, gloom, and [written] to unite the marvelous turn of terror, which are all themes and emotions incident, and imposing tone of chivalry, noted in the Sublime (Evans 5). Specialized exhibited in the ancient romance, with that settings include remote time periods and accurate exhibition of human character, and regions of obscurity. Popular regions include contrast of feelings and passions” (6). areas of extreme gloom, danger, or where Illuminated through plot, setting, and supernatural elements may reside. Such characters, Walpole linked chivalry, as locations include: mysterious dungeons, wild portrayed by the Byronic hero Theodore, with natural scenes, or areas of violent storms. the Gothic, as noted by supernatural beings These settings add to the mystery and horror and horror. Additionally, the main character, found in the Sublime by creating images of Manfred, became the Gothic villain as he uncertainty through darkness. Supernatural demonstrated a “contrast” of feelings through

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anger, lust, and empathy. The plot—man (96). Additionally, he believes when one loses desires power, chivalrous hero appears and “all reasoning” due to horror, the Sublime is conquers—lends itself to the Sublime as dark experienced (58). In Otranto, Jaquez and passageways, themes of death, chivalry, Diego were asked to search for Isabella, gloom, and the supernatural appear. Manfred’s new love interest. However, in their Although this text was the earliest Gothic pursuit, they came across “Satan himself,” novel and is juvenile in many areas, the story forgetting to complete Manfred’s request. By interacts with horror and creates Sublime Burke’s standards, the men experienced emotions for its readers, launching them into Sublime terror, especially Diego—“[He] will the Sublime. never recover!... He cried out, and ran back” (Walpole 41-2). In this instance, Diego was Traced throughout Otranto are features suspended in his fear; although he is usually of Burke’s Sublime, beginning with the courageous, his bravery is wounded and he elements of Of the Passion Caused by the experiences sheer terror. Furthermore, while Sublime. Although Manfred is the main Jaquez does not see the spectre, his character of Otranto, Walpole uses all emotional reaction is parallel to Diego—he is characters as a catalyst for the Sublime. The consumed by the horror of the situation and novel begins with the death of Conrad, loses “all reasoning.” Jacquez and Diego’s Manfred’s son. Conrad’s body is found in terror exemplifies the Sublime. pieces under an enormous helmet covered with feathers. The immediate reaction of on- The domestics’ terror is relative to lookers is horror and disgust. The scene is Sublime ambiguity; in Obscurity, Burke grotesque; Manfred’s son was mutilated by reveals how ambiguous situations, including the force of Alfonso the Good’s gigantic dark passageways and supernatural spectres, helmet falling on top of him. The are Sublime. In Of the Sublime, Burke townspeople are enveloped by their explains when a situation is vague or unclear amazement; in sheer astonishment together based upon light, Sublime will be experienced they exclaim “Oh! my lord! the prince! the because one is unable to acknowledge the prince! the helmet! the helmet!” (Walpole 28). reality of the situation (59). Otranto, set in a The on-lookers become tantalized by the medieval castle, immediately points toward horrific scene in front of them. Even Manfred obscurity; with dimly-lit passageways and becomes enthralled by the scene, unable to dark galleries, the castle breeds the Sublime. speak. Like Burke describes, the individuals Isabella, who was to be wed to Conrad before involved were “suspended” in their curiosity his death, is now chased by Manfred. She is and astonishment. The onlookers and able to escape into “a vault” where an Manfred experienced Sublime passion due to “imperfect ray of clouded moonshine gleam their astonishment with the situation. from the roof of the vault… fell in” (Walpole 37). Her sight was restricted; she could only While Burke’s section Of the Passion is vaguely decipher parts of the room due to exemplified by Conrad’s death, Terror is obscure light. Her mind was incapable of exemplified by Manfred’s domestics, Jaquez processing any other objects in the room, and Diego, when they recount the spectre of creating Sublime emotions within Isabella’s Alfonse the Great they saw in the gallery. In imagination. Terror, Burke states mistaking terror as “actual pain” is an element of the Sublime

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Likewise, Sublime obscurity can be the Sublime is based upon existence. As achieved through an intense light, where noted by Burke in Vastness, if the mind “supernatural occurrences…are brought witnesses something extreme, whether in forward into too strong day-light” as noted by dimension or distance, it creates the Sublime Diego when he sees “the gigantic limbs” of (128). Although Otranto does not Alfonso the Great’s ghost (Fairclough 12). demonstrate vastness in distance, many Here, Diego sees clearly the object. His mind objects and supernatural elements are is able to process what he is seeing; however, overwhelming in size and create Sublime because the object is a dismembered limb of emotions for the characters. One example, an unknown source, Diego’s mind experiences mentioned previously, demonstrates vastness sheer horror and creates Sublime emotion. In through size. Alfonso the Good’s helmet, both cases, dim and bright lighting causes which falls on Conrad in the opening scene of obscurity by either prohibiting or enhancing the text, exhibits vastness in size. The sight. helmet was described as “enormous” and was a “hundred times more large than any casque Sublime emotions for Isabella, Diego ever made for human being” (Walpole 28). and other characters are experienced through Manfred is shocked by this sight, and in fact, obscure visions, but are also triggered by the loses his ability to speak. As he and the on- power Manfred asserts over them. Manfred, lookers witness this horrible scene, their lord of Otranto, is an authoritative figure who minds took into account their own mortality dictates the actions of those around him. and existence. The helmet is for Manfred the When Manfred learns of a prophesy which is “diminishing scale of existence” because “the detrimental to his rule, he orders Isabella to imagination is lost as well as the senses” marry him because his wife, Hippolita, cannot (124). He loses his son, his ability to speak, provide him another heir due to “her own and begins to fret for his existence as he sterility” (Walpole 27). As he exerts his witnesses the tragedy that lay before him. power over Isabella, she flees to safety. As This sparks Sublime emotions as depicted Burke states in Power, “natural” power causes through his fear. the Sublime, as the Sublime coalesces “violence and strength.” A “too-mighty The heavy use of Burke’s five elements tyrant,” as Manfred is deemed by his wife, he within Walpole’s text produces Sublime intertwines the power of a commander and emotions for his characters; however, his his natural power over Isabella (Walpole 56). constant use of Gothic language demands She feels superior to his lordship, and that readers experience the Sublime as well. because of the imbalance between their size, Literature is special in that it creates mental cannot fend off his advances. He also images for readers. Each word used in a text becomes violent near the end, killing his is important as it sets the mood, the setting, daughter, Matilda, when he mistakes her for and other various aspects of literature play an Isabella (Walpole 104). His rash decisions as important role on the emotions of the reader. a father, husband, and ruler invite others to Each word affects the reader differently; more feel inferior to him and cause them to soothing words will have a greater positive experience the Sublime. effect on the mind, while harsher, more violent language will impart a destructive, Power is Sublime superiority based horrifying effect. Walpole contrasted the two upon strength; in Vastness, Burke shows that

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types of language to impose similar effects on touches upon these ideas, Mary Shelley’s his readers; specifically, he utilizes Gothic novel expanded and greatly lengthened language frequently to evoke terror. He uses attributes of gloom and terror through her words such as “astonishment,” a direct characters, themes, and language. vocabulary term from Burke’s Enquiry Frankenstein, a text about bringing life (Walpole 79), “Satan,” a representation of the to the deceased, was inspired by the real-life Devil (41), and “spectre,” or a ghost (43), experiences of Shelley. In the summer of frequently to exert Sublime effects on his 1816, Mary Shelley and several colleagues readers. Additionally, to describe horrifying traveled to Lake Geneva in hopes of finding situations, Walpole used phrases such as inspiration for writing (Damrosch 329). “Words cannot paint the horror of the During this time—appropriately remembered princess’s situation” (36) and “The castle is as the “Haunted Summer”—four individuals, certainly haunted” (38). By using phrases including Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and John such as these, Walpole instructs his readers Polidori, held a contest to see who could write how to feel and what to imagine. Additionally, the scariest novel. Shelley’s Frankenstein was through phrases and terms aforementioned, a triumphant success after she found Walpole is able to create suspense for the inspiration in a thunder storm. She wrote: audience by revealing limited information. “The scene illuminated for an instant, when a This technique is used when Manfred is pitchy blackness succeeded, and the thunder desperately searching the passageways of the came in frightful bursts over heads amid the castle to find Isabella. This chase scene darkness” (Hitchcock 16). She experienced envelopes readers into the text and by not an intense, terrifying feeling where “the revealing all information to the reader, torments which we may be made to suffer, Walpole captivates the audience and makes are much greater in their effect on the body them crave more. and mind, than any pleasures” (59). Her Horace Walpole’s Otranto began the imagination was captivated by the horror of trend of Gothic novels in Romantic literature. the storm and brought Sublime pleasure to His use of language, plots, characters, and her mind. Throughout Frankenstein, themes within his novel sparked the elements of this powerful emotion are found. popularity of the books during his time, and As viewed in the storm, natural settings created an obsession with horror novels and commonly lend themselves to the Sublime films still seen today. By 1816, Shelley’s and this is a frequent theme within Shelley’s Frankenstein had mastered the elements of a text. Her main character, Victor Frankenstein, Gothic novel, setting a new standard for depicts Sublime emotions with his creation of Gothic dramas, poems, and plays. Otranto a once-dead life form, often referred to as and Frankenstein, although written at “creature,” “monster,” or “devil” (Shelley 16, different times, are united through the Gothic 28, 30). Victor becomes the Byronic hero, and are exemplary of two Sublime ideals although none of his actions inspire heroic “First, medieval life was dark, gloomy, and actions; in fact, his obsession with creating barbarous; second, it would be terrifying if the monster—who becomes the Gothic villain enlightened gentlemen and ‘sensible’ ladies —is the reason why many characters are were projections of the primary source of killed within the story. Shelley uses literary terror” (Evans 8). While Walpole’s novel devices such as hyperbole and foreshadowing

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to enhance her Gothic story, which culminates horror, representing Burke’s Terror. Victor themes of death, destruction, fear, and gloom. had taken the body parts of human beings Ultimately, the plot, a supernatural fantasy of and assembled them together in hopes of bringing life to something deceased, creates creating life; it is not until all part are the Sublime tone that is found throughout the together that the monster invariably become entirety of Frankenstein. disastrous in actions and appearance. His “lust” for the creature was overwhelmed by The emotion described in Of the his fear; he is incapable of thinking or Passion created by the Sublime is seen in the “reasoning,” as Burke states, about anything obsessive compulsion of the main character, except for his horrible creation. Victor never Victor, in his pursuit to create life. Victor was sought to understand the consequences of sparked to create life when he witnessed a bringing the creature to life until he physically lighting strike a tree. He states, “I never sees him. Here, sight introduces terror. beheld any thing so utterly destroyed. The Victor even recognizes his horror when he catastrophe of this tree excited my extreme states, “now that I had finished, the beauty of astonishment!” (Shelley 24). Here, the the dream vanished, and breathless horror language delves directly into the Sublime. In and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 37). Passion, Burke argued that the Sublime is Here, he demonstrates the contrast between experienced with astonishment; when the the Sublime and the beautiful. However, his mind becomes engulfed with an idea, the pleasure with the outcome of his obsession imagination cannot focus on anything else was transformed from astonishment to terror. (95). This is represented in Victor’s actions following the incident. He had initially begun While seeing his creature brought to his work without a moment to lose—“Winter, life enabled Victor to experience the Sublime, spring and summer passed away during my the removal of clarity and subsequent labours” (Shelley 36). This demonstrates his obscurity does too. Burke believes “[i]n persistence, and more importantly, his nature, dark, confused, uncertain images obsession. Burke believes that astonishment have a greater power on the fancy to form the and amazement is the single factor that grander passions, than those have which are begins passion and the Sublime, and for more clear and determinate” (101). If an Victor, his astonishment with the tree sparked object or scene is ambiguous, Sublime his Sublime passion for creating life. experiences take precedence, mainly because sight is limited. Shelley’s constant depiction Victor’s inability to focus on any other of her characters and settings provoke object except for creating life facilitates his Sublime emotions to surface. During the Sublime obsession which turns into Sublime story, Victor chases the monster after terror. His passion overtook his life discovering his creation murdered two completely, as he did nothing except work. individuals close to him. While he anxiously Burke argues, “the Sublime anticipates our searches, “staccato flashes enables reasoning, and hurries us on by an irresistible Frankenstein to make out the Creature’s force” (96). For Victor, this “force” was his dizzying course as it leaps from crag to crag, creating life. He ultimately creates a monster and in the intervals of darkness, while his eye whose nature was indeterminate and thus is recovering from each blinding glance, he turned his pleasure into sheer horror. With reflects” (Shelley 888). When the light Victor’s creation, his initial obsession turned in

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flashed, Victor was able to make out the (128). He suggests that Sublime vastness is creature, however, the instant the light was derived from sight, and that coming in contact removed, Victor had to rely on other senses with distances and dimensions that outmatch to find the creature. Because of this one’s own creates terror and introduces situation, Victor experiences the Sublime Sublime emotion (128-9). At the end of because “the tortured male body rendered Frankenstein, the setting exemplifies himself simultaneously dangerous and vastness. The final passage of the novel endangered” (Picart 22). Because the depicts the creature springing from “the creature is seen as “dangerous,” Victor cabin-window” as he “was soon borne away experiences fear and his limited sight lends by the waves, and lost in darkness and itself further to the Sublime. distance” (Shelley 179). Nature is portrayed as infinite, allowing the mind to wander and The combination of obscurity and imagine. Most importantly, the scene aspects of Burke’s concept of Power ignite provokes thought based upon existence— Victor’s fear, thus creating Sublime emotions. existence of one’s own person and of the Burke states: “wheresoever we find strength, creature. Beyond the reader’s understanding, and in what light soever we look upon power, the sea in which the creature escapes is we shall all along observe the Sublime unknown in size, length, and depth. The concomitant of terror, and contempt the narrator is left to ponder the creature’s attended on a strength that is subservient and existence, thus experiencing the Sublime. innoxious” (112). The creature exerts “natural” power, the coalition of violence and While the five elements of the Sublime strength, on several individuals he comes in create Sublime emotion, the Gothic language contact with. He murdered three individuals— Shelley uses acts as a catalyst for readers to William, Henry Clerval, and Elizabeth—with experience the Sublime. Throughout his massive hands (Shelley 49, 138, 154). Frankenstein, Shelley uses words such as The murdered individuals were subservient to “catastrophe,” “dreaded,” “tortures,” and most the power of the creature without choice. obviously, “Sublime” to describe the creature, They were unable to escape the power of his scenery, and Victor (Shelley 37, 164, 134, massive hands and ultimately wound up dead. 100). This ignites Sublime emotions within The Sublime is established through “power the readers’ minds, which “nothing but a word which derives the effect to strip a could annex to the others, and raises a very considerable degree of strength of its ability great degree of the Sublime” (Burke 170). to hurt” (Burke 59). Due to his strength, the Words are used to convey the powerful creature exercises superiority and eliminates qualities which excite the “tranquil” mind into lives through violence: the culmination of an excited, horrified state. Shelley terror and the Sublime. encourages Sublime thought by depicting the creature as “a savage shattering that Essential to the text is the overarching bespeaks his rage” (Picart 25). The theme of vastness. In Vastness, Burke overwhelming references to the creature as a describes the Sublime in terms of dimension “savage” or “devil” automatically strike fear and distance; he mentions that “height is less into the minds of the readers (Shelley 49, grand than depth; and that we are more 55). In addition to the creature, many struck at looking down from a precipice, than references to nature as fearsome—“Victor at looking up at an object of equal height”

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might be driven into the wide Atlantic, and and scary movies today, The Castle of Otranto feel all the tortures of starvation, or be and Frankenstein provided a stage for modern swallowed up in the immeasurable water Gothic literature. The Sublime is more than around him”—also launch readers into a state experiencing horror; it is about the union of of Sublime emotion (134). The language terror and imagination. Marrying together plays a major role as the ocean is described one’s mind with a perceived threat creates a as “wide,” “tortuous,” and “immeasurable.” pleasure unlike any pleasure ever experienced Here, Shelley plays on vastness and power. before. Edmund Burke states the Sublime “is Overall, Shelley uses language to ignite her productive of the strongest emotion which the readers into a state of sheer Sublime emotion mind is capable of feeling” (58). For Horace through language. Walpole and Mary Shelley, their life experiences allowed them to express this Both Walpole and Shelley use literary powerful emotion for their readers; these devices, elements from Burke’s On the authors enabled the literary world to feel Sublime and Beautiful, and language to create pleasure in terror. Their imaginations led to lasting images in the minds of their readers. the Sublime. Where will your imagination It is important to note that these two texts take you? show the preliminary—Otranto—and final— Frakenstein—stages of a monumental literary genre. Although the texts were written at Works Cited different points in time, their similarities unite the two as Gothic novels. Both authors used Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Ed. Marilyn Gaull. Pearson: New York, 2005. Print. personal experiences as catalysts for their books—Walpole’s estate, Strawberry Hill, was Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of nd the backdrop for Otranto, while Shelley’s Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. 2 Ed. London: R. and J. Dodsley, 1859. Print. experience with a terrifying yet captivating thunderstorm led to her creation of Damrosch, David. “The Romantics and Their Frankenstein. The two novels cultivate Contemporaries.” The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol 2: 2006, 33-29. Print. themes of gloom, horror, and death through plot, setting and characters, to evoke Sublime Evans, Bertrand. Gothic Drama: From Walpole to Shelley. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1947. Print. emotions into their readers’ mind. Fairclough, Peter. Three Gothic Novels. New York: Penguin The Sublime, as defined by Burke in Group, 1968. Print. On the Sublime and Beautiful, unite the two Harris, Matthew. “The Sublime, Terror, and Human texts through passion, obscurity, terror, Difference.” The Journal of Nietzsche Studies, Vol 37: power, and vastness. Obsession, ambiguity, 2009, 103-105. Print. fear, power, and dimension all rule through Hitchcock, Susan Tyler. Frankenstein: A Cultural History. the texts and cause the Sublime to become New York:W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. Print. not only a theme and dominant trait, but a way of imagination. Although the Gothic Kilgour, Maggie. The Rise of the Gothic Novel. New York: Routledge, 1995. Print. novel was most popular from 1794 to 1818, the subsequent use of the Sublime gave these Mishra, Vijay. The Gothic Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994. two texts the ability to provoke a new kind of pleasure in their readers—the pleasure of horror. As catalysts for the mystery novels

Plaza: Dialogues in Language and Literature 2.1 (Fall 2011) Burke’s Sublime in Walpole’s Otranto and Shelley’s Frankenstein 67

Oates, Joyce Carol. "Reflections On the Grotesque." Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque. Ontario: Ontario Review, Inc, 1994. Print.

Picart, Caroline. “Visualizing the Monstruous in Frankenstein Films.” Pacific Coast Philology, 35 (1): 2000, 17-34. Print.

Razeen, Sally. Classical Liberalism and International Economic Order. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Pearson, 2007. Print.

Sherwin, Paul. “Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe.” PMLA, 96 (5): 1981, 883-903. Print.

Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. Ed. W.S. Lewis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Print.

Plaza: Dialogues in Language and Literature 2.1 (Fall 2011)