Verified Document

What Kinds Of Gothic Femininities Are Portrayed In The Monk And How Are They Symbolized Essay

Portrayal of Gothic Femininities in "The Monk" Written by Matthew Gregory Lewis in 1796, "The Monk" is a classic novel that is from Gothic literature. Female figures are used as symbols in many parts of the story, and the idea "gothic femininity" can be seen several times throughout the story. The setting fits with the Gothic theme as the story's beginning takes place in a mysterious church in Madrid, and the two main characters are both women. Leonella and her niece Antonia have come to the church to hear a great priest named Ambrosio speak, and what follows becomes both a romance and a tragedy. While waiting for Ambrosio to speak the two women tell their stories to a pair of men, Don Lorenzo and Don Christoval, and this conversation starts a chain of reactions that changes many lives. Lorenzo falls in love with Antonia, but she desires the priest Ambrosia, and this conflict...

With several interesting women characters representing things like spirituality and death, the "gothic femininity" is one of the main themes of "The Monk."
An example of "gothic femininity" is found in chapter 1 of "The Monk," when Don Lorenzo tries to convince Leonella to let him lift the veil covering her niece's face. Lewis writes that "her niece was silent, but made no further opposition to Don Lorenzo's efforts, who, armed with the Aunt's sanction hastened to remove the Gauze. What a Seraph's head presented itself to his admiration! Yet it was rather bewitching than beautiful." A seraph is similar to an angel as a supernatural being with six wings, so this is symbolism to represent Antonia as…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

English Literature When Surveying the
Words: 1129 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient

English Literature Chaucer & Shakespeare
Words: 1396 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

For the poet, Christianity must be devoid of the cultures of corruption and hypocrisy that prevailed during his time. Ideally, a religion, in order to be respected and followed by the people, must maintain a clean image -- that is, an image that reflects the truth of its teachings, wherein its religious principles are embodied by the people who make up the Church. It is also through "Canterbury" that Chaucer

English Literature Death in Venice - Cultural
Words: 1207 Length: 4 Document Type: Case Study

English Literature Death in Venice - Cultural Criticism & Reader Response Criticism Reader-Response Criticism is a legitimate, proven method for readers to use when digging into the deeper meaning of a piece of literature; it's always a good idea to broaden one's understanding of literature by gaining a grasp at how others view the same work. And meantime, employing the use of Cultural Criticism as research into the meaning of literature is

English Literature Danglars Is the
Words: 752 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Upon first meeting, Albert is not the most noble of men. However, we begin to see aspects of Albert that are more worthy as the novel progresses. We learn that Albert is quite devoted to his father Fernand. When the Count of Monte Cristo speaks badly about Fernand, Albert reacts in a very noble way, wanting to fight the Monte Cristo for the harsh words he has spoken. Mercedes

English Literature - Argument the
Words: 1476 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Case in Point: Interview with an Employer: Jon Lurie started his career almost 15 years ago as a sole proprietor of a computer trouble shooting expert who repaired computer connections for private clients by appointment in New York City. He eventually transitioned to installing the first cable modem configurations when they became available, and as more advanced computer technology filtered down to private users, he offered more and more services,

English Literature Thin-Is-In Culture, Mass Media, &
Words: 2649 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

English Literature Thin-is-in Culture, Mass Media, & Thin Body Ideals Mass media affects the people who watch it. In the beginnings of mass media, there was no public research about how it affects people. In the late 20th and 21st centuries, there is now substantial research that shows that mass media affects consumers and that there are a variety of affects. Thus, it is not just that mass media affects people, we

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now