Gothic: A Lecture

 The Gothic, A Lecture (1 Point)

I really liked the depth of the lecture in terms of both it's a historical exploration of gothic, as well as how it's intertwined with other genres. I had read other books in this genre without really knowing or studying what the core concepts of Gothic literature were about aside from its horror counterpart. I completely agree with his different answers to why humans would watch Gothic and Horror genres, especially because I have only recently explored different aspects of horror and gothic films and questioned what was the allure of watching suspenseful and terrifying experiences. It really is a measure of testing one's own limits, a preparation mentally for terrible events, and the thrill of encountering that of which we cannot explain. 

Punter's description of how gothic settings such as castles and monasteries, which are labyrinthine by nature, is more of a reflection of a human's psyche and the fear that we are confined within ourselves. Especially how Gothic genres force us to reflect on the darker aspects of human nature.

I had watched The Endless Knot's dissection of the word "Sublime" which was a wonderful exploration of its linguistic origins as well as it's literary connotations throughout time, but Punter also gave a much more condensed and specific definition exploration of its use. The word "Sublime" versus "Subliminal" is also rather striking, where the former is just an overwhelming physical and emotional response to the awes of nature and the latter is the subtle entry of concepts or ideas into the mind without one's knowledge.

Because I had enjoyed reading Frankenstein so much, I was fascinated by Punter's exploration into Frankenstein's "frame narrative" with Walter, and his description of its used because of the presence of the sublime helped clear up a lot of my personal confusion with Shelly's choice of narrative. Victor had to explain much of his emotions and feelings throughout his journey with his monster, and what better way to have Victor explain his sublime experiences than by the retelling of his story to a fresh mind such as Walter.

The concept of transgression between the human and the divine, as well as forbidden knowledge is also one of my favorite concepts of mortal struggles, and while I don't always favor the modern-day stories of this concepts, I've always been fond of mythical and historical texts that have explored it. These tales have always been more of a warning that some lines should not be crosses between what humans should be capable of, and I enjoy Punter's explanation of how Frankenstein mimics some of the concepts within Christianity and the revival of Jesus by God with Victor returning the matter to life, further elevating his god complex.

I'm glad Punter also touched on the concept of the male figures throughout many of the Gothic stories who are simultaneously regarded negatively but still receive some level of admiration and respect. I wanted to briefly note that I feel men are more forgiven for grotesque actions or at least more understood than women in much of the time period for Gothic literature, and how I was glad that Frankenstein's portrayal of Victor was not entirely a glorification of his personality and deeds. I'm not sure that I agree that Dracula deserved as much respect that Punter discusses though. While I respect that it's important to look at people and their histories as a whole, some terrible acts should not be excused by past honorable deeds. (In short, Dracula shouldn't receive special treatment because of his heritage.)

I will say that I feel the gothic genre and classic stories have almost been altered or modified so much by popular culture that there is no way to truly appreciate the Gothic genre without reading the original texts. Concepts such as the exploration of the supernatural and the hero-villain become wildly distorted or dramatized to a point that these ideas lose a lot of their meanings.

To conclude this commentary, Punter's explorations of the origins of vampires and Dracula (although with some vague spoilers that are easy enough forgiven with is jokes and humor) has me thrilled to continue into the gothic genre. The vampire exists as a representation of an exercise of control or the loss of it is a wild concept, and while I'm not hugely excited to read about sexual desires, it will be cool to see more explorations of the psychological repercussions of it