Perhaps it is to early to draw elements from this novel and do any form of analysis upon it, but even as I enter the first few pages, I find a few elements already that I recognize from my readings.
The most evident is the use of Segnor, the combination of Italian and Spanish words (signor and seňor). I may be over analyzing, but it seems to me this is already a confusion of the languages, creating a slight confusion. Just a small dose for the reader to ponder over as they continue to read on.
Another point I noticed was from the passage on page 11, "But very few were influenced by those reasons; and in a city where superstition reigns with such despotic sway as in Madrid, to seek for true devotion would be a fruitless attempt." An element of Gothic novels is the incorporation of superstitions such as ghosts and vampires, so it seems a good way to begin a Gothic novel's setting is to say right off the bat that the area is full of superstition.
As you read further, you are introduced to the first sets of characters, Antonia and her aunt, who meet Lorenzo and Don Christoval. During the meeting on page 19 the aunt, Leorella says, "... You should not seem to remember that there is such a thing as a man in the world, and you ought to imagine every body to be of the same sex with yourself. I should like to see you give people to understand, that you know that a man has no breasts, and no hips, and no . . ." It is ironic that she says this, because as you go deeper into the story, you find that a boy is found to be a girl, and it seems like this statement is a prelude to that, although the two plots are split as of now.
The elements of Gothic, as I understand them, are in large part about confusion. Confusion of identity and sex, confusion about emotions and feelings. The aunt confuses Don Christoval's gallantry for love, the monk confuses the girl for a boy, and I have a feeling more are to come as I read further. At times, I myself become confused, but keep reading, in a vain effort to find some form of answer, although I may never find it.
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I like how you bring up ideas about "confusion" and the blurring of boundaries in these texts. I'm especially interested in the quote you posted from the text:
ReplyDelete"... You should not seem to remember that there is such a thing as a man in the world, and you ought to imagine every body to be of the same sex with yourself. I should like to see you give people to understand, that you know that a man has no breasts, and no hips, and no . . ."
Consider the significance of the wording of these kinds of statements--"You should not remember... should like to see you give people to understand..."
Does this quote also suggest some form of sexual repression? In other words, if I ask you not to think of pink elephants, what are you going to think about? If I keep asking you not to think about them 50 times a day, what will be the consequences? You (okay, maybe not *YOU*) will start to obsess over pink elephants, start secretly collecting pink elephants and hiding them under your bed...you see where I'm going. I think it's also significant that Antonia's aunt wants people to *think* she's innocent about fundamental anatomy even though anyone with eyes and half a brain can see that men and women are *different* somehow. Does this also suggest a form of repression? That women have to "behave" as if they're ignorant, when in reality everyone knows they are not?