Key Issue Two: representation of Gender in Gothic writing ( Defne / Anna / Elsa )

The representation of gender in gothic literature

 1.            Gothic literature is set in the patriarchal society of the late 18th and 19th century and thus the women and men often embody their well-known stereotypes. 

                The female victims tend to be represented as innocent and pure with their white clothing, as scared and incapable, and as fragile and submissive to men’s power.

 They are rarely productively active and are often laying in a bed, running and screaming pathetically or obeying their husbands. 

In contrast, the men tend to be represented as monsters.They are ill both physically and mentally, and are most often the villains. 

Men in gothic literature often use their sexuality as a weapon, a way to entrap the women by putting their honour and virtue at risk. 

In opposition, the (female) heroïnes are often virgins whose dignity and values are what allows them to win. Consequently, when women’s sexuality is present, they will be seductive and wicked and will lure in the men to trick them. 

The women, although trapped and oppressed in a patriarchal society, can have a certain power in their purity, whereas the men find themselves controlled by their desire and need of the female characters.

                However, the children in gothic literature do not seem to be affected by gender. They have a certain defiance and do not comply to the gender norms. They are unaffected by sexuality and seem equal in strength and evilness. 

Lastly, nature plays a big role in the setting and the story. Nature is powerful and superior and is often portrayed as female. Mother nature shows once again the feminism in gothic literature.

                To conclude, although the men and women tend to have a stereotypical representation, there are exceptions, and this representation is not to bring down women but rather to expose men. 

Gothic literature aligns itself with the society it represents but turns the men into monsters that may be fictional but that illustrate the troubles women must face due to the oppression in their society. Women can thus break free from their inferior standing through their “idealised moral virtues”.

 

 

2.            These are the links we have used to put answer: how is gender represented in Gothic fiction and its connection to the novel The Picture Of Dorian Gray.

https://penandthepad.com/diverging-men-women-gothic-literature-8757658.html 
 
https://writepass.com/journal/2012/12/women-are-often-portrayed-as-selfless-innocent-and-virtuous-in-gothic-literature-to-what-extent-do-your-selected-texts-conform-to-this-view/ 


 https://epublications.marquette.edu/gothic_sexuality/ 
 
https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4458-gothic-feminism-a-reading-list 

 https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/41717 
 
https://www.grin.com/document/351794 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzf-0ubL7g&t=205s 


https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Disregarding-Women-in-The-Picture-of-Dorian-303924 

 

3.              In gothic writing women are usually seen as objects of desire, maternal figures, supernatural beings and are often defined by their biological roles. But in Dorian Gray women are presented as negative, powerless, and lacking. 


Sybil Vane is desired by Dorian Gray, but he loses interest in her when she doesn't fit into his idea of her anymore. Women are not allowed or are discouraged to have any power in society, and it was normal in the eyes of men. 


Sidenote:

Interestingly, many authors of this genre were women who often used male aliases. They used gothic literature as a from of feminism and as a way to expose this society. 


Closing Comments on Dorian Gray (2022)

Gender representation in The Picture of Dorian Gray

  • Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray are under-represented, there are only two main women in the book for five main men. 

  • The two women represented in the play are highly stereotyped:

    • Lady Victoria Wotton is the typical gossiping women. She organises gatherings at her house and gossips about all her guests, getting information about people’s lives. 

    • Sibyl Vane is described as the stereotypical weak, innocent, and beautiful women. Oscar Wiled uses flower and nature images when writing about her. She is associated with the colour white of purity and innocence and is the perfect picture of delicacy. 

    • Sibyl Vane is also typical of female representation as she is the object of Dorian Gray’s desires. Women being sexualised or objectified is their stereotypical representation and that is exactly what is done to Sibyl Vane. 

    • Sibyl Vane is also Dorian Gray’s first victim. Being the victim in gothic novels is once again stereotypical for women. The innocent and delicate Sibyl Vane falls prey to the monstruous side of Dorian Gray. 

  • The men also fill their stereotypical roles: 

    • Dorian Gray is the incarnation of the gothic male, although he starts innocent and curious about life (almost like a woman), as he is influenced by Lord Henry Wotton, he becomes monstruous and violent. He steps into the role of the main male gothic character as he becomes evil and brings death to the people around him.

    • Lord Henry Wotton has set out to make Dorian become the monstruous gothic male he is supposed to be. He uses power and superiority to lead Dorian down a bad path. This use of power and his belief that love is a weakness make him a stereotypical male character as well. 

    • James Vane, although his part is minimal, still shows typically male values in the way he goes to confront Dorian Gray to avenge his sister Sibyl.

    • Alan Campbell is the scientist that dissolves Basil Hallward’s body after Dorian Gray murdered him. Alan partakes in monstruous and evil doings and has a typically male job; he is a scientist. 

  • Although most the characters fit into the stereotypical gender roles, there are also ways they escape them:

    • Basil Hallward is one of the main male characters in Dorian Gray, however just like Sibyl he will fall victim to Dorian’s monstruous actions after having fallen for his charm. He also represents the good in Dorian and tries to prevent him from becoming the monster he is in the end. So, although Basil is a man, does not necessarily fit into the male box in the same way as the other characters.

    • Sibyl fits the stereotypical female role in most ways; however, she also has a certain power to her. Although she fails, she influences Dorian in a positive way and has to ability to bring out the good in him. Even if these are still typically female qualities, she tones down the stereotypical male attributes in Dorian. Also, this power shows that she is not just the incapable and powerless woman she seems to be described as. 

Ps: Although in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde seems to not understand the depth of women and only shows them in their stereotypical roles, he has also published other books (such as The Importance of being earnest) that better highlight the independence and strength of women who step out of their stereotypical roles.


Link for the trailer of The Importance of being earnest:



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