Author: ravini

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSICJJq86ic

When reading Goblin Market, I couldn’t help but notice the clear similarities between the colorful imagery of the goblins’ fruit and the feast scene in Pan’s Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro. A little background, Pan’s Labyrinth is a fairy tale that takes place at the time of the Spanish Civil War. The main character, a young girl named Ofelia, is brought with her mother to her step father’s military compound as he wages war against the rebels. In tandem to the human war drama, a mythical Faun creature instructs Ofelia that she is actually the missing princess (Pan) and that she must complete several trials to prove her royalty and return to the throne.

Pan’s Labyrinth contrasts the innocence of female characters like Ofelia and her helpless mother who’s unable to speak up for herself to that of Captain Vidal (Ofelia’s stepfather) who is brutally oppressive and with stereotypical, unflinching masculinity. Vidal’s primary concern throughout the movie is making sure Ofelia’s pregnant mother bears him a son, commenting to a doctor that questions how sure he is that the unborn child isn’t a girl with “don’t fuck with me.”

Midway through the movie, Ofelia’s pregnant mother becomes sick and potentially dying. She asks the Faun for help and he advises her that a mandrake root kept in a bowl of milk under her mother’s bed will heal her. This remedy works until Captain Vidal finds it and throws it into the fire, triggering Ofelia’s mother to go into labor and die in childbirth. This can be likened to Lizzie “remembering her kernel-stone … dewed it with tears, hoped for a root. Watched for a waxing shoot, but there came none; it never saw the sun.” The seed Laura took with her from the goblins had the promise of a cure but it was ultimately useless and not enough. Thus the masculine produced cures were futile, Vidal interrupted the mandrake roots healing effects, and the seeds of the male goblins fruit bore no fruit.

One of the most haunting and memorable moments of the film is during Ofelia’s second trial, whereby the Faun (a male character mind you) commands her to collect a dagger from a creature called the pale man. The pale man sits silent and still at a banquet table covered in delicious fruits and dishes. The Faun comments that “[Ofelia] will see a sumptuous banquet, but don’t eat or drink anything. Your life depends on it.” For if she even so much as tastes the food the pale man will wake up and eat her. Similarly to this scene, Lizzie instructs Laura that “[they] must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits: who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots?” Yet despite this warning, both Ofelia and Laura indulge and eat from the feast of temptation.

The consequences for the two women differ in severity. Upon eating 2 grapes, the pale man eats two of her fairy guides in response, to which the Faun scolds her and claims she must not be the princess, forsaking her until the end of the movie when Ofelia is shot by Captain Vidal, and her blood is the last trial, a sacrifice made allowing her to return to her mythical land. For Laura however, it is only through her sister resisting temptation herself and being covered in the juices of the goblin fruits that end up restoring her.

Where the two stories differ from their depiction of men is in the fulfilling sisterly bond between Lizzie and Laura, who can always look to each other. Pan’s Labyrinth complicates this theme through the Faun who is both a male and protector of Pan, however has the capacity to scold and still control her when she fails to listen to him, as evident in Ofelia eating the grapes and losing two of the Fauns fairys. Additionally, Ofelia confides in her mother at her disliking of Captain Vidal, to which her mother acknowledges his flaws, however compromises that he is just misunderstood and a good provider. Sadly, by the end of the movie Captain Vidal ends up responsible for the deaths of both Ofelia and her mother.

Throughout the novel, female characters are transformed into vampires through Dracula’s unending thirst for blood which is representative of both Europe’s syphilis outbreak as well as the masculine fears of the “new woman” as someone who as discovered their sexuality after centuries of oppression.

Lucy is the epitome of the novels message regarding the impurity of women as she remarks that it’s quite unfortunate women cannot have 3 husbands,  contrasting the social acceptability of men having multiple love interests. She goes on to become tainted by Dracula’s vampirism and ironically has the blood of 3 men running through her veins.

These prevailing fears at the time could be cured by only one thing, that being religion. This theme is repeated since the beginning of the novel when Mina gives Harker a Catholic cross that he uses to ward off vampires. Following the introduction of Dr. Van Helsing, additional religious symbols and tools are used such as communion wafers to prevent the vampires from returning to their dirt boxes or tombs. Thus religion, and a fallback to traditional values is considered by Bram Stoker to be the only cure to these issues plaguing 19th century Europe.

Considering how thoroughly we’ve covered the topics of blood, female sexuality, and fears surrounding the east, it’s been rather difficult finding a topic that hasn’t had a wooden stake driven through it. But what about Renfield, the lunatic with an insatiable appetite? He’s been a character of growing importance as his connection to Dracula becomes revealed, allowing the protagonists to gain an insight into the psychological aspect of vampirism as well as offering clues as to Dracula’s whereabouts.

Although Renfield’s zoophagous tendencies are observed early on, it isn’t until later that Dr. Seward begins to connect his behavior to Dracula as more than just a coincidence. Renfield repeatedly shouts about a “master,” and his temperment changes with the comings and goings of Dracula to England. His psychosis strangely subsides, to which Dr. Seward remarks “that his instinct is satisfied as to the vampire’s ultimate triumph,” surely a reference to Dracula’s success in converting Lucy. (240)

More importantly, I believe it’s worth exploring Dr. Seward’s diagnosis of zoophagy as it pertains to the novels portrayal of male vs. female vampires. Personally, one of my favorite scenes involves the revelation that Renfield “gave many flies to one spider and many spiders to one bird, and then wanted a cat to eat the many birds.” Beyond the disturbing imagery of a man who spends his time collecting flies and spiders (although too similar to myself, thankfully I’m not in an insane asylum) his method of sustaining his own life via blood can be considered more primitive and repulsive than even Dracula and the other vampires methods. Admittedly I had to skip ahead in the novel for mentions of Renfield until I found evidence of my claim, but I believe it fits quite well in this theory.

(SPOILERS)

Renfield admits later in the novel that Dracula often came to him and “promised things … he used to send in the flies … and big moths.” (298) Up until this point, Dracula has only converted women into vampires, not a single male is known other than himself. Yet still Dracula has this follower who is a man and longs for immortality. Rather than bite him and bring him into his harem of super-sexual vampire seductresses, Dracula seems to use Renfield as a pawn, possibly to get close to Lucy and Mina.  In effect, Dracula humiliates Renfield by making him eat vermin. The poor guy is literally told to eat what most people consider disgusting pests to gain the same life-sustaining effects of blood drinking without the sexualization due to him not being a woman. This further supports our class discussions regarding the claim that the novel’s predominant theme is around the fear of expressed female sexuality.

 

 

The titular character of Dracula and his 3 vampire seductresses’ use of blood to maintain their youth raises many questions about immortality. Thematically, blood has served countless roles throughout literary and religious history, whether symbolizing familial bonds or as an offering in the form of blood sacrifices to appease the gods. Consequently the role of blood as a symbol and functional aspect of biology has changed over time to reflect new understandings and shifts in thinking.

Dracula sits at the intersection between the use of blood as both a symbol of traditional superstition and modern medical practice. Early medical practices stemming from antiquity used a ‘humors’ system, whereby bodily fluids such as blood and bile were to be kept in balance, and when out of balance, led to sickness. A widespread practice that resulted from this way of thinking is known as bloodletting, whereby a vein or artery was punctured and blood was drained from the patient to restore the balance of their humors. Eventually bloodletting fell into disuse, however the practice lasted well into the 19^th century.

I believe on some level, Dracula serves as a form of commentary on this antiquated practice by comparing the blood-draining tendencies of vampires to the outdated practice of bloodletting, all while commenting on the pursuit of immortality.

Dr. Seward takes on the patient Renfield, who is “unlike the normal lunatic … [and is] determined to understand him as well as [he] can.” (68) Renfield potentially serves as the embodiment of humanities attempts at finding immortality. Seeing it as an age old pursuit that he gets “nearer than ever before to the heart of this mystery.” (68) The secret of which lies in our understanding of blood, with humanities perception of it being backwards, maybe the vampires actually are on to something?

As the novel progresses and Lucy is fed on by a vampire, her blood is drained and her health deteriorates. Dr. Seward cannot determine what afflicts Lucy and so calls for the help of Dr. Van Helsing. When Van Helsing sees the ghostly pallor of Lucy’s cheeks he notes “she will die for sheer want of blood to keep the heart’s actions as it should be. There must be a transfusion of blood at once.” (131) Following the blood transfusion, Lucy’s health quickly improves, drawing the distinction between the effects of bloodletting, as symbolized by the affects of a vampire feeding, and the life-restoring effects of blood-transfusing. This connection is further supported by Dr. Seward’s comments following a second transfusion using his own blood whereby he claims that “no man knows till he experiences it, what it is to feel his own life-blood drawn away in the veins of the woman he loves.” (138) Stoker quite literally defines the substance as “life-blood,” with them being one and the same.

 

 

 

“A dim line of ancestors, in every variety of dress, from the Elizabethan knight to the buck of the Regency, stared down upon us and daunted us by their silent company. We talked little, and I for one was glad when the meal was over and we were able to retire into the modern billiard-room and smoke a cigarette.” Pg 61

The Hounds of Baskervilles takes place during a time of innovation and progress; Wednesday’s discussion emphasized this period as marked by inventions that greatly improved the standard of living. As discussed, technologies like the camera and advent of skyscrapers demonstrated the unlimited potential that scientific research could bring. Thus there was a focus on scientific explanations for various phenomenon and a transition away from the traditional reliance on legends and the supernatural.

Sherlock Holmes embodies this cultural shift as an expert detective who surrounds himself with individuals of high calliber such as doctors and naturalists, people who study the natural world. His sidekick Watson is likeminded in this regard and views the Baskervilles hound legend with a great deal of skepticism, opting for a more worldy explanation. This skepticism is carried over to his impression of Baskervilles hall where he repeatedly describes the hall with its “weather-bitten pillars … blotched with lichen … a ruin of black granite” (58). From a bio major perspective, lichen are considered pioneer species that transform bare rock into soil. This implies an ancient, unkempt image of Baskervilles hall that itself is situated within a primordial moor that may have once been home to primitive humans.

Referring back to the passage I chose, which until now I’ve barely remarked on, such an image of the hall is paired with an interior lined with old paintings of the Baskervilles line, which portray ancestors as early as an “Elizabethan knight” who would have been around in the 17^th century, nearly 200 years prior to the novel. Watson is apprehensive of these overbearing paintings and the general aire surrounding the moor and Baskervilles hall, being happy to return to his more modern room and an area reminiscent of London and civilization. London possibly representing the more developed realm of science and innovation that he’s so accustomed too, whereas the moor is an unexplored and secretive environment.

Exactly what Doyle is attempting to convey with this duality remains obscure as the moor vs. London isn’t so black and white when there exists characters like Mr. Stapleton, a naturalist who respects and appreciates the moor due to its many species undescribed by science, whether they be orchids for his sister or a Cyclopid for his butterfly collection. His character, being a man of science in an area where superstition reins above all may reveal Doyles opinion that there is reason to explore and knowledge to be gained from primitive areas seemingly abandoned by modern humans.

“He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. The one purpose which had slowly grown up in his careless nature until it had become powerful enough to work a change in that very nature, made him what he had never been before – a Christian; conscious of his own weakness; anxious to keep to the strict line of duty; fearful to swerve from the conscientious discharge of the strange task that had been forced upon him; and reliant on a stronger hand than his own to point the way which he was to go.” pg. 159

Prior to Volume II, it is difficult to recall a mention of religion that was carefully written so as to foreshadow future events other than the priests robes hidden in the crawlspace beneath Lady Audley’s quarters. Braddon has been reserved in her use of religious symbolism until this moment. Without being literally in prayer, Robert Audley occupies his hands and sits in contemplation. The deliberate mention of Christianity suddenly harkens back to the mention of the priest robes earlier, and whether there is a divine influence on the proceeding story.

George Talboys disappearance reminds Robert Audley of “his own weakness” aka mortality and how quickly a man can be erased from history. Later Mr. Audley laments how George’s father doesn’t even consider him a son, nor does he have a wife to leave a widow to miss him. Robert assumes the detective role and repeatedly comments on the “stronger hand” that now guides his conscience.

This passage strongly emphasizes both the responsibility and powerlessness Robert Audley feels as he searches for the truth. It now involves the notion of a divine reckoning that is inevitable for those who have committed a crime. Considering our recent discussion in class about the historical context of the story, I imagine these themes arose from appealing to the likely dominant Christian ethos of the time.