Essay: Comparing "Varney the Vampyre" by James Malcolm Rymer and "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown
Amidst the industrialisation of the country,
Great Britain in the 1800’s also saw change in the values and the beliefs of
its people. They questioned their own identity as they moved away from the
traditional values held during the age of reason. This was due to the
reactionary Romantic Movement, which favoured subjectivity over objectivity.
The Gothic genre arose from this time due to the questioning of identity and
the transgression of values and beliefs. This transgression of values and
beliefs extended to this questioning of identity and as such gothic and
folklore creatures rose in popularity. Monsters such as vampires and werewolves
grew in popularity as they embodied as they transgressed the natural attributes
of humans such as uncanny characteristics. Vampires were particularly used as
they had very strong occult and religious links.
Rymer uses this fear of the supernatural
character of Vampire and the undead to develop the psychological fear of the
unknown in the short story Varney The Vampyre . Rymer introduces to the
audience the stereotypical vampire that creates fear and suspense through the
description of his menacing character “It is perfectly white-perfectly
bloodless. The eyes look like polished tin; the lips are drawn back…fearful
looking teeth”. Fear inducing words such as “bloodless” and “fearful”, have
negative connotations and develop the vampire as a non-friendly and soulless
character. These characteristics of transgression are mysterious and uncanny as
they do not resemble the natural physiology of humans. Gothic literature
attached itself to this idea of uncanny descriptions where the norm was altered
and the new was fearful and strange. In
combination with the use of the supernatural nature of the character of the
vampire, Rymer uses the gothic elements to delve into the psychological fear of
the unknown present at the time.
This fear is emphasised by the setting of
the story, another major element of the gothic genre.
Modern day society is known for being open;
accepting of uncanny features and weird behaviours. Travelling and tourism
becoming essential parts of life has allowed this change of beliefs as cultural
integration and discovery is present. Further scientific advancements have
allowed the development of atomic theory and nuclear development whilst also
discrediting the presence of vampires or other folklore creatures. However, the fear of the unknown is still
present. This is because this fear of the unknown is not a contextual fear. The
fears themselves may change overtime but the fear of the unknown is a
psychological and inherent fear in all humans – as seen through the
transcendence through time of this Gothic element.
Early gothic novels established an idea of old vs new. That is, it established the idea of the age of reason vs the gothic genre. This is established in Angels and Demons through juxtaposition of images and the use of fear through pathetic fallacy. The old Vatican City is juxtaposed throughout the entirety of movie where the wild gothic architecture is set alongside modern architecture. This holds true for the scene where professor Langdon is allowed entry into the Vatican archives. The archives represent years of Catholicism and subsequently history is set alongside the elevator and the ever present technological advancements such as the electronic and systematic doors as well as the use of technology to control the oxygen level in the archive. Glass has also been juxtaposed with the more traditional wooden structure of the building. A low angle shot shows the wooden building structure to emphasise the gothic architecture, whilst the high angle shot displays the modern architecture - of scientific development. This juxtaposition subverts the olden gothic genre
This fear of the unknown is seen in the
modern context in the text Angels
& Demons (2009). The psychological fear present is that of
terrorism and bureaucracy.Vampires, werewolves and other folklore
creatures grew in fearfulness as there were developments in science and the
understanding death, where it was rumoured that scientists had the ability to
bring back the dead and interfere with the natural process of life.
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