Essay: James Malcolm Rymer's "Varney the Vampyre"
Supernatural elements have been used in
Varney the Vampyre to create fear and suspense. During the time the story was
written, Britain was undergoing a change. There was a separation between
religion and science, with those pertaining to religion still believing in
supernatural beings. This belief is exacerbated by the developments in science
and the understanding death, where it was rumoured that scientists had the
ability to bring back the dead and mess with the natural process of life. Varney the Vampyre develops on top of this
belief through the characterisation of the Vampyre. Rymer introduces a very
stereotypical vampire that fits into traditional archetype. Vampires were
undead supernatural creatures that had very strong occult and religious links.
They are an embodiment of transgression, symbolising the search for identity
that was present in ever-changing Britain. This is shown in the story through
the vivid description of the Vampyre’s menacing character “It is perfectly
white – perfectly bloodless. The eyes look like polished tin; the lips are
drawn back…fearful-looking teeth”. These characteristics were mysterious and
uncanny which is a major gothic element. Gothic literature usually delved into
the weirdness or the strange/supernatural characteristics of people due to the
psychological fear of the unknown.
Such
is present through the use of pathetic fallacy seen prominently at the
beginning of the story. “The solemn tones of an old cathedral clock have
announced midnight a strange death-like stillness pervades all nature”. The use
of pathetic fallacy creates an eerie feeling that stems from our fear of
darkness that has transcended time. The
use of the word “death” also emphasises the dark mood of the story. The mood of
the story is set through the use of pathetic fallacy and the negative
connotations. It is a mood of fear and eeriness. This helps create catharsis in
the reader, a major element of the gothic genre. The gothic movement and the
gothic genre existed at a time of change, where the movement of romanticism was
apparent. This was a shift away from the neo-classical period of reason and it
brought about more emotional and personal feelings into stories. The early
gothic literature adopted this catharsis ideal very quickly and as such it has
become a major element of gothic fiction.
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