A NEW PERIOD !
Clara Reeve (1729- 1807) is known by her gothic novel. She is the Thomas Reeve's, english minister, daughter. He initiate her to literature, very young. Her fisrt original book was the Champion of virtue, published in 1777, when she had 50 years old. In the second edition it's named the old english Baron .It's a rewrite of the castle of Otranto, by Walpole. It was a success. She write the two Mentors,too, in 1783. The novelist was in Gothic period (1790 - 1830). She has an unpretentious style. She is an exclusively romantic writer. Reeve had a strong influence. The author isn't a film maker.
Summary
This is the first illustration gived by the 1777 edition
The story is about Sir Philip Harclay, who returned, from his travels, to England, his native country. He had served the glorious King Henry the Fifth. The main character discovered that his friend, Arthur Lord Lovel was ded. He met Edmund who will help Philip. The Lovel's castle and domain was stole by someone else. Something strange appear, in this castel and disclose some secrets. After a series of surprising revelations and frenetic events, the crim of the usurper and the heir legitimacy are finally discovered. The story is resolves with a battle. This a novel wich evoke the antic and modern romance.
It can be interesting to wonder what makes this story gothic ?
Gothic elements include in the novel:
There are a lot of important character :
-There are Edmund Twyford, who is a farmer but similar at Arthur Lord Lovel. He is moving and sincere.
-Arthur Lord Level is the Richard Lord Lovel's son and, Harclay's firend.
-Sir Walter Lovel is one of the castle hair.
-The Baon Fitz Owen live in the castle. He is Richard Wenlock's father.
-The main character is a christian soldier honnorable. Philip make an investigation, to know more about the family who live in his friend's castle. So an atmosphere of suspense is created. Harclay wants to know why the castle is not gives at the heir, Sir Walter Lovel. That provokes a curiosity from the reader. In fact, there are a growing sense of suspense with castle's mistery. We want to know what's happened after the Arthur Lord Lovel death !!
1.Setting in a castle. The action takes place in an old castle occupied by Arthur's spirit and Fitz-Owen's family. It's haunsted. This domain contains secrets. We can find the horro-gothic with ghost.
2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense.This effect is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear enhanced by the unknown. This atmosphere is advanced when Harclay see only a glimpse of something. The plot itself is built around a mystery, a disappearance, and some other inexplicable event. People disappear or show up dead inexplicable. Events supernatural appear, Arthur Lord Lovel's and Lady Lovel's ghost came in the castel. People are terrified by uncommon noises and strange apparition. That explain why Sir Walter Lovel, the heir, sold the castle of his ancestor and leave England. I probably could react like Walter. The gossip said that he was perturbed every night. The reader have shiver. We can see lugubrious scene. The goal of the dark and mysterious setting is to create a sense of unease and foreboding, contributing to create a particolar atmosphere.
3. An old prophecy is connected with the castle and its inhabitants (either former or present). The prophecy is confusing. "What could it mean? The both ghost give benediction at Edmund Twyford. The both ghost want to give a message but what is it ? And Twyford is phisicly similar at Arthur Lord Lovel.
4. Omens, portents, visions. Philip have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. During his sleep, many strange and incoherent dreams arose to his imagination. He thought he received a message from his friend Lord Lovel, to come to him at the castle. Arthur is ded but in this dream, he said that he control wich person could enter in his domain. Lord Lovel ask to Sir Philip to safe his castle. Sir Harclay was not afraid, he wants to help his firend ! We are admirating, because at his place, I certainly run away. When Philip Harclay went in the domain, he discovered Arthur's armor covered with blood. After an invisible hand led him on a place to prepare a fight. BUT ! It was a dream.
5. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. Edmund is victim of supernaturel moments. One time he is in the obscurity because the wind blew out his lamp. He felt disagreeable sensation. He implored divine assistance. He saw a brillant light in front of him. There are a presence of divine. The lector want to understand. We can find a caracteristic of gothic element, irrationel.
6. Emotion. The narration can be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror. Crying and emotional speeches are frequent for Edmund. He is apprehensive. There are some emotional moments. For example when Edmund give his liberty at Philip to serve him. There are a lot of chevalry vertu too.
7. Two sides. There are Fitz-Owen which is the evil incarnation and Edmund or Harclay wich are in the good side.
There are an evolution in the Philip's investigation because he met new character and understand the situation.
At the end we understand that Twyford is the last heir of Arthur Lord Lovel, and that Sir Walter Lovel went away because he wanted to find his son in Palestine. Finally this is a good end !
The is an antique story with the medieval aspect and modern with the fiction.
This is a rewrite of the castle of Otranto, so it have a gothic influence.
We can find the gothic genre with the unconventionnal story.
So the recurrent themes are : mystery, darkness, supernatural, castel, piety, loyalty, nobility, cooperation.
The place of immaginary
Sir Harclay is invaded by fantastic images. The imaginary is omnipresent. This is the plot of this gothic novel. In fact, Reeve had been engaged. She tansfomed ancestry gothic with the immaginary integration. She stimulate the story. The myth of gothic ancestry was useful for Clara Reeve because it's adaptable. There are an intrusion of fiction elements interesting because that create a mix of styles. This is a mix between historical and psycholoical vison. The old English Baron is based on imaginary society, because the conflict came from supernatural events. The fiction create an excessive show of emotion, like Edmund show it. There are a clear opposition. This is like a « literature customisation ». That encouraging the reader to believe in myth in most others aspects. The author can give a personnal touch.
VIDEO : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2rV9_lkwf8