The Image of Religion and its Function in M. G. Lewis’ 'The Monk' and B. Stoker’s 'Dracula'

Dossier / Travail de Séminaire , 2006 , 20 Pages , Note: 1,7

Philologie Anglaise - Littérature

Undoubtedly, religion plays an important role in early Gothic
literature. In most cases this does not seem a positive one as
can be seen at first glance in Matthew G. Lewis’ The Monk
(1796). Most likely this also reflects a tendency of the postenlightenment
period in which it was written. However, it is
interesting to ask how the view on religion and its role in
Gothic texts developed in the 18th century. Therefore, I will
compare The Monk to Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) written
roughly a hundred years later, which gives a more
sophisticated view on religion.
In order to structure the wide topic of religion I will
present three different perspectives of religion: the
societal, the institutional, and the theological. These three
strands will first be traced in The Monk and as a second step
in comparison to it in Dracula. The theological perspective on
religion in Stoker’s novel will be allowed more room as this
is at the heart of the question whether religion receives a
positive or a negative reputation in Dracula.
I will argue that religion in The Monk but also in Dracula
is indispensable. Furthermore, I will give evidence for the
thesis that religion in Dracula is not merely reduced to an
apotropaic device against vampires but has a high significance
for the whole of the characters’ lives. This is further
emphasised in the last part of the paper, in which I will
compare the endings of both novels. As the different Christian
denominations have already been researched in depth, I will
only briefly touch on this subject and mainly focus on
Christian religion as such.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Image of Religion in The Monk
  • The Societal Perspective
  • The Institutional Perspective
  • The Theological Perspective
  • Conclusion: Image of Christian Religion in The Monk
• The Image of Religion in Dracula
  • The Societal Perspective
    • Religion in the Lives of the People
    • Religion and Science
  • The Institutional Perspective
  • The Theological Perspective
    • Vampirism as a Rival to Religion
    • The Battle for the Soul
    • Religion Reduced to an Apotropaic Device?
    • Van Helsing's Faith
  • Conclusion: Image of Christian Religion in Dracula
• The (Ongoing) Threat of Evil in The Monk and Dracula

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper analyzes the portrayal of religion in two classic Gothic novels, Matthew G. Lewis' *The Monk* (1796) and Bram Stoker's *Dracula* (1897), examining how the view of religion evolved over a century. The study aims to demonstrate the significant role religion plays in these texts despite its often negative portrayal, particularly in *The Monk*. The paper explores how the authors present religion through three lenses: the societal, the institutional, and the theological. Key themes explored in the paper include:

• The corrupt image of Roman Catholicism in *The Monk* and its contrast with the more complex representation of Christianity in *Dracula*.
• The juxtaposition of religion and secular societal values, particularly in the context of hypocrisy and moral transgressions.
• The portrayal of the Catholic Church as an institution susceptible to corruption, particularly in the figure of Ambrosio.
• The theological implications of supernatural occurrences and the presence of the devil, challenging traditional Christian views.
• The resilience of faith in the face of evil, as exemplified by Van Helsing's role in *Dracula*.

Chapter Summaries

The first chapter introduces the topic of religion's role in early Gothic literature, focusing on the contrasting portrayals of religion in *The Monk* and *Dracula*. The paper outlines the three perspectives on religion – societal, institutional, and theological – that will be used for analysis. Chapter 2 examines the image of religion in *The Monk*. It discusses how the novel portrays the societal, institutional, and theological perspectives on religion, emphasizing the negative view presented through the characters and events. Chapter 3 continues the analysis by exploring the image of religion in *Dracula*, again focusing on the societal, institutional, and theological perspectives. This chapter delves into the complex portrayal of faith in *Dracula*, highlighting the struggles and ambiguities surrounding religion in the face of the supernatural threat. Chapter 4 provides a comparative analysis of *The Monk* and *Dracula*, exploring the theme of the ongoing threat of evil in both novels.

Keywords

The key terms and concepts explored in this paper include: early Gothic literature, religion, Roman Catholicism, Christianity, societal perspective, institutional perspective, theological perspective, *The Monk*, *Dracula*, hypocrisy, corruption, supernatural, devil, evil, faith, resilience, Van Helsing.

• Université: University of Heidelberg (Institut für Anglistik)
• Cours: Hauptseminar "The Gothic"
• Note: 1,7
• Auteur: Eric Weidner (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2006
• Pages: 20
• N° de catalogue: V127132
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640335534
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640335084
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Image, Religion, Function, Lewis’, Monk, Stoker’s, Dracula