Considered as one of the first American writers to produce American national literature, Charles Brockden Brown belongs to the forefathers of the American Gothic Fiction and embodies the pioneer spirit of the American Short Story. Although throughout the last decades, intense and prolific research has been conducted about his life and works, respectively Wieland and Edgar Huntly, Brown’s Somnambulism yet remains a relatively obscure and unexplored narrative. The goal of this paper is to bring fourth its literary relevance within the context of the American Gothic Fiction by analyzing the occurrence, narrative usage and effect of Gothic elements in Brown’s fragment Somnambulism. By doing so, I will firstly give a short overview about its publishing history, followed by a brief excursion to the definition of short story to underline that Brown’s account is both short and Gothic story. The definition of the Gothic Fiction describes the historical development of the Gothic story, explaining its relevance in the American context and broaching Brown’s political use of the Gothic mode. Finally, the main body of this paper will demonstrate the comprised gothic elements of the story, exemplifying the constantly rising construction of horror through the lovelorn protagonist’s sick double mental existence and the sinister description of his counterpart Nick Handyside.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Publishing History
3. Short Story about the Short Story
4. Definition of Gothic Fiction
5. Analysis of Gothic Elements in Somnambulism
5.1 The Double Mental Existence in Richard Althorpe
5.2 Nick Handyside: The Incorporation of Human Evil?
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper explores the literary relevance of Charles Brockden Brown’s fragment "Somnambulism" within the context of American Gothic Fiction. The primary research goal is to analyze how Gothic elements, such as psychological dissolution and horror, are employed through the protagonist's mental instability and the projection of evil onto others, while establishing the work's status as a pioneer of both the American Gothic and the short story genre.
- Evolution of the American short story genre
- Analysis of Gothic conventions in the American context
- Psychological exploration of the "double mental existence"
- The function of the scapegoat (Nick Handyside) in Gothic horror
- The intersection of rationality, insanity, and societal anxiety
Excerpt from the Book
5.1 The Double Mental Existence in Richard Althorpe
In this chapter, I will reveal Althorpe’s madness and dangerous “double mental existence” (Green 183)15, rendering the whole story not only uncanny, but already offering various denouements16. As we take a closer look at Althorpe, his maniac tendencies and inability to cope with elements of reality, such as e.g. loss, become first notable with his reception of the message about the impending departure of the Davis family. Describing his feelings about the departure of Miss Davis and his painful emotions towards their separation, Althorpe instinctively employs to a great extent negatively connotative adjectives and verbs: Words like “ravished” (Brown, “Somnambulism” 6), “impossible” (6), “swallowed up” (6) or “hateful obligation” (6) underline the dominating acrimonious atmosphere. As effect, we as reader do not learn only about his anxiety of loss, but even feel with him a sort of empathy for his desperate situation.
At this stage of the story, Althorpe is still awake, conscious and master of his emotions. Ensuing from the worst case scenario, that is, the next time he “saw her again, it would probably be as a wife” (6), Althorpe expands and intensifies this train of thought, imagining who could be the lucky one Miss Davis has chosen to marry. In his enumerations of questions circling about the unknown lucky, it becomes clear that Althorpe, albeit an adult and an alleged rational being, cannot cope with jealousy, too: “Who was he that Constantia Davis had chosen? Was he born to outstrip all competitors in ardour and fidelity?” (6). His passion for Miss Davis turns into her idolization. In her, he perceives the personified innocence and aesthetics, denominating her as “prize” (6), simultaneously denying her autonomous traits.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on Charles Brockden Brown's "Somnambulism" and its significance as an early American Gothic narrative.
2. Publishing History: Details the anonymous publication of the fragment in 1805 and its integration into Brown's larger editorial work.
3. Short Story about the Short Story: Argues that Brown’s work fulfills the formal criteria of the short story genre and acts as a pioneer of the form.
4. Definition of Gothic Fiction: Examines the adaptation of European Gothic conventions to the American landscape and cultural reality.
5. Analysis of Gothic Elements in Somnambulism: Explores the intrinsic Gothic qualities of the text through character analysis.
5.1 The Double Mental Existence in Richard Althorpe: Analyzes the protagonist’s descent into madness and his internal conflict between rationality and the irrational self.
5.2 Nick Handyside: The Incorporation of Human Evil?: Discusses the function of the character Nick Handyside as a projection of Althorpe’s repressed desires and moral failures.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, confirming that the narrative successfully utilizes the Gothic mode to critique human nature and societal concerns.
Keywords
Charles Brockden Brown, Somnambulism, American Gothic Fiction, Short Story, Richard Althorpe, Nick Handyside, Horror, Psychological Dissolution, Rationality, Irrationality, Abjection, American Identity, Double Mental Existence, Literary History, Early American Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on Charles Brockden Brown's "Somnambulism" to analyze its role as a seminal work in both American Gothic Fiction and the evolution of the short story genre.
What central themes are explored throughout the text?
The work examines themes of rationality versus irrationality, psychological dissolution, the fear of moral disintegration, and the construction of identity in the early American Republic.
What is the primary objective of the analysis?
The objective is to demonstrate how Gothic elements, specifically the "double mental existence" of the protagonist and the projection of evil onto a scapegoat, are used to build horror.
Which scientific method is applied here?
The author conducts an intrinsic study of the text, analyzing narrative techniques, thematic usage, and the interaction between the protagonists through a literary-critical lens.
What subjects are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the definition of Gothic fiction in an American context, the publishing history of the story, and a detailed character analysis of Richard Althorpe and Nick Handyside.
Which keywords best describe the work?
Key terms include American Gothic, Somnambulism, Psychological horror, Double mental existence, and the development of the short story.
How does the "double mental existence" manifest in Richard Althorpe?
Althorpe experiences a constant tension between his "rational" self and a "monstrous" irrational self, which ultimately leads him to commit violent acts while in a state of sleepwalking.
Why is the character of Nick Handyside important?
Handyside serves as a scapegoat or projection of Althorpe’s own repressed, "abjected" desires, allowing Althorpe to maintain his self-perception as a virtuous man despite his own murderous instincts.
What role does the editorial preface play in understanding the story?
The preface is crucial because it provides the necessary context to identify Althorpe as the genuine culprit, without which the story's events would remain ambiguous to the reader.
- Quote paper
- Mario Nsonga (Author), 2012, Between Madness and Sanity: Gothic Elements in Charles Brockden Brown’s “Somnambulism”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/207836
