TfOTHOU 8 gr A

Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen, 1803

Summary

 This story is about a woman who wants to see an Abbey. When she comes to it, there's no alarm. Just after that, the rain makes her come to the Abbey. It's also a parody.

Gothic elements

Gothic windows, scenes of horror, Awful foreboding of misery to herself

 

The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe, 1794

Summary

this is a story about a Emily. she tells us her feelings about a castle.

Gothic elements 

Gothic greatness, melancholy awe, silent, lonely and sublime, ancient and dreary. 

p.105, "the antique volume..." ->

The narrator is reading a book about someone called Lancelot to Roderick, and he describes us what is in the book.

The 1st paragraph presents the Mad Trist, one of Usher's favourite books, and the narrator is going to read it.

§ n°2 : the narrator sums up the passage he's just reading.

§ n°3 : it's a passage from the book ; the hero Ethelred breaks stuff with his mace.

§ n°4 : the narrator read about scary sounds (grating), and can hear them for real.

§ n°5 : the narrator resumes the reading of the book ; the hero doesn't find the hermit, but the dragon. He kills it with his mace.

§ n°6 : the narrator hears more sounds, and a scream.

§ n°7 : the narrator sees Usher in front of the door, sitting on a chair. He seems to be out of his mind.

§ n°8 : Ethelred tries to take the shield, but it falls on the ground, in a big banging sound.

§ n°9 : the narrator can hear a huge metallic sound. Usher starts moving and talking. (Ellyjah : the House wakes up).

§ n°10 : Usher realizes they buried his sister alive, and he becomes crazy. He admits that he knew she was alive all along (because of this overactive senses).

§ n°11 : Madeline enters the room on her white dress, she falls on him, and they both die.

§ n°12 : the narrator escapes from the house of Usher and sees its destruction (the fissure appears). Pathetic fallacy. 

Homework:

translation p. 90 "What was it... ... as I pondered"

et p. 94 "it was with difficulty... ...of my early boyhood."