An Analysis of Gothic Conventions in Ann Radcliffe"s The Mysteries of Udolpho

The Mysteries of Udolpho is a famous Gothic novel. First published in 1794, it is Ann Radcliffe's fourth novel and was hugely popular at the time, as well as being very influential in shaping the genre of Gothic fiction. Radcliffe utilized several narrative elements which had been associated with the genre since Horace Walpole's seminal The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764 and generally considered as being the first Gothic novel. The following analysis explores some of the literary conventions that lend Udolpho its recognizably Gothic character. The excerpts are from the Oxford World's Classics 1998 edition of the text.

The elements which Radcliffe adopted from the emerging Gothic genre are apparent in her decisions regarding setting and characters, as well as the themes and plotlines of Udolpho. Walpole had already employed the backdrop of an old castle, situated in a wild and remote landscape of a Southern European country. The grouping of characters, with the figures of an imperiled heroine, her lover, and a tyrannical older man were also present in Otranto. As was the device of a revelation regarding the relationships between the characters. Radcliffe however elaborates on these typically Gothic aspects in an extended narrative with far more descriptive detail than Walpole's story.

The central section of Radcliffe's tale is set in Catholic Italy, within the confines of the eponymous Udolpho, a huge and sprawling castle situated high up in the Apennines. The setting of a gloomy castle located on a mountain range, where "steep rose over steep, the mountains seemed to multiply, as they went, and what was the summit of one eminence proved to be only the base of another" (2, 5, p.225) draws on ideas of the sublime in nature. The 'sublime' in this context refers to a theory of aesthetics outlined by Edmund Burke in his treatise A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757). Burke considered the sublime as relating to any phenomena which, on account of its vastness or magnificence, induces a sense of awe, wonder or terror within its onlooker. The mountain ranges, raging torrents and immense forests which Radcliffe's young heroine, Emily St Aubert, encounters when travelling to Castle Udolpho are typically sublime phenomena and would become stock fixtures of many subsequent Gothic narratives.

The castle itself is also delineated using language which echoes Burke's ideas: "Silent, lonely and sublime, it seemed to stand the sovereign of the scene" (2, 5, p.227). When initially contemplating it, Emily is described as gazing with 'melancholy awe'. The labyrinthine interior of the castle, within which the heroine finds herself effectively confined is a quintessential Gothic image. Once ensconced within Udolpho's 'massy stone' walls, various 'mysteries' present themselves to Emily. These include: the sinister figure who patrols the castle ramparts at night; the destination of the ominous stairwell which leads away from the heroine's bedchamber; the mysterious disappearance of Udolpho's former owner many years earlier. All of these enigmas bear an undeniably Gothic stamp.

Emily is characterized as possessing refined sensibilities, in that she is extremely sensitive to her surroundings. The nature of her character, as well as that of her lover, Valancourt, and her father, St Aubert, draws on philosophical ideas relating to emotional sentiment, theories which challenged the prevailing orthodox of rationalism and logic. Around the mid-eighteenth century, these theories were taken up by authors who wrote novels featuring protagonists of 'fine feeling', and their genre subsequently came to be labelled sentimental fiction. Famous examples include Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey (1768) and Frances Burney's Evelina (1778).

Emily's reaction to the object concealed behind the mysterious black veil - arguably the most potent mystery at Udolpho - is a vivid portrayal of the heroine's sensibilities. Overcome by the 'horror' of what she had seen, she drops "senseless on the floor" (2, 6, p.249). Emily faints many times throughout the narrative, a typical trait of sentimental heroines when they are overwhelmed with emotion. Indeed, while on his deathbed, St Aubert warns Emily of the dangers inherent in succumbing to her sensibilities: "we become the victims of our feelings, unless we can in some degree command them" (1, 7, p.80). A significant thread in Emily's character development is her learning to strike a balance between her employment of logic and emotion.

In contrast to the overly emotional Emily, the character of Signor Montoni is depicted as being thoroughly indifferent to his environment. As is the heroine's aunt, Madame Cheron, who is shown to be completely unmoved by the dramatic scenery of the Italian countryside. Montoni is a typical Gothic villain whose character proved significantly influential on subsequent literary antagonists. He is cold, unscrupulous and avaricious. He has effectively imprisoned Emily and her aunt within his castle, and the reader is given the impression that he will stop at nothing to acquire the heroine's late father's estate.

Revelation is a frequent plot device in eighteenth century Gothic fiction. Radcliffe's narrative presents a number of revelations to the reader, several examples being the rational explanations for the supernatural occurrences the heroine has experienced. Perhaps the most profound revelation however is the identity of the woman in the miniature Emily observes her father earnestly contemplating at the end of the second chapter. It transpires that this woman was St Aubert's sister, the Marchioness de Villeroi, who was murdered by her husband on the instigation of his lover, Signora Laurentini di Udolpho - the former owner of the castle. The revelation of an obscure family tie is a common motif in Gothic novels of this era. We also finally learn exactly what it was that Emily saw behind the celebrated black veil...