Women in Early Gothic Literature
Fragile in every sense of the word, [women] are obliged to look up to man for every comfort. In the most trifling dangers they cling to their support, with parasitical tenacity, piteously demanding succour; and their natural protector extends his arm, or lifts up his voice, to guard the lovely trembler—from what? Perhaps the frown of an old cow, or the jump of a mouse; a rat, would be a serious danger. In the name of reason, and even common sense, what can save such beings from contempt; even though they be soft and fair?
-Mary Wollstonecraft 62, A Vindication of the Rights of Women
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In The Castle of Otranto, the female characters of Hippolita, Matilda, and Isabella are all pious, virtuous, and submissive characters. Hippolita is entirely devoted and submissive to her husband, Manfred. Her submission is a crucial enabler for Manfred’s immoral behaviour. When Manfred proposes to marry Isabella while still married to Hippolita, she does not stand up for herself, allowing Manfred to behave any way he wishes. Manfred also casts his wife aside when he has the opportunity to marry a younger woman to maintain his power. Moreover, despite being aware of Isabella’s objection to marrying Manfred after Conrad’s death, he continues to pursue her. He even sends out a search party after her once she runs away. Additionally, the narrative mentions that Conrad is Manfred’s favourite child simply because of his gender; and at times, he does not even recognize Matilda (his own daughter!). Even though Isabella stands up for herself when she objects to the marriage proposal from Manfred, he ignores her objection, and she still must be saved by the male Gothic hero from her situation, thus, limiting her agency.
Manfred’s actions display the lack of choice women had at the time and how the women in the text are ignored. He does not view the women as humans with thoughts and feelings but rather as objects that he can use and throw away for his personal gain. As the Gothic elements in Walpole’s story set themselves as the outline for future Gothic narratives, the archetype of the virtuous, persecuted heroine became the way authors presented female characters in Gothic novels.
The so-called "Male Gothic" typically used this archetypical female character. The Male Gothic was typically Gothic fiction written by male authors. It consisted of the explicit use of horror rather than terror, unexplained supernatural events, and shocking and fast-paced narratives. The Male Gothic represented women as docile, persecuted victims whose perspectives were often left out. In contrast, the so-called "Female Gothic" differed from this form. Female authors favoured the use of terror over horror, gave rational explanations for seemingly supernatural occurrences; narratives were slow-paced and didactic; and most importantly, they included female protagonists and focused on female experiences. The Female Gothic did depict the heroines as virtuous and passive; however, "Underneath that passive and submissive woman lies another one strongly determined to face all dangers, real and superstitious, and ready to challenge the male power in its most terrifying forms" (Hachmi 114). The Female Gothic model gave female characters a voice and allowed female writers to portray female characters more realistically than the female characters composed by their male counterparts.