Gothic texts are overly concerned with the sensational at the expense of psychological insights.

Gothic literature is argued to be “ornate and convoluted…excessive and exaggerative” David Punter, it is a genre that relishes the opportunity to create otherworldly characters and situations and transgress boundaries to create a surface shock value concerning itself with the sublime and the astonishing. However, whilst it depicts sensational monsters and exaggerates perhaps to the point of the unbelievable, it is not merely a two dimensional genre. It is perhaps its psychological insights and its ability to make readers question their own unconscious minds that are most shocking. It could be argued rather than being overly concerned with the sensational it is predominantly intrigued in the psychological as perhaps it is its exploration of what is underneath the sensational surface shock value that is the Gothic’s aim. It may even be considered that the sensational and the psychological are intertwined as behind these sensational shocking characters and acts are often psychological explanations.

Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber” with her abhuman beasts and preoccupation with otherness could be argued to be overly concerned with the sensational and the shocking. It is however, arguably her shortest yet most shocking story “The Snow Child” that exhibits the sensational however not at the expense of the psychological but as a mechanism of exploring the psychological and social issues of objectification and the male mind. Carter’s characters are not fully-fleshed, believable characters, however this could be deliberate in her attempt to create such exaggerative characters they become symbols. For example, the Count could be argued to be a symbol of patriarchy and male desire, he creates a young “naked” child borne from his sexual desire from a collection of objects. The young girl upon pricking her finger on a rose “bleeds, screams, falls” to her death, this is perhaps symbolic of her sexual maturation as a rose commonly has the connotations of both blood and the vagina. This could suggest once she has become sexually mature or rather a sexual object in the Counts mind she has fulfilled her purpose and thus can cease to exist, he then brutally rapes her corpse “thrust his virile member into the dead girl”. Whilst this shocking and explicit scenario is sensational and true to Gothic form, incorporating necrophilia and death, it is also profoundly symbolic of male desire, perhaps offering a psychological insight into the male view of women as sexual objects to be consumed and discarded. Carter’s abrupt narrative could provide the two sides to the Gothic, the sensational in her depictions of necrophilia and the psychological as readers question the psychological motives behind the Counts actions.

It could be argued Carter also provides further psychological insight in “The Erl-King” rather than sensationalism. Carter’s narrative could be argued to be shrouded in metaphors for domestic violence “he strips me to my last nakedness…like a skinned rabbit” coupled with images of entrapment “like a green liquid amber, it catches me”. This complex story could represent the psychological condition of Stockholm’s Syndrome, the strange psychological bond victims feel towards their captors and abusers. The protagonist knows of the “grievous harm” he can cause her and yet she continues to go back to his home as “his touch both consoles and devastates me”, she feels both love and “fear” for this “tender butcher” who keeps her captive symbolically through the labyrinthine setting “the woods will swallow you up” but perhaps literally by his powerful, patriarchal hold that engulfs her as “greed liquid amber”. Carter’s deliberately negative language “corrosive regard” and portrayal of entrapment “cages upon cages of singing birds” with this strong urge and attraction from her protagonist could reflect the inexplicable psychological condition of Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps posing the psychological and gothic question why are we attracted to those who harm us?

Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” similarly creates a wild world full of extreme, sensational behaviour from sensational characters such as Catherine the “wild, hatless little savage” and Heathcliff “a vampire or a ghoul”. The novels relentless drama could suggest this gothic tale is overly concerned with the sensational, perhaps creating a landscape that is so unrealistic and exaggerative it acts as a form of escapism for its readers. However, it could be argued Bronte portrays through her sensational love triangle of Catherine, Edgar, Heathcliff a psychological insight into Freud’s three states of mind, the ID, Ego and Superego. Bronte perhaps utilises her sensational gothic characters to exemplify a complex psychological idea that causes readers to identify with their own primitive desires and perhaps enlighten them to the strength of social constraints. Heathcliff, the “unreclaimed creature” and “ruffian” could be symbolic of the Id, the instinctual desires in the recesses of our unconscious, he acts as an animal “foamed at the mouth like a mad dog” as he is unconditioned by society. Catherine, a wild, feisty child in her youth and a “dignified lady” in her adolescence could represent the Ego, as she is a combination of both desire and duty, well aware of societal rules. It is perhaps out of this awareness that she chooses to marry Edgar, the epitome of the gentile, civilised male or the Superego, over Heathcliff. The three characters could reflect the three conflicting states of unconscious and conscious mind that reside within us, perhaps Heathcliff’s sensational behaviour and characterisation mirrors the psychological state of the ID, suggesting the intertwined nature of the sensational and the psychological in the Gothic.

Wuthering Heights could be argued to be excessively violent, with violence embedded into the language “dashed, boil, stamp” and a recurring of violence throughout the novel and descending throughout the generations. It could be argued violence is a sensational aspect of the gothic, whilst Wuthering Heights does not include bloody murders as in Macbeth, it does contain shocking acts of violence which are perhaps more prominent than psychological insights. Heathcliff is subjected to violence upon his arrival from hair pulling to “pinches” however this and his somewhat disturbing reaction or lack thereof, may offer a psychological insight. Hindley’s abuse could be argued to be borne from psychological feelings of neglect and jealousy as Heathcliff usurps his father’s affection, the continued psychological impact of this leads to his alcoholism and abusive nature “I love something fierce”. Similarly, Heathcliff’s lack of reaction when enduring the violence could suggest a psychological insight as it could suggest he is cold hearted or perhaps emotionless. This could pose a psychological debate of nature versus nurture, for example it is often proposed Heathcliff is a product of maltreatment and his revenge and abuse in later life “get up you wretched idiot, before I stamp you to death” is caused by Hindley’s abuse however Heathcliff’s emotionless response to early abuse could suggest he is in fact naturally cold. It could be argued Bronte’s gothic text incorporates both the sensational, albeit perhaps more so, and the psychological perhaps providing psychological explanation for her shocking characters.

Macbeth is arguably a sensational text indulging in gothic features such as blood and the supernatural. Shakespeare’s use of powerful soliloquies “out, damn spot!” was to provoke a reaction from audiences. It could be argued Macbeth, may perhaps be more sensational than other texts as a play must captivate its audiences and perform an exciting show for Jacobean audiences. Shakespeare perhaps is overly concerned with the sensational due to its form at the expense of the psychological to engage with audiences. However, it could be argued Macbeth despite having many sensational elements is deeply concerned with the psychological impacts of guilt and internal entrapment of the psyche. Once Macbeth has committed regicide he experiences overwhelming guilt “o, full of scorpions is my mind” that causes subsequent paranoia “to be thus is nothing but to be safely thus”. We see a “noble” man descend into tyranny perhaps to offer a psychological insight into the all consuming nature of guilt. Macbeth’s mind becomes a place of entrapment from which he cannot escape or “sleep”, perhaps as Pearce argues “if we build our palace on unknown wrongs it quickly turns into our own prison”. Shakespeare portrays the deep detrimental effect of guilt upon the internal mind through his sensational ghost scene which could be argued as a manifestation of Macbeth’s guilt “never shake thy gory locks at me”. It could be argued despite the need for sensationalism in Macbeth to entertain as the gothic is preoccupied with shocking and exciting its audiences, Macbeth delves into psychological questions, portraying guilt as eroding a man’s mind and showing how Macbeth’s violent, sensational acts are at the expense of his psychological sanity.

Lady Macbeth could be argued as an extremely sensational character who is both captivating and shocking, perhaps to Jacobean audiences she evokes shock and somewhat terror as her powerful nature was unexpected and posed a threat to Christian norms as she disregards her femininity and motherhood. Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy’s could be seen as sensational as she calls on “murdering ministers” to “unsex her” which is arguably shocking for a woman to divest her femininity. However, whilst Lady Macbeth is outwardly a powerful character as the play progresses, as with her “partner”, guilt begins to falter this sensational exterior. In the beginning of the play, her affiliation with the supernatural and somewhat demonic forces create a bewitching character however as guilt similarly seeps into her psyche she alters from “a little water clears us of this deed” to “will these hands ne’er be clean”. She regresses from a sensational character into a vulnerable, plagued woman, perhaps highlighting the sheer psychological impact of murder, a common gothic feature.

The gothic, although highly concerned with sensational elements of murders, blood, sexuality, taboos and transgressions is arguably also concerned with showing the consequences of such actions. The consequences usually manifest themselves as psychological problems from an inability to leave to an inability to sleep, psychological issues are perhaps the most shocking and terrifying aspect of the gothic as unlike a captor or labyrinth you are unable to ever escape. The gothic’s preoccupation with horror and terror means it lends itself towards portraying both the sensational, or the gory and the psychological or anticipation. The gothic delves into sometimes inexplicable psychological issues whilst perhaps using the sensational to both produce and dilute such complex, unsettling ideas.