Religion is central to the readings of Gothic texts, how far do you agree.

Gothic literature could be argued to be fascinated with the transgression of established boundaries within society, it seems therefore appropriate that religious margins could be challenged as religion has been integral to many societies, particularly that of Jacobean and Victorian. Interestingly, both the Bible and Gothic literature features a plethora of sin’s, temptation, sexuality and desire suggesting the close relationship between the two. The opposition, a key Gothic concept, of good versus evil could be argued as central to Christianity through notions of heaven and hell and God and the Devil which are similarly preoccupations of many Gothic texts. Gothic features such as entrapment and escape could be seen to be a representation of the oppressive nature of religion which cynically could be criticised to have institutionalised patriarchy and class distinctions, often an explored topic in Gothic texts. Whilst religion could be argued as central to culture and society, particularly in Jacobean and Victorian era’s, it’s dominance has perhaps reduced in the 20^th century as modern societies became more secular. This cultural transition could be argued to be mirrored in the representation of religion through Macbeth, Wuthering Heights and The Bloody Chamber, whilst religion may be core and significant to Macbeth and Wuthering Heights, it is arguably mocked and undermined in Carter’s short stories. There is perhaps a mutual centrality of religion and the Gothic, with closer ties than first thought.

Carter’s Bloody Chamber could be argued to be based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The theme of temptation and the consequences of female curiosity are arguably central to the short story, as the female protagonist gives in, much like Eve to temptation in the pursuit of knowledge, the forbidden bloody chamber could symbolise the forbidden tree of knowledge. A feminist may condemn this religious story as an attempt to keep females in perpetual ignorance and therefore perpetually inferior to males whilst a Marxist may interpret the notion of denying knowledge as keeping those inferior ignorant to the elite’s exploitation so as not to destabilise their position and cause a revolt if their practices were revealed. It could also be argued the original biblical tale suggests females are the cause of the fall of man, in giving in to curiosity and temptation they have eternal condemned their male counterpart. However, whilst this religious tale is central to the Bloody Chamber’s plot, it could be argued Carter reverses the moral of the story. The acquisition of knowledge by the protagonist on entering the bloody chamber leads to perhaps salvation rather than damnation, as with the revelation of her murderous husband she is able to escape her similar future which could suggest female access to knowledge and curiosity is essential for living. Carter perhaps refutes the original moral replacing it with her own; that to be without knowledge both good and evil is the real fall of both man and woman, for women to “exist in the passive case, is to die in the passive case – that is to be killed” perhaps suggesting the real sin is not female curiosity of the disobeying of God’s commands but to place women as inferior.

Written in the ‘70’s, Carter’s Gothic short stories are perhaps influenced by the rise of feminism and the secularisation of society. It could therefore be argued as inevitable that religion is undermined rather than celebrated in her Gothic texts as religion could be argued to be based upon patriarchal ideas. Despite her mocking judgement on religious patriarchy and her exploration of the sexual nature of religion, it could be argued religion, although challenged is central to her Gothic texts. Carter could be argued to have a preoccupation with the attack of religion, in the Company of Wolves, Carter suggests the werewolf is born on “Christmas Day”, linking her “carnivore incarnate” with Jesus. This connection could be argued as no coincidence but rather a direct attack on religion, as her Devilish wolf that is represented as evil and murderous is linked to Jesus perhaps suggesting religion itself was the birth of the sinister and murderous nature of patriarchy as the oppression of women through patriarchy could be argued to kill any industrious spirit or independence women may have. Carter also could be seen to link religion with sexuality and pornography perhaps highlighting the hidden aspects of Christianity as her Marquis in the Bloody Chamber refers to his pornographic pictures as “my little nun has found the prayer books” sexualising religious scripture or perhaps suggesting the integral nature of sexuality in religion as prayer books may be argued as what Christians live and abide by and they are linked to pornography. Carter perhaps portrays religion as central to society and central to her Gothic texts, yet arguably not with the same portrayal as that in the Bible, she could be argued to represent religion as oppressive and sordid.

Religion could be argued to be central to Wuthering Heights through Joseph’s religious ramblings, images of fire and pain to resemble hell and perhaps the unconventional portrayal of heaven and hell. Whilst heaven to Christian readers may be that of an afterlife whereby equality rules in a painless, beautiful environment above the earth and hell is the torturous, burning subterranean home of sinners it could be argued to Catherine and Heathcliff heaven and hell are  unconventional. For Heathcliff the loss of Catherine would be literally hell “existence after losing her would be hell”, to exist or live without his love is his concept of hell, separation is more painful and a “torment” than any Christian interpretation. Ironically, Catherine and Heathcliff are continually separated whether it be by force, time or death suggesting the centrality of religion to Wuthering Heights as each are both kept in their own version of hell. This could be reinforced by the consistent imagery of hell in the language throughout the novel, “furnace heat”, “imp of satan”, “devil”, “writhe in the torments of hell” this abundance of hellish imagery create the sense of hell being both within the characters and within the homes perhaps suggesting religion and its preoccupation with heaven and hell is core to Wuthering Heights. However, it could be argued this imagery could be symbolic of physical pain rather than metaphorical hell, the multitude of violent acts and references to violence “crush you like a sparrow’s egg” could suggest that violence is actually more central to Gothic texts, particularly Wuthering Heights than religion as little beauty associated with heaven is depicted.

Throughout Wuthering Heights, many characters death is caused by illness or sickness such as Linton’s, the Earnshaws and Catherine’s. This may reflect the extensive level of disease and inadequate medical care in Victorian England, death by fever or illness was commonplace perhaps leading to the dominance of Christianity and religion as people were aware of the finiteness of human existence thus causing a want to believe in an afterlife. The afterlife is central to Wuthering Heights, in a hostile environment devoid of peace with extreme, violent characters susceptible to illness, it could be argued the belief in the afterlife offers characters and readers hope and optimism. Catherine’s death could be argued as a departure into another life rather than an end “whether still on earth of now in heaven” the use of present tense could suggest she is still living albeit on earth of in heaven. Nelly refers to death as merely resting in heaven “untroubled image of divine rest” suggesting a belief in an afterlife of being “above and beyond” rather than what a secular reader may consider death to be a complete end to life. Religion is central to Wuthering Heights, perhaps because it is referred to so frequently or perhaps as it offers a glimpse of hope in a place so devoid of such.

It could be argued Macbeth is a play fuelled by the ultimate sin and therefore shrouded in religious elements. Christianity believes in the divine right of Kings, that Kings are appointed by God with similar power to God thus Macbeth’s transgression of a religious boundary by committing regicide can be viewed, predominantly by a Jacobean audience, as an opposition to the King and thus an attack on God himself, and therefore sacrilege, the most heinous of sins. The consequences of such a moral and religious transgression could be argued as the most heinous of punishments, the overwhelming, brooding guilt Macbeth succumbs to creates “scorpions” in his mind. This image of poisonous insects consuming his psyche is particularly Gothic but also could be seen to act as a religious deterrent. Macbeth’s mental deterioration could be seen as a warning to audiences of the penalty for disobeying the divine right of Kings and the commands of God. Religion is perhaps  portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, and dominant in the Jacobean era as it is one of the main elements of Macbeth. The consequences of such a sin are what drive the plot of the play, causing Macbeth’s insanity leading to his fall.

Ambition, it could be argued, is actually more central to Macbeth than religion as it is internal rather than an external force or belief. Macbeth is drawn to the prophesising witches by his own intrinsic ambition and desire to be King, he believes their equivocations due to the strength of his ambition. It could be argued although Macbeth’s religious sin of regicide is central to the play, without his  overpowering desire he would not have committed the sin. Ambition is also what causes Lady Macbeth to call on “murdering ministers” and evil spirits to “unsex her” and “stop up the access and passage to remorse” allowing her to, it could be argued, bully her husband into murder. By calling on evil spirits Lady Macbeth also transgresses a religious boundary by engaging with evil rather than good. Ambition could be seen as equally, if not more so, powerful of religion however the external nature of religion suggests it can only be imposed whereas ambition is borne from within suggesting there is little control over such a complex emotion. Ambition could be seen as the root of evil in Macbeth leading to both protagonists death and the destruction of hierarchy within Scotland which could suggest it is more central to the play than religion as it has such devastating consequences.

Religion is interestingly linked with the Gothic, with elements of temptation and sin, evil and good suggesting it is central to Gothic texts as perhaps Gothic elements are incorporated in religion. Religion, however is arguably portrayed negatively in more modern Gothic texts such as Carter who exposes its patriarchal ideology. It is perhaps considered more powerful in earlier Gothic texts such as Macbeth as the audience would have been primarily Christian, it is perhaps used as a feature to transmit morals and enlighten audiences on the consequences of disobeying a higher power. Wuthering Heights may offer a more optimistic portrayal of religion as a chance for a new life, a chance for peace of “divine rest”. Despite different portrayals and interpretations, religion can be seen to be a key Gothic element that perhaps fits neatly in with other elements of horror, sex and oppression.