欧文小说的哥特表现.doc

2.3 The characteristics of the gothic novel in the Legend of Sleepy HollowWashington Ivring depicting a secluded village in the the legend of Sleepy Hollow mainly by the use of Gothic style. It had particular and fleshy plots which shows unexpected and vivid artistic feature, the atmosphere is full of horror, supernatural phenomenon filled with mysterious, which makes the work show a strong romantic and "Gothic" color.2.3.1 Setting and environmentGothic storys generally occurs in gloomy, horrible scenes such as wilderness, castles, great country manors or ancient buildings. The environment around the setting reflects a bleak or foreboding atmosphere: dark forests, imposing mountains, stormy weather or areas far away from civilisation. Ivring using a poetic style depicted a forgotten remoteness village. “…there is a little valley or rather lap of land among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail or tapping of a woodpecker is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquillity…”—— Washington Ivring The Legend of Sleppy Hollow2.3.3 AtmosphereMystery is usually one of the main characteristics gothic novels attempt to show. In The Legend of Sleppy Hollow, the village is not only forgotten, it seems to have a magic power, “…A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere…Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good peopl…” that everyone will infected with a blurred state after staying there for a while. “causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air…” Ivring has set a quiet mysterious atmosphere tone at the beginning of the novel, and it hanging over the whole novel3.1 The Gothic ThemeGothic novels have three themes:karma, love and revenge(MaoJinhua,2007:62). Firstly, The legend of Sleepy Hollow is a love story about Ichabod and Brom tried to beat each other’s time around Katrina.But also include Brom’svindictive acts to Ichabod. And last the karma for Ichabod’s greed and superstitious behavior.So we can say, three themes of Gothic Novels all embodied in in the legend of Sleepy Hollow.Seemingly Ichabod fall in love with the beautiful and innocent rural girl, Katerina. …She was a booming lass of fresheighteen; plump as a partridge; ripe and melting and rosycheekedas one of her father’s peaches…But on a moment's consideration, we can find, it is better to say Ichabod drool over Katrina’s wealth to be inherited instead of the girl herself. Ichahod Crane had a soft and foolish heart towards thesex; and it is not to be wondered at, that so tempting a morsel soon found favor in his eyes, more especially after he had visited her in her paternal mansion. When he went to Katrina’s home, his gaze was not drawn to her, but to her superior material conditions, room, fireplace and grains, As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burdened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded the warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after the damsel who was to inherit these domains, The best description of his absurd and ridiculours is that living poultries turned into steaming hot fine food in his eyes.Later, the writer directly indicate Ichabod’s ture thought, From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van Tassel.Perhaps we can evaluated Ichabod’s love as: he fell in love with Katrina’s wealth, then imagine himself fall in love with the heiress.But Katrina has many pursuers, she is the dream lover of all rural young people in this village. When Ichabod’s love feelers take action they all harbor a grudge at him. In their view, how could Katrina marry Ichabod, the stranger, who have funny face, feudal superstition and covetous. Brom, the flower of youth, one of Katerina’s pursuers, is the contenders of Ichabod. When seeing Ichabod’s pursuit strategy worked, anxiety Brom disguised as the headless horseman frightened Ichabod away.It seems that Ichabod was scared away by the ghost in his heart rather than the headless horseman disguised by Brom. He enjoy hearing ghost story though he is timid by nature, and he is positive to believe in the being of ghost. A gust of wind blew he thought he heard ghosts’ cry, to see the shadow of branches they thought he saw a ghost’s shadow. Brom is precisely using his superstitious scared him off.3.3 The Gothic plotGothic novels often set time at night, in the deep night, 。