Unearthing 19th Century Horror: From Victorian Literature to Beyond
The Victorian era, spanning from 1837 to 1901, was a time of significant change socially, culturally, and technologically. However, it was also a period marked by a fascination with the macabre and the horrific. In this article, we will explore the origins and manifestations of horror in the Victorian era.
Industrial Revolution
The Victorian era was also a time of great social and cultural upheaval, which may have contributed to a sense of anxiety and unease that was reflected in the horror genre. Rapid industrialization and urbanization led to significant changes in the way people lived and worked, with many struggling to adapt to new ways of life. Additionally, there were significant social and political tensions, including the struggle for women’s rights, the fight against poverty and child labour, and the ongoing conflicts between different religious and political groups.
The Industrial Revolution and scientific advancement had a profound impact on the themes, motifs, and tone of Victorian horror literature. As society experienced rapid technological and scientific progress, Victorian writers grappled with the implications of these changes and incorporated them into their narratives.
The advancements of the Industrial Revolution brought about rapid changes in technology, urbanization, and societal structures. As a result, there was a prevailing sense of the unknown and an anxiety about the consequences of these changes. Victorian horror literature often tapped into these fears, depicting the consequences of unchecked progress and the dangers of tampering with forces beyond human control.
The Industrial Revolution disrupted the natural landscape through urbanization and pollution. This disruption of the environment found its way into horror literature, with settings reflecting a decaying, industrialized world. For instance, Charles Dickens's "Bleak House" portrays the polluted and fog-ridden streets of London, creating a haunting backdrop that mirrors the moral decay within the society.
The Victorian era was marked by a surge in scientific exploration and discovery. The era's fascination with scientific progress often found its way into horror literature through themes of scientific curiosity gone awry. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is a prime example, where Victor Frankenstein's ambitious scientific experiment leads to the creation of a monstrous creature, reflecting the dangers of unchecked scientific hubris.
The advancement of psychology and the study of the human mind during the Victorian era introduced new avenues for horror literature. Writers delved into psychological horror, exploring the depths of the human psyche and the unknown aspects of consciousness. Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" examines the duality of human nature, presenting a scientific experiment that results in a split personality.
Societal upheaval brought about by industrialization and urbanization gave rise to social tensions and inequalities. Victorian horror literature often reflected these social injustices, with narratives featuring characters from different societal strata and exploring their struggles in the face of economic disparity. Elizabeth Gaskell's "Mary Barton" incorporates these themes, revealing the harsh realities of the working class.
Victorian horror often portrayed technology as a double-edged sword—a tool that could bring progress and convenience but also unleash unforeseen horrors. In The Signalman by Charles Dickens, a signalman working at a remote train station receives warnings of impending disasters through supernatural visions. The story explores the tension between human intuition and the technology of the railway system. The signalman's reliance on technology prevents him from fully trusting his own instincts, ultimately leading to a tragic outcome.
The rise of machinery during the Industrial Revolution introduced a sense of unease about the potential dehumanization of society. Victorian horror literature explored this fear through depictions of automata and mechanical beings that blurred the line between the natural and the artificial. War of the Worlds by HG Wells features characters who experience profound fear and helplessness in the face of the technologically advanced Martian invaders. The novel underscores the vulnerability of humanity against superior technology - an idea that is as relevant today as it was then. Isn’t that right, ChatGPT?
Gothic Literature
One of the key factors contributing to the popularity of horror during the Victorian era was the rise of Gothic literature. Gothic fiction, which had its roots in the 18th century with books like The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, was characterized by its eerie atmosphere, supernatural elements, and emphasis on terror and suspense. In the Victorian era, this genre experienced a surge in popularity, with authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley producing some of the most iconic works of horror fiction in history.
Gothic tropes played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Victorian horror literature, infusing the genre with dark and atmospheric elements that captivated readers' imaginations. These tropes, which originated in earlier Gothic literature, found renewed expression during the Victorian era as writers embraced themes of mystery, the supernatural, and the uncanny.
Victorian horror often employed eerie and decaying settings as backdrops for its narratives. Decrepit castles, ancient manors, and isolated countryside estates set the stage for encounters with the unknown. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" exemplifies this trope, with its melancholic mansion mirroring the psychological turmoil of its inhabitants.
The Gothic tradition thrived on supernatural phenomena, and Victorian horror literature was no exception. Ghosts, apparitions, and other spectral entities frequently appeared to haunt characters and blur the line between the natural and the supernatural. Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is a prime example, featuring the haunting visits of the spirits that guide Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation.
The Gothic tradition often featured enigmatic and often villainous characters, sometimes women who combined allure with danger. These femme fatales, like the vampiric Carmilla in Sheridan Le Fanu's novella, possessed an unsettling allure that captivated and threatened the protagonists.
The Victorian era was marked by a fascination with exploring the darker aspects of human psychology. Gothic literature often delved into the duality of human nature, portraying characters struggling with inner conflicts between good and evil. Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is a classic example, examining the split personality of its protagonist.
Victorian horror frequently employed mystery and suspense as central narrative elements. The works of Wilkie Collins, such as "The Woman in White," masterfully wove intricate plots that kept readers on the edge of their seats as they unravelled mysteries, revealing hidden secrets and deceptions.
The Gothic tradition delved into psychological horror, exploring the inner workings of the mind and the terror that stems from the unknown corners of consciousness. This trope is exemplified in Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw," where a governess experiences psychological distress as she grapples with the possibility of malevolent apparitions.
Paranormal
Alongside the rise of Gothic literature, the Victorian era was also marked by a growing interest in the paranormal and supernatural. Spiritualism, which involved attempts to communicate with the dead, gained popularity during this time, with many people attending séances and other events to try and contact the spirit world. This interest in the paranormal also fed into the growing popularity of horror literature and helped to fuel a fascination with ghosts, demons, and other supernatural beings.
The paranormal and supernatural played a significant role in shaping the themes and atmosphere of Victorian horror literature. Authors like Algernon Blackwood & Arthur Machen, and the rise of organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn contributed to the infusion of supernatural elements into Victorian horror literature.
Algernon Blackwood was a British author known for his mastery in crafting supernatural and uncanny tales. His works often explored the mysterious and the unknown, blurring the line between reality and the supernatural. One of his most famous stories, "The Willows," exemplifies this. Set in a remote wilderness, the story delves into the eerie interactions between the human characters and the enigmatic forces of nature. Blackwood's writing captured the sense of the uncanny and the numinous, where the natural world itself seemed infused with supernatural energies.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a real-life occult organization that emerged in the late 19th century, with its influence extending into the early 20th century. The Order focused on the study of mysticism, alchemy, astrology, and the esoteric arts. It attracted individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, and intellectuals, who were drawn to its exploration of hidden knowledge and the paranormal.
The Golden Dawn's teachings and emphasis on the supernatural influenced Victorian literature by fostering a fascination with arcane knowledge and hidden realms. Writers including Arthur Machen, were connected to or influenced by the Order's ideas. These influences can be seen in their works, where the boundary between the mundane and the supernatural is often blurred, and characters encounter otherworldly forces and mystical experiences.
Victorian horror literature often explored the theme of the supernatural through various lenses. Ghost stories, such as those by M.R. James, focused on spectral encounters and the chilling presence of the beyond. Supernatural elements were also woven into tales of psychological horror, as seen in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, where a narrator attempts to prove their sanity while describing the murder they committed. Long after their death, the beating of the victim's heart serves as both a supernatural element and a manifestation of the narrator's guilty conscience.
In Closing
In Closing, the Industrial Revolution and scientific advancement brought new layers of complexity to Victorian horror literature. The genre grappled with the ethical dilemmas posed by technological progress, the disruptions to the natural world, and the consequences of humanity's unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Through these themes, Victorian horror writers created narratives that mirrored the anxieties and uncertainties of a rapidly changing society.
Gothic literature often featured vivid descriptions of macabre and grotesque imagery. Victorian horror writers skillfully painted scenes of death, decay, and eerie landscapes to evoke a sense of unease. The works of Edgar Allan Poe, such as "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher," are renowned for their evocative and chilling descriptions.
Overall, these Gothic tropes enriched Victorian horror literature by weaving a tapestry of suspense, the uncanny, and the mysterious. Through their influence, the genre continues to resonate with readers who are drawn to the macabre and the enigmatic aspects of human experience.
The fascination with the paranormal and the supernatural reflected a broader societal interest in the unknown and the mystical. The Victorian era was a time of spiritual exploration, with a surge in interest in séances, mediums, and communication with the spirit world. Authors like Charles Dickens even participated in and wrote about these phenomena, further shaping the cultural backdrop against which Victorian horror literature unfolded. The works of authors like Algernon Blackwood and the emergence of organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn contributed to the weaving of supernatural threads into the tapestry of Victorian horror, captivating readers with tales of the eerie, the uncanny, and the unknown.
One notable manifestation of the Victorian fascination with horror was the development of the penny dreadful. These cheaply produced, serialized novels were aimed at a working-class audience and often featured sensational and gruesome stories of murder, mystery, and horror. While they were often criticized for their low literary quality and sensational content, penny dreadfuls were immensely popular and helped to establish horror as a genre with mass appeal.
Question
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Interesting to note that even years later, we still grapple with change the same way the Victorians did: with writing.