Sample Student Research Project 2018: Journal
LITR
4328 American Renaissance / Model Assignments
Sample Student Research Project 2018:
Journal
Virginia Deleon
28 November 2018
Dark Desires: A Psychological Analysis of the Gothic
Entry #1 - Research Proposal:
For my research proposal I want to dive into the black, murky waters of the
Gothic. More specifically—how it relates to psychology. I have always been drawn
to works of art considered “dark” or “macabre” because I feel that they reflect
the human psyche in its full splendor. I once heard a metaphor that describes
the unconscious mind as an iceberg, where the tip of the iceberg (what we can
see) is our conscious mind, and the enormous part of the iceberg below water
(what we cannot see) represents our unconscious mind. I believe that the realm
of the gothic lies beneath the shadows. Somewhere in the depths of the human
soul lie the secrets to our fascination with grotesque stories such as Edgar
Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” and haunting poems such as Emily Dickinson’s “I felt a
funeral in my brain”.
For this assignment, I decided to go with the most traditional option—the
analytical/research essay. I feel comfortable with this format, and I also feel
like I have much to say about my selected topic. My research paper will explore
the recurring themes of death, darkness, imagination, and correspondence from
various works of gothic literature. More importantly, I will seek answers as to
how these elements reflect human psychology. I will draw information and
evidence from several of this semester’s readings in order to discover more
about society’s love affair with the gothic. I look forward to hearing Dr.
White’s comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism for my research
proposal.
Instructor Response:
Your topic sounds good, Virginia, so yes, and it's specific enough to suit an
essay, but depending on your research and focus, you could consider switching to
a journal. (The two formats don't have to be exclusive of each other. Some good
journals end up looking like essays, and some good essays have parts that might
fit into journals.)
For background research to establish your idea, you might want to learn some
history of psychology. People are often talking or writing about psychology, but
ascribing "psychology" to the early 1800s can be tricky, as I think the word
barely existed at that point and emerged as a specific field of study in the
late 1800s--and even then it was mostly a sub-field of philosophy.
But you can still posit that the gothic is a reflection of some mental
characteristics and operates by some predictable rules like correspondence.
Beyond that background research, you might simply scan the MLA bibliography for
the keywords gothic + psychology, since the subject is bound to have gotten some
coverage and analysis. Welcome to check in as you progress and discuss further.
So far, so good.
Entry #2 - Introduction:
I was very pleased to find that Dr. White
approved of my research topic and suggested several angles and possibilities. I
was especially grateful that he suggested I look into the history of psychology
for I had not thought of doing this before. Dr. White noted that “ascribing
‘psychology’ to the early 1800s can be tricky, as I think the word barely
existed at that point and emerged as a specific field of study in the late
1800s” (White). Having this in mind helped me realize that authors such as Poe,
although they might have had the human psyche in mind when writing, did not have
the same knowledge of psychology that we do today. Thus, I will focus my
research on the mental characteristics found in gothic works (and what these
mean) rather than strictly focusing on the psychological. In other words, I will
explore the elements of gothic literature that feed the imagination with fears
and nightmares, while simultaneously fascinating us.
My research journal will be composed of the following entries: one close reading
of a work from the course representing the gothic style, two critical readings
of articles on the gothic, one critical exploration of a website dedicated to
the gothic, and a conclusion of my ultimate findings.
Entry #3 - “Annabel Lee”:
Over the course of the semester, we have read a variety of texts from the period
of the American Renaissance. Some of these have been poems, short stories,
excerpts from novels, and even essays. Interestingly enough, we were able to
identify a variety of gothic elements in most of these texts. One of these was
the morbid and magical “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe. Although the poem was
published in 1849, it remains incredibly popular to this day. Poe brings
together a plethora of gloomy components, such as nostalgia and death, to create
the ultimate gothic poem.
Poe begins the first stanza with the nostalgic lines “It was many and many a
year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea, / That a maiden lived whom you may know /
By the name of Annabel Lee” (1.1-1.4). Here, the speaker introduces the deep,
incredible longing he feels for his beloved Annabel Lee. By stating “It was many
and many a year ago” the speaker portrays the eternity he has been without his
beloved. Nostalgia for the past, or for what was lost, is a prominent
characteristic in romantic literature. This is particularly true for the gothic.
Often, nostalgia is a driving force for characters in the realm of the gothic.
According to the website Psychology Today, “Research on nostalgia for one’s past
has shown that as adults we tend not to miss most strongly our childhood heroes
or heroines, religious activities, school, or TV shows or movies. On the
average, people miss most not having to worry, loved ones, holidays, things we
did, family, the way people were, and not knowing sad or evil things” (Batcho).
Despite this research on nostalgia not being available in the 1800’s, writers
like Poe most likely believed that their readers could relate to the loss of a
loved one. Poe successfully taps into the human psyche by utilizing the gothic
element of nostalgia.
Furthermore, because “Annabel Lee” tragically details the death of a beautiful
maiden in the prime of her youth, Poe creates the ultimate gothic poem. The
speaker describes Annabel Lee as living “with no other thought / Than to love
and be loved by me” (1.5-1.6). With these poetic words, the speaker elevates his
beloved to a sublime status. Her love is beyond that of any other. She is the
ultimate partner and lover. The speaker emphasizes this notion by stating that
they “loved with a love that was more than love” and that “the winged seraphs of
Heaven / Coveted her and me” (2.3-2.6). Throughout the poem’s first three
stanzas the speaker slowly builds up his relationship with Annabel Lee in order
to portray it as the epitome of love. By regarding their love in such a high
position, Poe makes the fall all the more painful for the reader when Annabel
Lee perishes. By incorporating gothic elements such as the “night wind” that
“chills” Annabel Lee to death and “shuts her up, in a sepulchre” (3.3-3.7) Poe
creates a macabre environment that allows for our imaginations to descend into
the depths of the gothic.
Entry #4 - Article Critical Reading:
Upon doing research for my topic on the gothic
and psychology, I came across a plethora of scholarly articles which discuss the
many facets of the gothic style. One of these being Wendy L. Rodabaugh’s
Teaching Gothic Literature in the Junior
High Classroom. This article struck me as incredibly interesting because I
am a Literature major seeking certification to teach middle and high school. As
both an avid reader and an aspiring educator, I take any opportunity to learn
about new and interesting ways of integrating literature into the classroom.
Rodabaugh’s article focuses on the benefits of teaching gothic literature in the
classroom to middle grade students. More specifically, in regards to their
development as young adults.
According to Rodabaugh, young adults actually have much in common with the
psychological aspects of the gothic style. She explains that at their current
developmental phase, “adolescents are beginning to grow beyond this limited
black-and-white perception. They're beginning to acknowledge (as Kohlberg
observes) the existence of gray areas” in the world. This “gray area” is
precisely where aspects of the gothic work their dark magic on the human mind.
Haunted mansions, fair and dark women, repressed fears and desires—all of these
gothic elements are part of the spectrum of good and evil, light and dark (“The
Gothic”). The grey area is where things gets interesting because it involves a
bit of both sides. Furthermore, Rodabaugh continues her argument by explaining
that “it is not out of the realm of possibility to move beyond the exploration
of extremes, and into the exploration of the ideologies behind them and the
possibility that these extremes—of good and evil, love and hate-are not so
disparate” (70). Because young adults are experiencing significant changes in
their lives, they might actually be more susceptible to understanding the
complexities of the gothic than established adults. The reason for this is that
adolescents are experiencing complex emotions of their own!
Entry #5 - Article Critical Reading:
Moreover, as I continued my research on the
gothic and how it pertains to psychology—it was impossible not to click on the
articles about Edgar Allan Poe! I was particularly drawn to an article entitled
Poe and Gothic Creativity by Maria
Antonia Lima. In the article, Lima brilliantly claims that “Poe's literary
creations have undoubtedly enabled us to perceive the mystery and terror of our
restless souls, showing that the manifestation of horror in creativity should be
understood as a response to a world desensitized to violence and human
perversity, and art is not immune to such destructive effects” (22). In order
words, Lima believes that Poe’s works are the ultimate reflection of human
fears. More specifically, fears of the horrors that plague the world. Many of
Poe’s works involve correspondence, or rather, “haunted spaces” or “projections
of the haunted mind” which reflect the dark feelings within (“The Gothic”). This
concept reinforces the idea of Poe’s creations serving as a mirror of our own
foreboding.
Lima goes on to describe some of Poe’s personal
fears in relation to death and mental instability, and how these relate to his
works. According to her, artists and writers must truly feel pain, sadness, and
fear in order to give birth to their creations. Lima states that “every form of
knowledge and every form of creation has a dark side that must be confronted if
artists want to preserve the authenticity of their works”. She continues by
adding “Poe was one of these creators who had to take the negative side of
creativity” (23). Lima claims that Poe’s works not only reflect the human
psyche, but were actually influenced by Poe’s own psyche. When taking into
consideration all of the psychological elements of Poe’s poems and prose, it
only makes sense that the mind that created such macabre tales has experienced
some type of sorrow as well. Lima summarizes her thoughts by stating
“Considering existence as a dark paradox, Poe could only create an art that
reflects the creative cosmic forces that seem to obey a cataclysm” (23). I
suppose it does not entirely matter whether Poe’s tales were inspired by his own
suffering, or that maybe he was just a talented guy. What really matters is that
his works are still very much relevant today and continue to reflect our
omnipresent human fears.
Entry #6 - Website Critical Reading:
Furthermore, I have to admit I struggled
finding credible websites dedicated strictly to the gothic style. There were
plenty of blogs, social media pages, and less credible sources on the internet,
but I did not want to include those in my journal entry (although I did look
through them in hopes of discovering more about the gothic). In the end, I
stumbled across a website called “whatisgoth.com” and began to look through the
different sections dedicated to literature, fashion, film, music, and more. This
part of my research was especially fun! I consider myself an avid film
enthusiast, and some of my favorite movies and actors were included on the
website. The website claims that gothic film “draws from the gothic tradition in
literature” and that it often reflects “dark and sometimes supernatural elements
like the gothic novels of the 18th and 19th centuries such as Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein (1818) and Bram Stoker’s
Dracula (1897)” (whatisgoth.com).
Some of the movies listed are Francis Ford Coppola’s
Dracula
(1993), Tim Burton’s Edward
Scissorhands (1990), and Barry Sonnenfeld’s
Addams Family Values (1993).
Interestingly enough, there seemed to be a gothic film trend in the 1990’s.
In addition to film, the website also included an
extensive list of gothic literature. Some of the works listed on the website we
discussed in class, such as Washington Irving’s
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820),
and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the
House of Usher (1840). Others, such as Victor Hugo’s
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Gaston Leroux’s
The Phantom of the Opera (1911) we
did not read in this course because they do not pertain to the American
Renaissance period (they are not American at all). Interestingly enough, the
website not only recommends works of gothic fiction literature, it also includes
detailed lists of modern gothic fiction, modern gothic nonfiction, comic books
and graphic novels, and magazines. I had no idea there was so much gothic
material out there! Thanks to all of the research I have conducted for this
assignment, I have now compiled a list of films and readings I intend to check
out pretty soon.
Entry #7 - Conclusion:
First and foremost, I want to express my
gratitude to Dr. White for encouraging me to write a research journal instead of
a regular paper. This writing format proved to be incredibly enjoyable.
Conducting research and compiling together entries one at a time was a much more
interactive experience than what I am used to. Also, having the ability to
select my research topic also aided in my learning. Because I was interested in
the gothic style and psychology, I looked forward to writing my journal entries!
All in all, this course and my personal research has shed light on the different
elements present in gothic literature and how these relate to the human psyche.
We all share fears and insecurities that haunt our unconscious minds. Whether
these be about death, darkness, or simply the perils of the world, humanity
knows all too well the terrors that lie within. This is why psychology and
gothic literature go hand in hand. There could not be one without the other. It
is through readings Poe’s and Hawthorne’s tales that we may uncover areas of our
own unconscious minds that perhaps we did not know existed. Likewise, the
connections we feel towards works of literature such as “The Raven” and
The Scarlet Letter are proof that,
despite living in a new era, we still feel the same fears.
Works Cited
Batcho, Krystine I. “Nostalgia: A Mental Time
Machine.” Psychology Today, Sussex
Publishers,
6 May 2014.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/longing-nostalgia/201405/nostalgia-mental-time-machine
Lima, Maria A. “Poe and Gothic Creativity.”
The Edgar Allan Poe Review, Vol. 11,
No. 1,
Spring 2010, pp. 22-30.
https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.uhcl.edu/stable/pdf/41506386.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aa3aa09feb5aa1b25e81c6c187fff4d67
Rodabaugh, Wendy L. “Teaching Gothic Literature in the
Junior High Classroom.”
The English
Journal,
Vol. 85, No. 3, Mar. 1996, pp. 68–73.
https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.uhcl.edu/stable/pdf/820110.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A7ca1f45cb9325b4744417a2f2182fa9a
“The Gothic.” Dr. White’s Coursesite.
http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/terms/G/gothic.htm
“What is Goth?” Website.
http://www.whatisgoth.com/index.html
"Great Star" flag of pre-Civil War USA