[Representation of Queer Identities in the 18th Century Gothic Novel]

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful of my family, my supervisor, and friends for their guidance and support without which this project would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I declare that this paper represent my original unaided work and contain the text that has been researched based on the academic examination. It represents my own opinions and not that of the University.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this thesis is to understand the queer gothic in the novels of 18th century. The paper extends towards the concept of sexuality and repressed desires and how they impacted the social needs. The aim of this paper is to understand if the eighteenth century really encouraged homosexuality through establishing a repressed society and how the repression can become an obsession. Such analysis is compared with the description if the queer identities in the gothic novels and how sex has been homosexuality has been portrayed in the novels of 18th century. It is found that the queer identities became an important topic of discussion among the literary society as it was one of the most controversial issues of the 18th century. The emphasis is given on the theoretical account to understand this phenomenon and many authors from Freud to Foucault have been discussed with respect to sexuality and social behaviour. On the other hand, the role of religion is also important to understand as it forms a significant aspect of society.

Many theorists like Freud and Jung came up with the background of sexual behaviour and categorized them as the result of unmet sexual needs. Victorian formulations of commodities and femininities, it is apparent why all of this should have been so electric in its provocations. The commitment of Queer's theory to the deconstruction of society turns out impossible to speak of a lesbian or gay since all the special aspects are denaturalized and reduce to discourse. Therefore, the aim of the dissertation was to determine if the queer theory can form a framework for analysing the subjectiveness including those that occur but class and race but rather must emphasise the analytic focus to the discourse, sociology and queer theory are regarded as methodological frameworks that are important aspects of this paper.

Table of Contents

DECLARATION2

ABSTRACT3

Meaning of Queer and Queer Gothic5

Uncanny Recognition and Queer Theory6

Michael Foucault's 'History of Sexuality' and Freud's Essay 'The Uncanny'7

Applying Queer and Psychoanalytical Theory to Work12

Sexuality of Authors14

Critical Opinion on 18th Century Queer Gothic15

Discussion of Selective Texts17

Historical and Social Background of 18th Century18

French Revolution18

Reactions against Feudalism and Hierarchy in Society19

A Short Account of 18th Century Gender and Sexuality20

CHAPTER 1: REPRESSED DESIRES23

Concept of Repressed Desires in Light of Theories and Writings23

Textual Analysis23

The Castle of Ontario23

The Monk by Lewis (1796)26

Vathek by Beckford30

Repression of Desires and Sexual Aggression33

Sexual Transgression35

CHAPTER TWO - SEXUAL TERROR AND THE POWER36

Representation of Sexuality as a Form of Control within the Novels36

Sexual Violence37

Sexually Repressed Societies and the fear of Homosexuality38

Internalisation of Sexual Fears39

Fear of Sexual Liberation40

Femininity and Masculinity- The Inversion of Gender Roles41

Revolution of Sexual Ideas44

Fascination with the ...