Jacobs 1 Angela F.

Jacobs Instructors Name ENG 112 24 May 2012

The Shifting Gothic Psyche: The Depiction of Individual Conscience versus Received Authority in Ann Radcliffes The Italian

In the middle of the eighteenth century, readers were given a new literary genre that would revolutionize the world of fiction: the Gothic novel. Although gothic novels were purely fiction and meant to entertain and thrill readers, they also served as one of the chief vehicles for political, philosophical, and aesthetic inquiry (Lynch 49). According to Angela Keane, due to the tumultuous religious political climate in Britain at the time, that was threatening the Protestant world, the appeal to English Protestant readers of fictions about the triumph of rational faith and natural religion over superstition and dogma must have been evident to Radcliffe (32). One way Ann Radcliffe showed her understanding of this changing climate was through her work. However, rather than simply responding to the changing religious political climate within her novel, The Italian (1797), Radcliffe illustrated, primarily within her characters, the divergent ideologies of received authority and individual conscience, thus highlighting the shifting English psyche during the 1790s. By balancing these ideologies, Radcliffe is using her novel to reflect her own conflicted feelings towards Catholics, a conflict which reflects that of Eighteenth-Century England Protestant/Catholic relations. By analyzing Radcliffes reaction to her changing environment, the reader is able to not only get a glimpse of the psyche of an author, but also have a better understanding of how the novel,

Jacobs 2 in its infancy, begins to morph into a genre that does more than simply entertain its readers. In order to fully understand Radcliffes conflicted feelings towards Catholics, it is important to first understand the world in which she lived. While Britain was experiencing a religious political transition, the various Catholic communities were both subjugated by the Protestant majority and tolerated by the government. The eighteenth century, in particular, saw several changes to the religious political landscape. Unlike the centuries prior, the Catholics in Britain were no longer confronted with a united Protestant front, per se the Church of England, but a splintered Protestant faith that emerged during the mid-seventeenth century. As the eighteenth century emerged, Catholics initially went underground, quietly coexisting in various towns and cities throughout Britain. However, towards the close of the century, unknowingly aided by the splintered Protestant faith, the Catholic Church saw much growth in its power, membership, and wealth. These shifts would have had some type of psychological impact on Radcliffe and, in effect, her work as well. In regard to her own feelings towards Catholicism, Radcliffe explicitly condemns [its] repressive nature (Keane 33), especially as she places her heroine, Ellena, within the dangerous confines of the convent San Stefano. Although critics have argued that The Italian is anti-Catholic, the mere fact that Radcliffe has some of her Catholic characters, namely her protagonists, and even some of its institutions, i.e. Santa della Pieta, exhibiting markedly enlightened and Protestant ideologies shows that she was not entirely anti-Catholic. As Catholics were gaining more rights in England and thus the suspicion around them was lifting, so does Radcliffes attitude towards her Catholic

Jacobs 3 characters morph from the typicalsuperstitiousto the unexpectedrational, giving the reader an insiders look into her evolution as a person. Radcliffe embedded her own tenuous sentiments towards Catholics within her characters. On one hand, Radcliffe provides the reader with the stereotypical illustration of the Catholic character, while, at the same time, providing a completely different, even progressive, characterization. To best illustrate this conflict, Radcliffe instills within her characters the conflict between individual conscience versus received authority, or the difference between doing as one is feeling versus doing as one is instructed. This conflict is played out between the young loversVivaldi and Ellenaand the older generation the Marchesa and Father Schedoni. The plotline of The Italian concerns the plight of two young lovers, Ellena di Rosalba and Vicentio di Vivaldi, as they fight against the influence of the Marchesa and Father Schedoni. What their struggle symbolizes is the struggle for acceptance, similar to the struggles of Englands Catholic minority, a shift that roots the reader into the reality of Radcliffes world. Within the pages of this novel, the reader gets a glimpse of how this struggle plays out in the mind of its Protestant author, Radcliffe. Although the original idea of received authority applied to the state-run prescribed religion preceding the eighteenth century, i.e. the Church of England, it is important to note that the idea of the state-run religion stemmed from the middle ages when Catholicism was the only condoned religion in Britain. Certainly this concept implies authority that is given from a higher power to a lesser being or subject. Another way of looking at received authority is the idea of having to gain permission to act. In the case of

Jacobs 4 the Marchesa and even Father Schedoni, this permission stems from their governance by the Catholic Church, and even each other, though not without conflict. When examining the actions of the Marchesa and Father Schedoni, as they exhibit received authority, it is important to understand that, though both have a duty to uphold the laws of the Church, both ultimately act for their own desires. Upon hearing of her sons impending marriage to a woman of lesser birth, the Marchesa sends for Schedoni. Radcliffe writes that, upon conferring with Schedoni, the Marchesa soon perceived that his talents promised to equal her wishes. Each possessed, in a considerable degree, the power of assisting the other (35). By using words such as his talents and her wishes (35), Radcliffe is beginning to criticize the notion of Catholic duty to the Church. Though the Marchesa and Father Schedoni seem to be going about the same end, there is a reciprocity that exists, under the guise of Church authority, neither of which involved anything church-related. The Marchesa does not make a move without the input of Schedoni, as if she is not authorized to act without Schedonis permission. The same goes for Schedoni; he cannot acquire status and privilege without the Marchesas unwitting permission. Aside from these examples, Radcliffe constantly provides explicit and implicit evidence of her uneasiness towards Catholicism and its negative aspects such as the power struggles between the people and the Church. When the reader is first introduced to the Vivaldis, Radcliffe writes, regarding the Marchesa, The mother of Vivaldi[...]was equally jealous of her importance; but her pride was that of birth and distinction, without extending to morals (7). With words such as jealous and pride coupled with birth and distinction, Radcliffe makes is clear that the Marchesa is more concerned with her station in life than her spirituality What

Jacobs 5 Radcliffe is doing with this description of the Marchesa is presenting the reader with the epitome of the stereotypical Catholic woman of rank. In this regard, Radcliffe is, again, showing her discomfort of how Protestants viewed the power struggles found within the Catholic Church. As a religious woman, the Marchesas pride is supposed to be with her service to God and Church, not her rank. This description serves as a foreshadowing agent for the main plotline of the story by setting up the Marchesa as a dishonorable person. To add to this hypocrisy is her reliance on Father Schedonis advice concerning her sons courtship of Ellena. Since Schedoni is described as being the Marchesas confessor and secret advisor (35), she is conforming to the confines of her societal duties as a good Catholic woman by conferring with her priest before she makes an important decision. As Radcliffe, and other Eighteenth-century English Protestants would have understood, it was the duty of a Catholic to confer with his or her priest in order to be considered a good Catholic. Because Radcliffe describes Schedoni as the Marchesas counselor and secret advisor, she is painting the image of a secretive world, writing that the Marchesa and Schedoni concerted in private (35). By the Marchesa seeking Schedonis aid, Radcliffe shows the reader the hypocrisy of their relationship especially through the word private, as both use the concept of confession and counsels to achieve their own means instead of seeking a stronger spiritual bond that was the true purpose of a parishioner conferring with a priest. Perhaps this was Radcliffes own anxiety towards Catholicism peeking through, as these secret meetings had been used in the past to disrupt the balance of power throughout Englands long history with Catholicism.

Jacobs 6 Radcliffe would have been well aware of the Englands struggling relationship with Papal authority. Radcliffe has the Marchesa and Vivaldi turn this spiritual meaning on its head. To further exemplify the governance by another, although Father Schedoni does what is asked of him, his demeanor is in conflict with his station as a man of the cloth. When Schedoni is first introduced, he is described as stalking about, covered in black fabric (34). Although he is a man of the cloth, it is apparent that there is something unholy about Schedoni in this chilling description. This idea is further exemplified in his relationship with the Marchesa: the one hoped to obtain a high benefice for his services, and the other to secure imaginary dignity for her house (35). Although by this point in the novel the reader is becoming aware of the true nature of the relationship between the Marchesa and Schedoni, with this quote, the reader is confronted by the falsity of their relationship. Radcliffe has these characters playacting so that outsiders are unaware of their true intentions, such as when Vivaldi assaults Schedoni in the church of Spirito Santo in which Schedoni acted silent and unmoved (104) for much of the assault, fixing his eyes on the ground in an effort to hide his true fiery nature. The disguise the Marchesa and Schedoni use is another example of Radcliffes conflicted feelings towards Catholics. She uses this ruse to show how many Protestants felt towards Catholics at that time and the centuries prior, by casting suspicion upon their rituals and practices. Although Radcliffe included the traditional notions of Catholic characters within her novel, she shifts to a more progressive view when it comes to the young lovers, Ellena and Vivaldi. These characters represent individual conscience through their rebellion against the established hierarchy, such as when Vivaldi disagrees with his father

Jacobs 7 and states, there are some few instances in which it is virtuous to disobey (30) or when Ellena challenges the Abbess of San Stefano by demand[ing] by whose will she has been torn from her home (68). The juxtaposition of the words virtuous and disobey, as well the word demanding instead of asking allow these quotes to help define individual conscience as the idea of a person having a mind of his or her own. In the Protestant faithas it evolved during the late seventeenth century and into the eighteenth century it is a person going about their lives outside the authority of a priest, or going to God by him- or herself without a liaison, as was standard in Catholicism. Although both characters are obstinate in living their lives their own way, their methods differ highly. Radcliffe created Vivaldi to appear like the traditional Catholic character, as shown via the Marchesa and Schedoni, marking him as the embodiment of her conflicted feelings. He both adheres to the stereotypical Catholic characterization by being too imaginative (Smith 26)such as when he is confronted with the specter of a monk while on a secret visit to see Ellenawhile also possessing his own will and a sense of rationalitysuch as when he goes in search of Ellena after her kidnapping. While Vivaldi is a kind of go-between of Radcliffes feelings towards Catholicism, Ellena is a complete departure of the typical Catholic characterization. She is the epitome of Protestant rationality, the model of self-control and moderation (Smith 26), which can be seen when Ellena keeps calm as the Abbess of San Stefano insults her pride repeatedly by insisting that Ellena tried to force herself onto the Vivaldi family. The difference between these characters can be seen as a reflection of the break within the Protestant Church itself. As stated in the overview, the Protestant Church splintered into different sects, each with their own way of worshipping. Vivaldi is like the Church of

Jacobs 8 England, with its strong Catholic ties; whereas Ellena is like the new Protestant faith that emerges in the mid-seventeenth century. Vivaldi is very passionate in his obstinacy, which illustrates his character being a sort of go between of received authority and individual conscience: his imaginative nature may make him appear to be a stereotypical Catholic character. However, upon careful analysis, it becomes evident that his assertiveness is him exercising his own will, not falling for the superstitions typically attributed to Catholic characters in other Gothic novels. One such instance is his reaction to the ghost or specter haunting his visits to Ellena. Instead of heeding the monk-like specters warning against visiting Ellena, Vivaldi becomes suspicious and seeks out the origins of the specter, believing the specter to be a rival for Ellenas affections. Vivaldi claims, He has assumed a disguise only the more effectually to impose upon my credulity (19). In other words, Vivaldi perceives that the rival dresses in the form of a monk in order to prey upon Vivaldis navet, as if Vivaldi would not dare question the authority of a higher authority, such as a monk. However, this assertion proves to be wholly incorrect, as demonstrated further in the novel, such as in his confrontation with his father where, in an argument with his father, regarding Ellenas virtue, where he expresses the virtuosity of disobedience in certain instances (30). By having Vivaldi challenge his father rather than blindly obey him, the reader is able to see Radcliffe beginning to resolve her feelings towards Catholics. She is instilling her own sense of self-governance within her male protagonist. On a grander scale, what this scene represents is the shift in Radcliffes treatment towards Catholics and how Radcliffe uses her work as her chief vehicle for doing so.

Jacobs 9 As stated earlier, while Vivaldi is the go-between of Radcliffes conflicted feelings, Ellena is the complete departure. By placing Ellena in terrifying situations and describing her reactions to these situations, Radcliffe is able to further illustrate her own shifting sentiments. In regard to Ellena, she maintains a calm, though determined, exterior throughout the novel as a means of exhibiting individual conscience. When she is swiftly removed by kidnappers to an unknown region following the death of her aunt, she melted into tears; the weakness however was momentary, and during the rest of the journey she preserved a strenuous equality of mind (63). Because Protestantism, especially in the eighteenth century, was concerned with rationality, Radcliffes decision to have Ellena be rational or unemotional is Radcliffes way of reconciling her understanding of Catholics by giving Ellena typically Protestant qualities, such as equality of mind (63) and even the strength to confront authority figures like the Abbess of San Stefano, whom Ellena demands to know, by whose authority she was now detained, as it appeared, a prisoner (68) within the convent. In fact, it is due to her inward strength and quiet obstinacy that she gains power over her circumstances, something Radcliffe have valued or been taught in her own religion. Ellena does not only reserve the exercise of her will towards those who threaten her. She also exhibits her will with those who love and care for her, such as Vivaldi. Though she loves him, her pride will not allow her to be demeaned, even unintentionally. Radcliffe writes that, as Ellena listened to Vivaldis arguments for their union, taking place in hiding after their escape from San Stefano, she listened intently, secretly acknowledge[ing] the justness of his representations, but she shrunk[]from the indelicacy, the degradation of intruding herself into his family (150). While previous

Jacobs 10 characters, Vivaldi included, have reacted on a much larger scalethreatening body language and wordsRadcliffe illustrates Ellenas discomfort by using words such as degradation and indelicacy. What Radcliffe does in this moment is show the reader Ellenas inner workings as she shrinks from Vivaldis words while fully taking them in. With these strong words, Radcliffe does not just tell her reader Ellenas rationality, but shows this to the reader. With her characterization, the reader is confronted with Radcliffes own shifting ideas towards Catholics. Ultimately, what a reader can learn from analyzing the context of any novel is what the writer is trying to show or demonstrate. Because Radcliffe was a Protestant woman living in the tumultuous decade of the 1790s, it is imperative for the reader to understand how her experiences influence her work, as she evolves as a person. By looking into how she crafted her Catholic characters, the reader gets a better understanding of Radcliffes sentiments. Even though critics have called The Italian antiCatholic, a careful reading of the characters shows that this is simply not the case. Certainly, Radcliffe demonstrates some anti-Catholic sentiments; however, she balances this out by showing more progressive Catholic characterizations. The relationship Radcliffe has with her characters can be summed up as the future relationship Protestant England has with its Catholic population: constantly evolving. By opening up the interpretation of The Italian to a more historical understanding, a contemporary reader can begin to have a more open mind to the Gothic genre, especially the works during its inception and begin to see how the genre of the novel began to change into the function it can now serve its author and reader.

Jacobs 11 Works Cited Keane, Angela. Domesticating the sublime: Ann Radcliffe and Gothic dissent. Women Writers and the English Nation in the 1790s : Romantic Belongings. 44 Vol. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. 18-47. Print. Lynch, Deidre Shauna. Gothic Fiction. The Cambridge Companion to Fiction in the Romantic Period. Ed. Richard Maxwell and Katie Trumpener. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 47-63. Print.

Radcliffe, Ann Ward, and Frederick Garber. The Italian.Or, the Confessional of the Black Penitents: A Romance. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1981; 1968. Print. Smith, Andrew. Radcliffe and Lewis. Gothic Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh

University Press, 2007. 25-33. Print.

References Corfield, Penelope. Georgian England: One state, many faiths. History Today. 45.4 (1995). 14-21. EBSCOHost. 3 November 2009. Miles, Robert. Radcliffe's politics: The Italian. Ann Radcliffe: The Great Enchantress. New York : Manchester University Press, 1995. 149-173. Print.

Jacobs 12 Montrose, Louis. New Historicisms. Redrawing the Boundaries: the transformation of English and American literary studies. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1992. 392-418. Print. Mullett, Michael A. Catholics in England and Wales, c. 1745-1829. Catholics in Britain and Ireland, 1558-1829. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998. 138-162. Print.