'One wiser, better, dearer than ourselves': Gothic friendship (Ireland, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker)

The protagonists in gothic fiction between the second half of the eighteenth century and the end of the nineteenth century are often figures who have set themselves apart from other people, but they frequently have friends with whom they maintain strong bonds in the midst of overwhelmingly difficult circumstances. Friendship is prevalent in well-known gothic narratives ranging from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through Bram Stoker's Dracula as well as in lesser known and shorter works that I examine from five main national literatures (England, Germany, France, Spain, and the United States).; Uncertainty is an essential characteristic of fantastic literature and the two major areas of uncertainty identified by Tzvetan Todorov also have an important impact on its friendships. The first is the unclear perception of supernatural events. The mere effort to assess unexplainable phenomena draws people together and since some form of transgression usually brings about the paranormal elements, any subsequent complicity tightens the union between friends. The second major area of uncertainty is the confusion over the boundaries of the self, demonic presences can be an ambiguous intermingling of the self and the other. Friends can alleviate confusion over identity because they provide a relevant, comforting otherness to the protagonists through both a highly personalized sympathy and protection unique among relationships.; The energy of the gothic is sustained by power struggles that are more extreme than in the ordinary world, therefore inequalities in social standing are of lesser concern as friends join together against outside forces. Though amity has an intensely private dimension, friends in gothic literature function as public emissaries in contrast with the break from society associated with romantic passion and the often devilish forms of sexuality. Friends, whether of the same gender or not, often become rivals of lovers.; The transmission of narrative is an important in the positive sense that storytelling exchanges enhance identity and can bring individuals together. But the malevolent forces mentioned may be spread to other characters. Friendships are severed by death in most gothic texts. Yet, friendship points past death; the survivors are haunted by or cherish the memories of lost friends.