A Study Of The Mysteries Of Udolpho

The Mysteries of Udolpho, one of the best Gothic novels in the eighteenth century, attracted the world's attention immediately when it was published in 1794. For years, all kinds of criticisms on it have appeared—some praise it highly, while others ruthlessly criticize it. It prevails in the book market and enjoys general popularity but is excluded from the canon. Although more than two centuries have passed, this novel is still not out of readers'sight. It attracts a mass of readers, among whom there are ordinary readers, writers and scholars. What makes it widely popular? Is it worth canonizing? Is the value of this novel merely confined in amusement or entertainment? In addition to its thrillers, what aesthetic experience can it bring to the readers?The Gothic novel has drawn more and more attention and studies on it are increasingly growing since 1920s, especially after the Second World War. However, the researches on the Gothic novel in China lag behind. Relatively speaking, the papers on The Mysteries of Udolpho are few. This thesis tries to find out the reasons for its popularity through analyzing its text. The strategy this thesis adopts is to represent the characteristics and contributions of The Mysteries of Udolpho, by means of which we would get some enlightenment. The thesis is divided into five parts: Introduction makes a brief introduction to Ann Radcliffe and her works. In addition, the purpose of this thesis is demonstrated.Chapter One traces back to the origin of the Gothic novel and illustrates the reasons for its popularity by putting it into the cultural and social background. Both Elizabethan drama and Graveyard poetry influenced this genre. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, the first Industrial Revolution not only caused the rapid rise in industrialization and urban growth but brought about the drastic confrontation between the bourgeoisie and working class. Reacting to the waning optimism advocated by the Enlightenment, the Gothic novel emerged in time.Chapter Two discusses the characteristics of this novel. While inheriting major features of her predecessors, Radcliffe adds some new ingredients to The Mysteries of Udolpho. The main characteristics of her book are: explainable supernatural, poetic descriptions of landscapes, sharp contrasts and embedded tales.Chapter Three further discusses Radcliffe's contributions to literary history. Her works bring Gothic novels to a summit and influence many succeeding writers. In addition, Radcliffe's works are considered to have set up a new branch for Gothic writings and started the tradition of the so-called female Gothic. The thesis will illustrate Radcliffe's contribution to female Gothic by comparing Charlotte Bront?'s Jane Eyre with The Mysteries of Udolpho. Through comparison, traces of Radcliffe's works can be found in Jane Eyre.Conclusion summarizes the whole thesis. In addition to its thrillers, poetic language and complex plots bring a new aesthetic experience to readers. Furthermore, Radcliffe has established the major characteristics of female Gothic, which have been widely accepted by feminist critics. These are why this novel prevails for a long time. From the study of The Mysteries of Udolpho, we can see that this kind of novel wandering on the margin of literature has maintained a long vitality and special charms as well as attracted lots of readers. Therefore, multiple aesthetic tastes need various aesthetic judgments.