Cultural Diary 2

PoublangMarie 1G08

CulturalDiary

Imaginary

To what extent do monsters mirror society, a specific period of time or ourselves ?

What are monsters made of ?

The interpretations of this painting are multiple, but it mentions certain topics such as love and sex. Indeed, Fuseli shows his lost love with a young woman. He then represents himself in the form of a monster (the incubus) who has a strong sexual instinct, and who shows his superiority over the woman, asleep and unconscious. The artist shows the bad sides of his personality and that's what I like about this document since he doesn't try to enhance himself. I also enjoy the style of this painting which comes from romanticism as well as the very pale colors, the chiaroscuro.

1. The Painting "The Nightmare" by Fuseli (1781)

The documents I really liked

Then, I really liked the fact that this series is mentioned in this sequence. Indeed, I had watched the series when it was released and I really liked the gloomy and horrifying atmosphere. The sets are very realistic, especially those of the dark haunted house which is the main disturbing element of the series. It's the source of all the trauma in the family. The plot was really good and gave me goosebumps. This series therefore has its place in this sequence since it has many Gothic elements such as spirits, ghosts and demons.

2. The Haunting of Hill House

Moreover, I really liked this document because first of all I really appreciate Michael Jackson's music. Thriller is one of my favorite songs, with its gloomy video and Michael Jackson's iconic dance. I find that the staging using horrific codes of the time makes this clip a little funny. Also, we can observe Michael Jackson in the look of a werewolf, surrounded by zombies, which corresponds perfectly to the sequence studied since these are elements of Gothic.

3. Thriller (Music Video) by Michael Jackson

Also, I really enjoyed discovering this novel as well as the trailer for the movie. I find it interesting to see the different adaptations of a story. Through the excerpt that we studied, we were able to discover another type of monster, which is ready for anything not to get older and I find that we can easily identify with the main character since we are all mortal. The topics covered in this book sound deep and interesting, while remaining in a gothic atmosphere like the theme of the sequence.

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde (1890)

What I liked about this document is the way mental illness is described. Poe wanted to showcase the paranoia, anxiety, and insanity in this short story while adding a spooky plot with gory details. Generally, I like this style of story where murders and madness are tied and especially when it happens in dark places. Also, I really liked the way the narrator tries to convince himself that he's not crazy and I find it kind of funny because all the evidence shows that he is.

5. The Tell-Tale Heart

Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy studying this extract from the famous novel, because I find this type of vampire stories dull. I didn't find a certain message through this text, and even if we find the elements of the Gothic like the castle or the vampire, there are no deep subjects. Moreover, the way the story is told, in the form of a diary, bores me. It's not at all the type of novel that I would read personally.

1. Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker

The documents I didn't particularly like

Finally, I didn't like this other short story by Poe, which I found quite long. The story dragged on and the description was too detailed: the narrator lingered on useless elements. Although we find the set of a Gothic atmosphere, the way in which the character of Roderick was mentally ill does not necessarily touch me. I also had a little trouble with the way Poe wrote his story, which is old with unusual vocabulary words.

2.The Fall of the House of Usher

First, I think this film has its place in this sequence. It is the story of a young girl, Nina who is very talented in classical dance, and who one day learns that she has the main role of the white swan and also the black swan in the ballet "Swan Lake". She then begins to become very anxious, see crazy because she seeks to achieve perfection for this role, especially the black swan and ends up running to her loss. We then see the evolution of this character, who sinks into total madness and who even comes to see monsters and shadows that are not real. I really enjoyed this film which is breathtaking until the end, because we really see the protagonist's descent into hell. The topics covered, such as the obsession with trying to be perfect and the mental illness it brings, are very interesting and are set in a dark and chilling atmosphere.

1. Black Swan (2011) by Darren Aronofsky

Personal documents

Secondly, I will add this show in this sequence which has a lot of gothic elements. We follow the story of a young high school girl, Elena, who lost her parents in a tragic accident, and who meets a mysterious boy, Stefan, from her high school and his "evil" older brother too, Damon. One day she will find out that they are actually vampires and it will change the course of her life. What I enjoyed about this series is the love triangle between the 3 protagonists as well as the gloomy atmosphere that we find throughout the whole series. In addition to vampires, this adds witches, werewolves and spirits. The sets are realistic and the plot makes you never get tired of the series, since in fact there are many mysteries and secrets hidden between each character.

2. TV Series "The Vampires Diaries"

In addition, this sequence made me discover Gothic English literature, whether with the stories of Edgar Allan Poe or Dracula. It is interesting to discover older vocabulary and figures of speech.

To conclude, I can say that this sequence gave me a lot of knowledge about the Gothic style and the theme of monsters. Indeed, I have noticed that the "monsters" found in the documents studied aren't necessarily evil, because in fact they are the reflection of current society. Mental illness and insanity are represented in multiple ways, as each person suffers in a different way. They are therefore perceived as monsters and diabolical beings for others, when in reality they are just beings in distress. So I really liked this sequence.

Conclusion