Content Blog: Explain how Kafka contributes to your understanding of Gothic

When thinking of Gothicism, one thinks of Kafka. In his writings, Kafka would turn the emotional and sublime gothic ideals into more personal, modern interpretations. Look at, for example, "The Castle". A story which is, on the surface, a repetitive tale of a man who can't find his way. Yet, when you dig deeper, it's full of gothic ideologies. A story about a man being questioned by the empire and forced into subservience, unable to find his way or his purpose regardless of how he tries, eventually dying as a representation of how useless his efforts had been and that one can never reach their desired destination in life. Kafka bridged the gap between modern novels and gothic writings, and authors follow his example to this day.

Content Blog- Describe the Ossuary of

We all heard of the bone church before we went to Prague, but it was nothing that could be described with words. One can't even fathom the thought of 40,000 bones, and when seeing a cathedral made of them, you can't help but being in an emotional disbelief. Being surrounded by the remains of so many deceased and inside a place of religion creates a powerful contrasts; religion and death are both powerful parts of life which are seemingly necessary. The fact that someone was able to pull 40,000 unclaimed bones from a mass grave and attribute it to a holy building of worship seems unreal.

Content Blog: Describe Konopiste as a classic Gothic location.

Konopiste was one of my personal favourites out of the locations we visited. It was the home of Archduke Ferdinand, who was largely influential. He was eventually assassinated, largely becoming the cause of WWI. When looking at his hunting habits, we see typical Gothicism. Men weren't allowed emotions aside from lust and anger. With the archduke, he clearly enjoyed hunting. To the opinion of most, he enjoyed it a little too much. This is how he spent his time and it's what he enjoyed doing-- killing. All of the dead animals represent an eerie Gothicism in the death and sublime. Seeing so many animals mounted on the wall was an unreal experience; some classmates cried, others stared in awe. The man had some pent up frustrations, and may have lived a happier life in today's society.

Content Blog: Describe Sissi

How is Sissi a gothic heroine? A better question to ask would involve how she ISN'T a heroine. Everything about Sissi screams gothic heroine. She was forced into a marriage she didn't ask for, stressed over her sister whose marriage she felt she ruined, lived a life of confinement and empirical oppression, had various mental diseases due to her unhappiness and became a depressed recluse during the end of her life due to her son's suicide. When looking at your typical Gothic heroine, we find an oppressed women who is shamed for her feelings, miserable and often ends up dead. As we see with Sissi, she ends up being assassinated in a chance meeting with a rebel. A "fitting" end to the very definition of a gothic heroine.

Content Blog: Compare and Contrast Palaces

Schonbrunn, Hofburg and Kew are all palaces of extreme historical importance, yet they all have their stark differences. Schonbrunn and Hofburg are both palaces belonging to the Austrian empire, serving as seasonal abodes. During the colder months, the royal family would live at the Hofburg, where the emperor would conduct his most important political affairs. During the Summer months, Schonbrunn would be occupied. Despite being a summer home, Schonbrunn would still serve to be a political domain; it was actually much less comforting for the empress. Schonbrunn shared only two similarities with Kew; they were both summer homes, and they were both accompanied by unhappiness. Kew was an ideal summer home. It was modest, homey, secluded and beautiful. The kids would play in the gardens, the king and queen would conduct no political business and there was happiness. The issue, though, was that they would usually go there for one soul reason; the king was having mental and physical difficulties. So, while the home may have been happy and secluded, it was thought of in an ill way due to being used only during family difficulties. This is similar to Schonbrunn. While it wasn't used for any specifically negative reason, Sissi was miserable while at the palace. She hated both palaces, but she had much less privacy and significantly less rooms at Schonbrunn. Both summer homes plagued by sadness and unrest, with the Hofburg being solely political business; it's like you can't win when in the royal family.

Content Blog: Compare and Contrast St. Vitus, St. Stephan's and St. George

Throughout our travels, we've seen many cathedrals, basilicas and places of worship. Three of the most memorable have been St. Vitus, St. Stephan's and St. George.
The most standout of the three would be St. George's Basilica. While St. Stephan's and St. Vitus were large and commanding cathedrals, St. George's basilica was a much more modest approach to Catholic worship. In place of flying buttresses, high ceilings and grandeur statues, the basilica was done in rounded arches and modest painting with a small crypt and singular altar.
Comparing this to St. Stephan's and St. George, you would never think they were designed for the same form of worship. Being the tallest cathedral we've seen, St. Stephan's was a hulking structure, massive in both interior and exterior. It was clearly a showing of power, just as St. Vitus cathedral was. While not so massive in size, St. Vitus shares many properties with St. Stephan's. Employing the technique of the flying buttress, large number of statues and multiple altars sold to various families. The pointed towers and architecture show adherence to the gothic ideals, while the basilica had rounded arches and plain designs showing it's classicism and ties to the Romans. While the basilica may have a more modest nature, St. Stephan's and St. Vitus show us just how beautiful and surreal Gothic architecture can be.

Content Blog: Freud's Gothic Contribution

Freud holds a special place in understanding the Gothic ideals. As the founder of psychoanalysis, Freud's entire purpose was to delve deeper into the human psyche and solve issues on the mental and emotional level, particularly those in the subconscious mind. Take into consideration that the vast majority of those seeing Freud were women with emotional trauma due to the oppression by the structure of the empire, psychoanalysis was clearly a way to help treat those whose only way of emotionally decompressing was in the form of reading romance novels. Freud may not have created the Gothic, but his medical and mental analysis opened up an entirely new way to look at the classical Gothic plague of emotion. No longer were women crazy for feeling emotion; they just needed to be talked to and allowed to vent. The Gothic mindset through Freud became less of a stigma and more of a natural occurrence.

Experiential Blog Post 6-- Recognizing Culture

Things in London are certainly different than they are in the U.S. in terms of communication. People tend to be quieter in London; if I've learned anything on this trip, it's that we in the U.S. are LOUD. There is a very small personal bubble here in the U.K. as well. In the states, we tend to stand quite a ways from each other, and grow uncomfortable otherwise. In the U.K., though, they tend to touch each other during conversation. Whether it be a pat on the shoulder, touching of the hand or otherwise, they are much more comfortable with physical contact than we tend to be. There is an air of politeness here in the U.K. as well. Not to say that we aren't polite in the states, but it's almost a general rule here to be nice to one another. People tend to wait behind you for you to move; you won't hear an excuse me. You'll hear a thank you, or "cheers", for the smallest of things, including buying a drink or thanking someone. Overall, I think it is important to be open and compromising when living in a different culture. We should embrace what we aren't accustomed to, and incorporate it into our daily lives. We should be more polite, less obnoxious and more friendly when communicating, as I find it to be much more pleasant.

Experiential blog Post 5-- Emotional Abroad

My emotions varied throughout the trip, and in different ways than I expected. Throughout my travels, I ranged from being excited and energetic to irritated and tired. I found myself talking through my emotions with (a) close peer(s) as a way of expressing what I was feeling and coping with the difficulties of traveling abroad. There were times where I would go on my own to cope with how I was feeling, but this was far-less frequent. The majority of us employed similar techniques in expressing our emotions, talking through them with each other or taking space to decompress. My feelings seemed quite similar to those around me. While excited and happy to be travelling, we all seemed to experience some degree of negative emotion, and generally around the same time. Coming back to Harlaxton, for example: by the time Harlaxton was a day or two out, we were all quite ready to return and relax. Everybody here has their own unique way of dealing with their emotions. I tend to talk them through, but there are times where I utilize more introverted techniques, such as taking a walk or reading a book alone. Peers of mine often employed similar techniques, yet there were the few outliers; some of my classmates would consume alcohol to reduce their stress, some would smoke cigarettes, and other stress reducing techniques. I found that I felt differently than I expected to. I assumed it would be easy to cope with, and I could face any adversity with a smile on my face; I think we all thought the same coming in. But there were times when I would get upset or irritated, and I had to deal with these accordingly. One major realization for me was that I certainly do belong in a culture. I thought before this that I was a sort of wandering soul; I belonged nowhere and could easily adapt wherever I went. After this trip, though, I know just how deep-seated my cultural standings are.

Experiential Blog Post 4-- Prague

If you were looking to find a city vastly different from Vienna, you couldn't find much better than Prague. When comparing the energy of the populace, the behaviour of the locals and the hours of business, the two cities are polar opposites. The main similarity I found was the architecture. The buildings were still grandeur, with purpose of showing the power of the empire. Yet, Prague had one key difference in this aspect; the age of the city varied depending on location. Where Vienna was a much more imperial and seemingly modern city, you could find architecture differing by hundreds of years by the mere crossing of a bridge. You had Old town and New town, which were both very old and majorly undamaged since their creation. This reflected the difference in people in a way; the people of Prague were much more varied, just like the architecture. Higher energy, more fun, later business hours, more friendly and seemingly more diverse, Prague is almost an energetic reflection of the city that is Vienna.

Experiential Blog Post 3-- Vienna

Vienna was my personal favorite among the cities we've seen, and being there was unlike anything I've experienced prior. The architecture in Vienna project a sense of power and influence; I expected nothing different from the imperial city. The buildings tall and looming, it projected a sense of unimportance on the individual; the empire is above you, and far more powerful. Despite the age and size, the buildings all seemed to be taken care of and repaired. It reflects how the people of Vienna tend to reflect themselves: refined, strong, stern and unbreakable. The city of Vienna is one that seems very short. You come, you do your business and you disturb nobody. While intimidating, I found the city to be admirable in its ways. I could certainly see myself living there.

Uncanny

I myself agree with the essential connection between the uncanny and the Gothic. Gothic works are made to make you question your reality and view the connection between the Gothic ideals and typical societal standards; this is anything but canny. There must be mystery and strangeness in these stories, lest the bore the readers. In a way, I'd argue, the uncanny has almost become the norm. The popular Gothic works would be almost a shell of their current form without the uncanny, and I'd say I completely agree with Freud and the necessary connection between uncannyness and the Gothic,

21st Century Gothic

"A Madness" is one of my favorite stories thus far, and likely due to the 21st century Gothic twist. We see a decaying London in place of a dark castle, which is a refreshing twist on the typical Gothic setting. Instead of a singular, medieval location, we are shown a take on a modern city with a desolate feeling. 

At the same time, we see a more relatable way of life than in previous Gothic literature. We see cars, electricity in the lights and the modern streets of London. While over-the-top at times, I feel the story was extremely well written and serves to bridge the gap between Gothic works and the present. 

Gothic Graphics

The image above shows and explains the similarities and differences between a few of the more popular gothic works in the last few centuries, starting with the 18th. I've also included my predictions on how future gothic literature will be written.

Kafka's Modernization

Kafka has a more subtle version of modernization to me. Old gothic stories and tales involve the more eccentric fantasies of life, or the resistance of woman to the empirical system. But in "The Castle", we simply see a man on his way to a castle. He has to overcome such adversities as being questioned by the castellan's son, being unable to find his way to the castle, becoming exhausted and staying at a man's house. This story is all one large, gothic metaphor hinting at the resistance to empire and gothic tragedies in a less dramatic, more subtle way. We see his resistance in laying down at the castellan's son, emotion and confusion in losing his way to the castle, and giving in when exhaustion overtook him in the snow and took shelter in a nearby home.

Experiential Blog Post 1

My goals in Europe are more complex than they may seem. I hope to learn about the varying cultures in the areas we visit and incorporate their styles of life into my own. This will involve paying close attention to the finer details of what I see, and picking out what I do and don't enjoy.

I also hope to connect everything I see with the gothic ideals. This is slightly easier, as I just have to pay attention to the course materials and keeping an eye on the architecture and gothic properties.

Sisi; Goth or not?

When reading through Lonely Empress, it is interesting to look at the gothic side of Sisi's life. She was surrounded by death throughout her life, leading to her mental degradation and introverted life style. She was essentially imprisoned within her own titles; being queen meant she was surrounded by the cage of the empire and forced into a more structured way of life than she would have hoped for. Her behaviour was forced throughout her life; when she was younger, she was forced to train to become someone she wasn't, which lead to her unhappiness, and when older was forced into living like an empress and embracing the controlling lifestyle of the empire; a life which would lead to her depression. Due to these aspects of Sisi's life, she ended mentally unstable and incapable of normal relations; a truly gothic heroin, Sisi's life ended in the direction that so many who resist the empire take-- insanity or death.  

Experiential Post 2

How has Harlaxton and diversity been so far?

I've had quite a good experience thus far luckily. I find that the British locals are extremely friendly and willing to converse with American tourists. Going to Gregory's and Grantham, I've learned quite a bit about the culture and things to do and say. Say Britain and British, not England and English. Say chap and mate, not bro or dude. Driving on the left side of the road and the quietness of the general populace has been different, but I do enjoy the differences. All in all, it's been a great trip thus far, and I'm looking forward to the rest.
I've begun to see how I react to varying cultural differences. I tend to subconsciously pick up cultural traits and incorporate them into my daily life by just being involved.

How did Barbara exemplify traditional Gothic themes

How did Barbara exemplify traditional Gothic themes?


Gothic and its core mean far more than I first expected. Resistance, emotion, love affairs, "rebel" woman archetypes and the expected creepy darkness; we get all of this in Barbara and more. We see a forbidden love between Barbara and Edmond, with the lusty lord upland towers following closely, exemplifying the resistance and raw emotion of gothic ideas. As we see Edmond get into his accident, we see more emotion, vanity in particular. Barbara can't even face her husband due to his burns, and he leaves her abandoned and guilty. When Edmond dies a few years later, we see the maiden in distress being rescued by the heroic man, Upland towers. Edmond resembles the empirical, controlled force in the story; he is the rich man with the stable life. When Barbara is caught going to see a statue of her old lover, Upland towers follows her and sees her hugging the statue. He then hires a sculptor to dismember its face, forcing Barbara into an epileptic seizure and becoming a loving wife afterwards. This shows that resistance and emotion are punished, and you should marry for duty instead of love. Everything we see in this story embodies the gothic mentality, and it's an awe-inspiring look into the world of goth.

What is the Gothic?

How does one define Gothic? When hearing the word Gothic, I tend to think of darkness, decay and empty buildings. It turns out I'm not far off. Gothic is a word with expansive meaning. Darkness, decay, over-dramatizations and the utterly sublime are all covered by Gothic. Not to mention the culture of resistance, forbidden passion and architecture involved. I can say I'm more excited than I thought I would be for the course thus far, and I'm sure I'll learn  much more on the true meaning of Gothic.

The question of the day is this; what type of clothing or behaviors might make us stand out while abroad? It's a good question, and one that I think we've all pondered. Clothing will be a giveaway for some. We're packing light, so some of us may just be wearing athletic shorts and trainers daily, which will give the impression that we're tourists. Another surefire way to appear as a tourist, specifically American, would be to wear politically slanted clothing. I'd say it wouldn't be a good idea to be wearing around your favorite Bern shirts or Trump pins whilst in Europe.

Behavior is also going to play a large part in us being recognized or not. We're going to be exploring every little crevice and appear lost all the same; it's a dead giveaway that we're from another country. Couple that with the way we speak and our American traditions, and people will know. This isn't a bad thing though. With being a tourist comes a unique experience. Natives will recognize our unfamiliarity, sure, but that opens up the door to conversations and opportunities that we otherwise wouldn't have had. Embrace being a tourist and have fun!