The Mysteries of Udolpho is a Gothic novel that engages with several theoretical ideas which were fashionable in the 18th century. The concept of the 'sublime' and the 'cult of sensibility' were two popular schools of theory in philosophy and literature, and Radcliffe's characteristic Gothic employment of them conferred upon her narrative a mode of writing which would inspire many imitators. Udolpho was her fourth novel, of which she received £500 for the manuscript, an unprecedented sum at the time of its publication in 1794.
Gothic Conventions
Although Udolpho wasn't the first Gothic novel, it was one of the most influential, inspiring such literary luminaries as Sir Walter Scott and John Keats. The story utilizes a number of Gothic tropes familiar to readers of Horace Walpole's seminal Gothic narrative The Castle of Otranto (1764). These included the setting of an ancient castle in a remote medieval past; an imperiled young woman; and a tyrannical older man. However Radcliffe expanded on these simplistic devices through her introduction of a pronounced psychological dimension, as well as her richly descriptive prose style.
Some literary scholars have identified what they consider to be a masculine and feminine Gothic mode of narrative. At its most basic, a novel that could be viewed as masculine Gothic would typically portray a transgressive male protagonist attempting to infiltrate an interior space, whereas a feminine Gothic text would involve a young woman, most likely the heroine, and her attempts to escape from an interior space.
Although the concept of gendering Gothic narratives remains a contentious one among academics, if it were applied to Udolpho, Radcliffe's novel would arguably emerge as a prime example of feminine Gothic. Emily, the young and virtuous heroine, is effectually incarcerated within the 'massy stone walls' of Castle Udolpho, a vast and crumbling edifice situated high up in the Apennine mountains. Much of the narrative is given over to relating Emily's experiences as she tries to evade various dangers, including the scheming and cruel Signor Montoni, the advances of the disagreeable Count Morano, and a myriad of supernatural manifestations which appear to beset her on a regular basis. In keeping with the dictates of Enlightenment ideology however, a rational explanation lies behind all the ghostly occurrences in the text.
The Sublime and the Picturesque
The sublime refers to the overwhelming sensation an observer may experience when confronted by powerful natural phenomena, such as vast mountain ranges, immense forests and stormy oceans. The concept originally emerged from the writings of Longinus, a Greek teacher of rhetoric in the 1st century, although it was considerably elaborated upon by Edmund Burke in his treatise A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757). These ideas influenced numerous writers, including Radcliffe, although her descriptions of wild and rugged landscapes also recall some of the dark and brooding paintings of the 17th century Italian artist Salvator Rosa.
Udolpho draws upon the sublime at a number of points, although it is perhaps most significantly utilized during the passages detailing Emily's journey to the eponymous castle. The concept is directly invoked as the heroine and her party pass "immense pine-forests" and "tremendous precipices" (p.224). The impression given is that Emily's sensitive disposition is overcome by "the amphitheatre of mountains" (p.225). The castle itself is also delineated in the same mode, being described as "a gloomy and sublime object" (p.227); its massive features every bit as awe-inspiring as the colossal grandeur of its surroundings.
The desolate and foreboding Castle Udolpho presents a stark contrast to the picturesque environs of La Vallee, Emily's chateau in Gascony. The heroine's home is a rural idyll, the view from her room's windows overlooking "groves of almond, palm-trees, flowering-ash, and myrtle" (p.3). In her descriptions of such picturesque scenes, Radcliffe was influenced by the paintings of the 17th century French artist Claude Lorrain.
The Cult of Sensibility
Sensibility refers to an individual's capacity to feel and the emotional depth with which they respond to their environment. It emerged in early 18th century philosophy, partially as a reaction to the rationalism of the Augustan age, although it was subsequently adopted by literature, featuring most notably in the works of Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne and Henry Mackenzie. Sensibility plays a significant role in Udolpho, performing an important function in how Radcliffe characterizes the people of her novel.
Emily and her lover Valancourt are portrayed as characters of refined sensibilities. As is Emily's father, St. Aubert, who is depicted as having a deep appreciation of the natural world. Characters such as Madame Cheron, Emily's selfish and greedy aunt, as well as Montoni, are shown to possess little in the way of sensibility, being described as dull and insensitive to their surroundings. St. Aubert's brother-in-law, the arrogant and ostentatious M. Quesnel, is also shown to be lacking sensibility, evident in his destructive plans for La Vallee.
Heroines of heightened sensibilities are often characterized by frequent fits of weeping, fainting, and prolonged bouts of melancholia. With her overactive imagination Emily is portrayed as being no exception to these traits. A central theme of her character development is her acquiring the ability to rein in these qualities. Radcliffe highlights the incompatibility of an overly sensitive disposition with the skills required to perform effectively in the social world. St. Aubert's deathbed scene, where he warns his daughter of the dangers of excessive sensibility, is a significant moment in the novel. His advice to "not indulge in the pride of fine feeling, the romantic error of amiable minds" (p.79), reflect Radcliffe's concerns on overly susceptible young women.
Through its inventive elaboration of familiar motifs, and innovative engagement with some of the major philosophical and artistic movements of its day, Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho is a landmark in the canon of Gothic fiction.
Source:
Radcliffe, Ann. ([1794] 1998) The Mysteries of Udolpho, ed. Bonamy Dobree, Oxford University Press.
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