The Terrible Vengeance Essay
Aanandita Pujji
RUSS 295 Paper #3
Literature produced during the height of Romanticism was unique compared to the works of other eras for many reasons. The Romantic Movement allowed artists the opportunity to portray real events in history through the use of fantasy and the supernatural. As an extension of the Romantic view, Gothicism often played a significant role in this representation. In Nikolai Gogol’s “The Terrible Vengeance”, the inclusion of Gothic elements can be seen from the bizarre descriptions of the scenery to the mystical nature of the story. However, the most remarkable of these Gothic elements is Gogol’s utilization of time and space. His revolutionary interpretation gave new meaning to the term, “Gothic space” – a haunted area that opens the door to an alternate reality and signifies a loss of balance between two …show more content…
In “The Terrible Vengeance”, the Gothic space that exists behind the Dnieper River begins to expand. After the sorcerer kills Katherine, the people of Kiev witness this expansion: “…suddenly it became possible to see far away to the ends of the earth. Afar could be seen the blue waters of the mouth of the Dnieper, and beyond that the Black Sea was plainly visible.” (Gogol, 53) The vast distance that normally exists between Kiev and the sights that the townspeople see (i.e. the Crimea, the Sivash, the Carpathian mountains) constricts, allowing them to see parts of the world they should not be able to see from where they stand. The people of Kiev then see the cause of this distortion: “…on [the mountain] appeared a horseman in full knightly armour, with his eyes closed. He was plainly visible to all, as though he were only a few yards away.” (Gogol, 53) The sorcerer sees the face of the knight, Ivan – the same face he saw when he attempted to call upon Katherine’s soul – and
RUSS 295 Paper #3
Literature produced during the height of Romanticism was unique compared to the works of other eras for many reasons. The Romantic Movement allowed artists the opportunity to portray real events in history through the use of fantasy and the supernatural. As an extension of the Romantic view, Gothicism often played a significant role in this representation. In Nikolai Gogol’s “The Terrible Vengeance”, the inclusion of Gothic elements can be seen from the bizarre descriptions of the scenery to the mystical nature of the story. However, the most remarkable of these Gothic elements is Gogol’s utilization of time and space. His revolutionary interpretation gave new meaning to the term, “Gothic space” – a haunted area that opens the door to an alternate reality and signifies a loss of balance between two …show more content…
In “The Terrible Vengeance”, the Gothic space that exists behind the Dnieper River begins to expand. After the sorcerer kills Katherine, the people of Kiev witness this expansion: “…suddenly it became possible to see far away to the ends of the earth. Afar could be seen the blue waters of the mouth of the Dnieper, and beyond that the Black Sea was plainly visible.” (Gogol, 53) The vast distance that normally exists between Kiev and the sights that the townspeople see (i.e. the Crimea, the Sivash, the Carpathian mountains) constricts, allowing them to see parts of the world they should not be able to see from where they stand. The people of Kiev then see the cause of this distortion: “…on [the mountain] appeared a horseman in full knightly armour, with his eyes closed. He was plainly visible to all, as though he were only a few yards away.” (Gogol, 53) The sorcerer sees the face of the knight, Ivan – the same face he saw when he attempted to call upon Katherine’s soul – and