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| John Martin, The Last Man (1849) from http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/mws/lastman/jmartin.htm |
As we have discussed in class, and as Dr. T puts it
in “The Gothic Tradition” notes on Carmen, “The term ‘gothic’ originates in the European (and eventually
American) fascination—perhaps obsession—with the ‘primitive’ past that is mostly associated with the
Middle Ages.” With their apocalyptic and “last man” poems, gothic
writers took this fascination one step further. By removing society entirely,
they were free to explore humanity in a truly primitive world, especially the
effects of extreme isolation from society.
Byron’s “Darkness” portrays the most obviously
primitive of the post-apocalyptic societies. When the world is plunged into
darkness, the people of the world panic and revert to basic survival instincts.
Socioeconomic distinctions are rendered meaningless, as palace and hut alike
are burned to create light. Men lose their humanity, savagely resorting to
cannibalism, and the narrator mentions, almost off-handedly, that love has
ceased to exist (Byron 41). Here is Manfred’s longed-for oblivion: “The world was void, / The populous
and the powerful was a lump, / Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless,
lifeless” (Byron 69-71). And yet, oblivion does not seem better or less lonely
than the suffering experienced in “Manfred.”
In fact,
the misery of isolation from society seems particularly acute in “Darkness.” Byron
writes, “And men were gather'd round their blazing homes / To look once more
into each other's face” (Byron 14-15). The surviving men in this primitive,
post-apocalyptic world are so desperate for some reconnection to humanity that
they would burn their homes just to see another human face. As the poem
progresses and the level of primitivism increases, this isolation proves fatal.
The ultimate downfalls of the two “last men” in Byron’s poem are their enmity
and separation. Their isolation from one another has resulted in fatal
unfamiliarity and robbed them of the last vestiges of their humanity, much to
their mutual horror and destruction.
Despite Hood’s intention to parody other “last man”
poems, his version of “The Last Man” seems to sincerely explore the theme of
the potentially devastating effects of isolation. From the outset, the beggar
recognizes the value of human companionship, telling the hangman, “I’ve a
yearning for thee in my heart / That almost makes me weep, / For as I pass’d
from town to town / The folks were all stone-asleep,” (Hood 61-64). Like the
men around the blazing homes in Byron’s poem, the beggar’s reaction to the
sudden inaccessibility of human contact is to crave it intensely. Also like
these men, the beggar is willing to waive class regulations, feeling comfortable
enough in the new world order (or lack thereof) to don a fancy cloak and crown.
In this way, he is isolated from human society, but it is the ‘human’ aspect of
this isolation that most concerns him, not the ‘society’ aspect.
Despite the preoccupation with isolation, and the initial
desire to eradicate it, that runs through these poems, cooperation in the face
of disaster seems conspicuously absent. In this way, the gothic portrayals of
the apocalypse are distinct from modern versions. In
current films and books on the subject, a small group usually bands together to
survive. For example, Jill mentioned I Am
Legend in her presentation. In the film, Will Smith’s character is
seemingly alone in the world, but he clings to his strong friendship with his
dog and even tries to talk to mannequins (which sounds ridiculous but is
somehow poignant). Later, he happily joins forces with a woman and her son, and
despite being strangers, they all risk their lives numerous times to save each
other. Contrast these features to dogs eating their own masters in “Darkness”
and Hood’s hangman “gaily” killing off his lone companion, and gothic
characters do not exactly shine (Hood 157).
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| Will Smith in I Am Legend, from http://www.bennadel.com/blog/1100-I-Am-Legend-Starring-Will-Smith.htm |
Hood,
Thomas. “The Last Man.” The Longman Anthology of Gothic Verse. Ed.
Caroline Franklin. Harlow: Pearson, 2011. 497-504. Print.
Lancashire,
Ian, ed. "Darkness." Representative Poetry Online. University
of Toronto Libraries, Web. 24 May 2012.
<http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poems/darkness>.
Yeah, I found the gothic characters' willingness to embrace their isolation and newfound "lastness" kind of confusing. They seem more than willing to throw off all remnants of society and run amok, but it seems to me that the more modern take might be a little more realistic. I would think that finding myself in complete isolation, I would crave any kind of order I could find (like Will Smith). It kind of reminds me of Tom Hank's character in "Castaway" with his volleyball named Wilson.
ReplyDeleteHowever, being that nobody has ever really been the last man alive yet, it's hard to say whose interpretation is most realistic.
I definitely agree with your interpretations of the poems and their view on humanity. While it is strange that no one cooperates with each other, it seems like a pretty Gothic idea. I don't know whether the Gothic interpretation or the modern one is more realistic, but I do think it is interesting that such an intense spotlight has been placed on the end or decline of man. Really, I think it would be interesting to see interpretations of the first man or woman, and how they interpreted and responded to the world. That setting would also supply an air of primitivity, and at the least, it would be different and interesting. Anyway, I think your connection of Hood and Byron is a valid one. With the decline of the characters in both stories, it seems like their stories are a "Fall of the Last Adam", in comparison to the original "Fall of Adam". With this, it might be interesting to see how a last woman would factor in and how she would be different than a last man.
ReplyDeleteI think all of you make some interesting points. Isolation is definitely a major theme that runs throughout Gothic narratives as people are driven apart by death, terror, or guilt (basically anything that causes or is a negative emotion it seems). Isolation and loneliness are powerful because humans do crave some sort of companionship. You would think that this would drive people together, but fear (one of the most prevalent emotions in Gothic literature) is more powerful because fear is our survival instinct kicking in. I think this is partially where the more negative apocalyptic stories come from. In cases like Byron's poem, the world is cast into darkness,the opposite of light which is often a symbol for hope, therefore suggesting an absence of hope. Without any hope, their only option is to revert to animal instinct and try to survive as long as they can, especially because many people fear death.
ReplyDeleteAs to whether it or the newer interpretations are more realistic, I cannot say for sure. But I think it was Dr. T. who mentioned the Year Without a Summer, which occurred around the time these apocalyptic poems were written. Basically, the world (or at least much of the northern hemisphere) was actually plunged into darkness and cooler temperatures because of a volcanic eruption. This led to riots and arson because of food shortages, so Byron's representation is definitely possible. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer for more information).