#gothicpsyche

[generallygothic]

"𝕴𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞. 𝕮𝖚𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖓 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖇𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖘𝖔 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖎𝖙 𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖞 𝖕𝖍𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖐𝖘, 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖆𝖑." - Lindsey Fitzharris 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 Happy Leap Day! February has given us a whole extra day, and yet there's so much of the 👁Gothic Psyche👁 left unexplored... 'The Butchering Art' is the last book that I started this month. Winner of a literary science writing award, it's the factual account of Joseph Lister - the Victorian doctor who suggested surgeons and hospitals cleaned up a bit. So far, I am finding it to be a fascinating, though fractured, read. Regardless, it will boldly and bloodily lead the way, informing a medical focus for the start of March's new theme (which will be revealed tomorrow)! There are many loose ends from February that will reveal themselves throughout March in the form of blog posts (🤔 exciting? 🤓 Exciting... I hope!). In the meantime, check out 'An Unutterable Wretchedness of the Mind: Jane Eyre' at generallygothic.com. 🔗: Link in bio. . #gothic #gothicpsyche #generallygothic #gothicliterature #medicalhistory #gothicfiction #spookynerd #darkacademia #victorian #victorianengland #josephlister #bookstagram #books #bookreview #currentlyreading #janeeyre #blogger #bookworm #horror #gothichistory #thebutcheringart #charlottebronte #mentalhealth #madness #victorianhospital #nonfiction #leapday #february29 #leapyear https://www.instagram.com/p/B9LUGdjAVhv/?igshid=17lek4vbdne6l

[generallygothic]

"𝕰𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖇𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘, 𝖔𝖗 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐." - Jean Rhys 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 With 'Jane Eyre' on my mind, I recently picked Jean Rhys' 'Wide Sargasso Sea' (1966) up on a whim at the library. I opened it one evening. I was hooked. I paused to sleep. Awoke. Opened it again. And was done. It is short at under 200 pages, but size isn't everything, folks, and that wasn't the reason I couldn't put this book down. Whilst the concept of a continuation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 narrative was initially alluring, it is purely Rhys, and her writing, that maintained my attention. She has a captivating ability to create a world simultaneously vivid and unfamiliar with such clarity. Through flowers, names, and mirrors I will discuss the novel in greater detail at generallygothic.com once the day of pancakes or fat or average Tues is but a fond & syrupy memory. (For a notification of the new post, +follow the blog/keep an eye on stories!) . #generallygothic #gothic #gothicpsyche #widesargassosea #jeanrhys #janeeyre #charlottebrontë #charlottebronte #bookstagram #books #booknerd #bookworm #classicliterature #classics2020 #caribbean #caribbeangothic #spookynerd #mentalhealth #literaryanalysis #bookreview #review #library #librarybooks #bookquote #blogger #pancakeday #shrovetuesday #mardigras #fattuesday #blogpost https://www.instagram.com/p/B9BUBqSABK-/?igshid=1mcnl1tl0g6jq

[generallygothic]

"𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖒𝖊𝖓 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖒𝖆𝖉, 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖉, 𝖔𝖋 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊, 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖍𝖚𝖙 𝖚𝖕." - Charlotte Brontë 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 We rejoin Jane Eyre (read part one in stories) close to a decade later as she finds herself governess in the home of a Mr. Rochester, 🙊SPOILER:🙊 that classic, charming love interest with a pyromaniac first wife, named Bertha, locked in the attic... Jane is strong, especially for a female protagonist published in 1847, but she's still trapped in a constant struggle between isolating freedom and domestic entrapment. Bertha, depicted as an animal, is Jane's double - a gothic trope used to reveal startling similarities between immediately dissimilar characters. In 'The Madwoman in the Attic' (1979), literary critics Gilbert & Gubar assert that Bertha is a manifestation of Brontë's own emotion - the culmination of a life of female oppression, of sadness and anger. But Bertha is a wild, sexual beast, she's strong, and smart, and she cannot be killed. Whilst she's not the most upsetting glimpse into an author's psyche, the representation of mental health is particularly revealing... More on that later, as we dive deeper into the 👁Gothic Psyche👁. 🤔: Do any of your favourite characters offer heavily (or thinly) veiled glimpses into the author's mind? . #gothicpsyche #generallygothic #gothic #gothicliterature #gothicfiction #englishliterature #janeeyre #charlottebronte #bronte #brontë #charlottebrontë #spookynerd #imprisonment #mentalhealth #feminism #feministliterature #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #darkacademia #spookynerd #bookquote #bookreview #literaryanalysis #criticaltheory #glibertandgubar #madwomanintheattic #feministtheory https://www.instagram.com/p/B8p18AVA4cz/?igshid=1y1lunb9znxes

[generallygothic]

"𝕻𝖘𝖞𝖈𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖘𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖋𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉, 𝖇𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖌𝖔 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖉𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖑𝖞 𝖉𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝕰𝖗𝖊𝖇𝖚𝖘." - Thomas Bulfinch 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 In a month dedicated to the psyche, & perhaps as a final fond glance back to 'Circe' (link to my review in bio), it seemed wrong to ignore the Greek/Roman character from whom the word derives. In modern terms, we define 'psyche' as: "The mind, soul, or spirit, as opposed to the body." It follows (or proceeds, but 🙄 language) that Psykhe (Roman: Psyche) was the goddess of the soul, associated with the butterfly. Born mortal, Psykhe grows to possess beauty so great that Aphrodite (Roman: Venus, goddess of love) herself sends Eros (R: Cupid, god of love) to stop Psykhe's admirers mortal worship. Commanded to marry Psykhe off to a most physically vile man (you didn't think the Ancient god[esse]s were just & mature, did you?), on seeing her Eros rebels & takes her as his own. Living in his secret palace, she is forbidden from looking upon his face, never knowing his identity. Jealous, her sisters trick her - she looks & is banished for it. Forlorn & alone, Psykhe scours the globe for her love, finding Aphrodite instead. The goddess takes charge of her, testing her with a sleu of seeming impossibilities, climaxing in a trip to the Underworld. With the secret help of Eros, Psykhe satisfactorily completes Aphrodite's tasks, is reunited with Eros & invited into the ranks of the pantheon. Following the birth of their daughter Hedone, goddess of pleasure, they lived happily ever after (I have some more reading to do before I can confirm this, but I actually kinda doubt they do). 📸: 'Psyche Opening the Golden Box', John William Waterhouse, 1904. Via Wiki Commons. . #gothicpsyche #psyche #psykhe #cupidandpsyche #romanmythology #greekmythology #definition #mythology #thomasbulfinch #bookstagram #bookish #bookquotes #johnwilliamwaterhouse #preraphaelitebrotherhood #preraphaelite #greekpantheon #legend #history #classics #classicliterature #painting #art #circe #spookynerd #darkacademia #aphrodite #bookreview #lore https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iReeTAzqO/?igshid=7pvy32dv5ac0

[generallygothic]

“𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖚𝖓𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖓 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌." - Charlotte Perkins Gilman 🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️ Published in 1892, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is a powerful yet subtle and poetic exploration of the fragility and strength of the specifically female psyche, set in the author's oppressive contemporaneous day. Like the nuanced eponymous wallpaper, the narrative is layered. ⚜Undeniably, this is a story about a woman succumbing to insanity following a mental breakdown. ⚜It is also, however, an important feminist text, which compares power imbalance in the institution of marriage to the institutionalising of the mentally unwell. The story is told through the secret journal of the young wife. It is no coincidence that her husband is her physician, and that she has been removed from the familiarity of her home and work under his care. ⚜It is an exposé of the policing of women's behaviour. The narrator screams for mental stimulation, for companionship, to be allowed to write, to be allowed to imagine. This was an unfortunately familiar experience for Gilman, who was herself prescribed the 'Resting Cure' for depression. ⚜It is an attack on the objectification of women in matters of physical and mental health. And happily, a successful one, as the neurologist (boldly named in the story) who invented the resting cure took Gilman's criticisms seriously and abolished its prescription. The complexity of this short story echoes the complexity of mind, and is an essential read if you're interested in understanding the 👁Gothic Psyche👁. . #gothicpsyche #mentalhealth #theyellowwallpaper #charlotteperkinsgilman #feministliterature #femaleauthors #gothic #generallygothic #gothicfiction #darkacademia #americanliterature #englishliterature #spookynerd #mentalhealthawareness #books #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #booknerd #literarycriticism #bookreview #bookquote https://www.instagram.com/p/B8K5SqCg6-v/?igshid=1eli1d17nx0uu

[generallygothic]

"𝕬𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖈𝖗𝖚𝖉𝖊 𝖙𝖔𝖔𝖑, 𝖎𝖓 𝖆 𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖘, 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖕𝖚𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉. 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖘𝖆𝖓𝖊." - Brian Kirk 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 Brian Kirk's debut was supposed to be my first read for February's 👁Gothic Psyche👁 theme. Released in 2015, it was nominated for a Bram Stoker award and sounds like the contemporary exploration of the dark half of the human psyche that I was seeking. The blurb reads as follows: "WE ARE MONS+ERS The Apocalypse has come to the Sugar Hill mental asylum. He's the hospital's newest, and most notorious, patient—a paranoid schizophrenic who sees humanity's dark side. Luckily he's in good hands. Dr. Eli Alpert has a talent for healing tortured souls. And his protégé is working on a cure for schizophrenia, a drug that returns patients to their former selves. But unforeseen side effects are starting to emerge. Forcing prior traumas to the surface. Setting inner demons free. Monsters have been unleashed inside the Sugar Hill mental asylum. They don't have fangs or claws. They look just like you or me." I've barely made it a dent in it, but 'We Are Monsters' is rapidly feeling like a dnf (a novel I did-not-finish) in the making... I'm not enjoying Kirk's voice and am yet to develop any interest in the plot or characters. There's nothing wrong with it, no profound reasons, or moral ground, I just don't like it. Simple as... 🤔: Has anyone out there read this? Is it worth persevering with? . #gothicpsyche #wearemonsters #briankirk #briankirkauthor #bookstagram #dnf #gothic #generallygothic #horrornovel #modernhorror #horror #spookynerd #bookreview #bookworm #booknerd #bookish #books #bookcover #mentalhealth #schizophrenia #mentalasylum #psychologicalhorror #hospitalhorror #horrorfiction #bookquotes #monster https://www.instagram.com/p/B8IV7sngeNC/?igshid=qp82fsoc8bri

[generallygothic]

𝕲𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖈 𝕻𝖘𝖞𝖈𝖍𝖊 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷 After chewing us up all month, January has finally spit us out and handed us over to Februrary. Phew! We made it. This month's (hopefully more present) generally gothic posts will be dedicated to the 👁Gothic Psyche👁... To themes of madness, the self, medicine, the mind. If you have any requests, demands, or magical quests for me, let me know;💪I am ready 💪. I apologise for all requested posts left unposted last month, and will strive to be a healthy Instagramming human this month! The final blog post, a review of Madeline Miller's 'Circe', is on its ways as January starts fading into the past. . #gothicpsyche #gothic #generallygothic #gothicliterature #gothicfiction #callforsubmissions #madness #mind #psyche #medicine #books #bookworm #darkacademia #spookynerd #callforartists #blogger #blogpost #cathedral #gothicarchitecture #january #februrary #themedivider https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Fg0zcgyIE/?igshid=1ls14p8jc7na4