Post 4 - Romance of the Forest - Final

After reading The Romance of the Forest, Many of the gothic elements are obvious that were hidden throughout the book. Take for example the three objects I will talk about in this post: Setting, Characterization, and a romantic moral.

As far as setting goes, this is the most obvious. When you look at the opening scene, you see a small caravan of people on the run though a mysterious and eventually dark forest. The people themselves have no idea where they are going (other than the aspect of south and away) and the reader is none the wiser. When they arrive at the Abbey that they insist on staying on, it is not a nice abbey that is maintained like all probability would suggest. This dark setting that later reveals the dead body of Adaline's father as well as the message he left for any passing being to the location. After the escape from the abbey, Adaline is abducted and later escapes again to the small village in Savoy. Here the settings vary from countrysides to prisons off and on till the end of the novel.

Characterization has many polar opposites as well as many defined "gray characters" that never change throughout the novel. Take for example the present Marqius. He from the beginning of the novel has an evil plan, that is not yet later revealed to the reader. Throughout the entire novel, he plans to kill Adaline in order to maintain his estate. He manipulates and deceives even those who he hires to do his dirty work (which later comes and bites him in the butt). Theodore and well as Louis are constantly "virtuous" characters that never sway from their path of righteousness. I would actually argue that Peter is the most virtuous character in the entire novel. He is always loyally at Adaline's side no matter what the situation. La motte is a good example of a gray character. He is manipulated by the marquis on many situations, but his morals allow him to rescue Adaline in various situations although he usually does so at the last minute as if it takes a lot of contemplation of the decision.

The Romantic era and ideas are obviously portrayed in especially the character of M. Verneulli as well as La Luc. They have long conversations of the meaning of life and what it is to be at peace even with sorrow in the heart. These ideals are extremely prevalent when both of them start on what is nearly a monologue along the trails thought the mountains.