Homoerotic and Homophobic Possibilities in The Castle of Otranto Essay

Homoerotic and Homophobic Possibilities in The Castle of OtrantoEve Sedgwick describes the knightly novel as a dialectic between the homosexual and homophobic (92). Homosexuality was first recognized in the eighteenth century and resulted in far reaching loving responses. With the establishment of the term homosexuality, social tensions appeared. These tensions found their way into novels as fears of sexuality and the struggle for sexual expression. Sedgwick call this emerging homoeroticism as the gothic unspeakable, which is reflected through the photo of male class and male sexuality (95). Although homosexuality is not explicitly discussed in the text of Otranto, some critics find the relationships and behaviours between the male characters to intelligible Sedgwicks queer reading of the gothic novel.Research on Walpole has even so to turn up any concrete evidence that proves he had a preference for men. However, analysts of Walpoles letters have found that he had substantial strong intimate relationships with men that can only be set forth as romantic, and therefore homoerotic in nature (Fincher 231). Historically, Walpole has also been incriminate of being effeminate. In a pamphlet written by William Guthrie, an clap is made on Walpoles ambiguous g terminationer, of which Guthrie describes Walpole as flabby of the third sex and possessing a most ladylike manner (Fincher 233). on that point is always the possibility that Guthries pamphlet was only written issue of anger. Never the less, it functions as a piece of evidence that suggests Walpoles sexuality, as well as provides an indication of the attitude towards homosexuality at the time.If then Walpole had homoerotic tendencies, then his sexuality would give rise to rec... ... wins at the end of the novel, as Manfreds title and property is stripped from him. Whether this indicates Walpole coming to peace of mind with his own sexuality is debatable, and one can only speculate. Never the less, Sedgwicks queer reading of the gothic novel provides another unique sight towards Otranto.Works CitedFincher, Max. Guessing the Mould Homosocial Sins in Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otranto. chivalric Studies 3 (2001) 229-45.Haggerty, George E. Literature and Homosexuality in the Late Eighteenth coke Walpole, Beckford, and Lewis. Studies in the Novel 18 (1986) 341-352.Napier, Elizabeth R. The Failure of Gothic. Oxford Oxford UP, 1987.Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Between work force English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. juvenile York Columbia UP, 1985.Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. New York Oxford UP, 1996.