The very beginning of this novel struck me as very peculiar. The first example we see of this is the narrators discussion of the first threat Carwin relayed to him. On page three in the second paragraph the narrator begins discussing this threat " He confesses that this has been hos second attempt." The paragraph goes on with an array of questions concerning this first threat and comparing it with the second. "The death was the scope of his thoughts; now an injury unspeakably more dreadful." Nothing however gives us any clue as to why any threat exists to begin with. Was it because he was "pursuing his father's manuscript" or something else unknown to the reader, or Carwin for that manner.
Not only is nothing straight forward, all of our beginning thoughts left unanswered, but the narrator seems to have constant debate in his own mind as to what is really going on. " The possibility that his return was prompted by intentions consistent with my safety found no place in my mind (pg.10)." This makes it seem as though fear is not even crossing his moing, all of a sudden with in the same paragraph there is a dramatic shift. Suddenly he has an impulse "It was an impulse of which I was scarcely conscious that made me fasten the lock and draw the bolts of my chamber door (pg.10)" All of a sudden his fear over took him. This idea that Carwin may be returning caused such an impulse, but what gave him this idea of return so suddenly. The narrator seems to be very confused as to why he is in this situation to begin with.
-Meghan Farrell
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I totally agree with Meghan. This book was confusing. There were times that the dialog was so lengthy I had trouble figuring out who was talking!
ReplyDeleteIt is subtitled “The Transformation” and all 3 main characters underwent change. Clara started out docile and kind of a victim, especially when Pleyel thought the worst of her after overhearing what he thought was a conversation between her and Carwin. Clara was all upset, didn’t know what to do, and didn’t know how to prove her innocence. What about being innocent until proven guilty? They weren’t dating; he had no claim on her. I was glad when later she got mad at him for not giving her the benefit of the doubt.
Carwin liked to use his “power” to fool people. I don’t think he was necessarily evil. But when Wieland appeared at Clara’s home and tried to kill her, Carwin tried to save Clara by throwing his voice to let Wieland know that he (Wieland) was ill and that he had not in fact been contacted by God to kill his family. Carwin was trying to redeem himself.
And finally, Wieland realized that he made a mistake in believing that God had wanted him to kill his family, and couldn’t deal with the guilt so he killed himself.
Mindy Pigue
I think that Wieland is an extremely dark novel which I’m sure has many symbolisms. The first chapters of Weiland brought to mind another novel I read, Frankenstein. The narrator bore similarities to Victor Frankenstein in that were both homeschooled (22) and even in both novels the landscape constantly seemed to be ominous and always illuminated by moonlight. At first I was sure the narrator was a man, it wasn’t until much later I realized it was Clara, the sister of Wieland. This initially surprised me because her intelligence seemed to be much higher than what was expected of women in the late 18thCentury. For her to be the principle narrator and an active participant of the conversations between Wieland (who seemed to be extremely religious) and Pleyel (who seemed to be more on the rationalists side) portrays her an independent woman who is less subservient to the males in her society. She is indeed independent, she lives on her own (with a maid) in her own house separate from Wieland’s house. She is extremely brave too, upon hearing whispers (Carwin) in her closet, instead of fleeing, she bravely opens the door. It is Clara who even figures out that it is Carwin who is the perpetrator of all the happenings in the novel. Her character rather than Wieland’s struck me as the most important. Wieland’s character is just deranged and weak for believing that it is God who leads him to kill his family. And the character of Carwin is just like the devil incarnate; he befriends these people and then tears their family apart, he is like the source of their family’s destruction. I’m not sure what the symbolisms are but I can’t wait to find out. Over all, I liked the novel...it was definitely different from the past readings.
ReplyDelete-Vedi Ramdhanie
When I read Wieland, I couldn't help but recall Edgar Allen Poe. The writing styles are very similar; dark and dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI found Clara's relationship with Carwin peculiar. When he was first introduced, I could not tell whether or not she was enchanted or disgusted by him. Her descriptions of him ranged from almost romantic to repulsive. This same theme followed throughout the novel.
I agree with Vedi, this novel was quite interesting to read--each character underwent his own transformation. I found Wieland to be a pitiable character. His change from a sober, introspective man into a deranged murderer was tragic to read.
I understand some found the novel a difficult or confusing read. However, it is important to keep in mind that Clara (the narrator) is a woman recovering from trauma; she is someone is going mad while writing the series of events that led to her near-murder. Brockden Brown is perhaps using the confused narrative to portray her delicate state and her descent into maddness. It is interesting to note that Clara begins her narrative specifically with a description of her ancestry. She seems to be saying the problems she will face began in some way with her antecedants. This is particularly evident in the story of her father, for Wieland seems to inherit both his father's land and his religious fervor.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, it seems Brockden Brown is saying religious fervor and blind obediance can lead to the descent of man. Wieland's father felt it was his duty to spread Christianity to the Indians and he eventually dies of spontaneous combustion. Wieland blindly follows the wishes of a mysterious voice he believes is divine and he eventually committs suicide. Wealth and material success also play a part in the men's lives. Wieland's father only persues his religious calling after his wealth is aquired. Wieland himself is also the product of being raised with money. Perhaps Brown is implying that Wieland's father is not sincere in his religious persuits. He is materialistic first and foremost. Clara's narration implies that Wieland inherited all from his father.
Brown sets Wieland's religious and supernatural beliefs in opposition with Pleyel's more rational thoughts. Thinking of the story in terms of it's time and setting, it is interesting to note that Pleyel is the European. It is obvious that Brown is criticizing Puritan religious fervor in America. Is he also saying that reason and rational thought are found only in Europe? In the end, Clara herself escapes to Europe to marry Pleyel.
- Irma Suarez
Brilliant. Amazing, how sick of C.B.B. Wieland was dark and romantic for me. At the end when Carwin gave his reasonings for all his actions was briiliant. I loved how verything went together at the end and made sense, not sure if those were his true intensions. Though, Clara Wieland was the speaker I do agree that the novel was named Wieland after her brother Theodore Wieland, the acts that he committed granted him such attribution. Now, I am a little confused was it Carwin that instructed Wieland to commit such atrocities? And what Maxwell and Stuart have to do with the story?
ReplyDeleteBy far, for me, one of the most unique and intelligent story ever written.
Vanessa Martinez.
Wieland is a classic gothic novel with all the elements that classic gothic novels have: the heavy rain, the passionate characters, of course the murder, a hint of the supernatural, and terror. Wieland as an enthusiast Christian is the complete opposite of Pleyel, Catherine's brother and the "voice of reason" in the novel. The novel clearly juxtaposes ideas from the "American Enlightenment" to those of Evangelic Christianity by questioning both reason and blind faith. Carwin helps in the unraveling of both characters into changing their minds about their beliefs. On the one hand Wieland is forced to admit that he has made a mistake, that it was not God but something else talking to him, and Pleyel could not logically explain where the voices were coming from, leading him to believe that there is such a thing as the "supernatural".
ReplyDeleteForgot my name again sorry lol
ReplyDeleteDiana Sanchez
Weiland puts the blame on his family’s death on God. As others have said this is indeed a dark novel. It is a novel of gothic fiction as it combines both the elements of horror and romance. There is a shift from Weiland’s character from a free spirited man who loves his family in the beginning to a man who becomes extremely irrational. Towards the end of the book he has become a deranged murderer. His “transformation” was a negative transgression. He had experienced the death of his father, mother, and Catherine and then continues the theme of death by killing Louisa and the children. He has lost sanity and even tries to kill his sister Clara.
ReplyDeleteCarwin, in my opinion is one of the most intriguing characters in the story. We don’t know much about him through the entire novel but we are aware that he had malicious intentions with this attempt to rape Clara. It is interesting that he causes Clara fear of getting raped or murdered but he actually isn’t the story’s villain. Since he doesn’t physically harm Clara, I would have to make the argument that Weiland is the villain. Despite the death he has experienced in his youth, he still follows the voices he hears which drive him to kill. He also believes he is acting upon the will of God which only proves his motives to be illogical.
Rex De Asis
Even though this is I find this novel to be quite confusing and hard to understand some of the time, I think that is what makes it so interesting since it has so many eerie effects and is so strange. It is also quite ironic that a bunch of American Quakers should be characters in the middle of this strange gothic romance.
ReplyDeleteClara is certainly an interesting character. Even though she seems like an intelligent woman with a level head on her shoulders, it seems quite obvious she is going mad while she is recalling her memoirs and narrating the entire story.
When the exciting event with the father happens in the temple dead it is first described to Clara and then Clara tell us what happened. This might mean that we need someone else to relay some facts because she is not capable of doing so.
It may seem like Clara is going mad, but after reading this novel and the events that take place, I think that all the characters might have been going mad. After all, who would play a trick on someone like Carwin did to have a tragic result of murdering a family.
Eva Rosengarten
I agree with Irma. We do have to take into consideration that our narrator, Clara is recovering from a near death experience. Perhaps the style of writing Brown uses tries to show us the “madness” of Clara by writing vaguely and confusingly—just like trying to understand a mad-woman is difficult to do.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I thought I would. It was like reading a soap opera to me. Besides it being confusing (and I understand that that may be Brown’s style), I fail to see how a person would be so easily convinced to murder their family just because they hear a voice telling them to do so. I understand that in the time the story takes place, religion is not yet as clear and steady as it is today. It plays much more importance to people now than it did before (maybe because now, each religion has its own rules and teachings).These days, you have to be careful what you say for fear offending some group. So, what I didn’t quite believe in was how easy it was for Weiland to kill loved ones even if he did think it was God telling him to do so. I’d like to think that a person would take into consideration their love for someone over a voice that could be anyone’s.
However, it was an interesting read. It shows how some people (then and now) worship blindly. We still see people today taking the word of any pastor or priest or preacher and believing in them a hundred percent (sometimes it’s even a scam for money, who knows?!). I’m not saying all religious sects are like this but I believe in forming my own opinion about God and Heaven. I can listen to what a preacher or priest says but I believe what I want. So I guess if I heard voices telling me to kill my family, maybe I’d think about it for a minute (lol)—but the decision to do so would be my own.
Mary Murphy
Thou art cruel, Professor! Too cruel! To subject us to such horror, such destruction of innocent and loving human life! (*end rhetoric and forget the times I lay awake at night contemplating this novel*)
ReplyDelete"Wieland" is one of the most riveting novels I have ever read. In the true spirit of gothic literature, "Wieland" is a tale of decent humanity helplessly entrapped in the most primal terror -- in offense to the characters' most elevated principles. It is a tale that challenges our very conviction in reality.
The crux of "Wieland"'s philosophy is the necessity of trust in the truth and the immutability of one's five senses. For the only way by which we may govern our life -- the foundation of every move we make, the basis for my knowledge and conviction in my own existence -- is by our five senses. Without these it is impossible to form logical conclusions, it is impossible to even attempt to lead a life of a certain tenor. It forms the very basis of our vital existence. Yet by leading its protagonists to maintain the integrity of two conflicting realities (such as the vital necessity that Wieland aurally sensed Catherine's voice on the hilltop and the vital necessity that Catherine physically had not stirred from her place; or the absolute certainty that Pleyel heard Clara's voice in the fissure, conversing with Carwin, and the physical localization of Clara in her room), "Wieland" attempts to contravert this, to place all of our mentality in doubt.
Perhaps, however, Charles Brockden Brown is endeavoring to teach us the opposite lesson. For the author in effect refutes the possibility of the supernatural. With his teaching that there was indeed a physical, logical, comprehensible possibility of these seeming contradictions, with his invalidation of Wieland's conviction in his perception of divinity, perhaps Brown was reaffirming our conviction in our senses.
I agree with Meghan, Brown leaves the reader with many questions. In fact, it seems that through these digressions, we are left with few answers. It seems that the narrator is always lost in contemplation. She is trying to figure out the reasons for things taking place the way that they do. We are left perplexed earlier on, with the father’s death, which was peculiar, and the ambiguity of the event seemed to carry own through out the entire novel. The novel is a hard read, in regards to its style and development. There is a shadow of the supernatural throughout the whole piece, and the narrator seems to be on a journey, involving the authenticity of this force. The narrator exemplifies this when she states, “How thankful should I be to the power that has interposed to save me” (107) and “The divinity that shielded me from his attempts will take suitable care of my future safety” (110).
ReplyDeleteHence, there is a strong belief in providence, and this may be the immediate cause of contemplation, the author fills the novel with.
-William
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ReplyDeleteI did some looking into the author before reading the novel and found out that Charles Brockden Brown was named the "father of the American novel". I also found that out that Wieland was the basis for all fiction, which I found surprising because I have read other fiction novels that took place around the same time which was just as inspiring. Ex. Great Expectations.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this novel was gothic. It had mystery as well as the quesiton of God. Though most of the responders question of the blame of God telling him to kill i believe it is possible. I am not to religious, but I do remember in the bible there is a story about how God tested Abraham (i think that was his name) to prove his love for God, by killing his son. Abraham went up the mountain and was going to kill his son but was stopped by God. Now if he said a dog told him to do it, that is pure insanity. lol.
Clara is strong and independant, but as Irma said in her blog, she is recovering. So I am split between whether this would be considered feminist or anti feminist or none at all. Maybe we can touch on this in class.
Overall the book flowed, though I feel we did get lost at somepoints.
Jen Marchese