'She's Mine' - A short narrative about Mrs Laderman

Mrs Laderman brushed back her curls from her face and looked at herself in the mirror, as she felt the  scream leave her throat she could feel herself Woge and hear the glass shatter. She couldn't believe that her baby had been taken from her, she was left all alone now with her husband gaining full parental custody and leaving the country. She didn't know what she was going to do now, how was she going to carry on?

She went through the next few weeks in a daze, those around her didn't want to deal with her moods and she didn't want to deal with people so she was left completely alone. Mrs Laderman didn't care though, she liked the solace, it meant she was left alone with her thoughts. However being left alone with her thoughts proved a bad thing when it ended her up in the hospital- she never seemed to pay attention to traffic anymore because "who would care if she lived or died?" and she got her answer when that taxi hit her. No-one. 

Although there was no major physical damage that hospital visit changed her life. As she was trying to navigate her way out of the hospital she passed the nursery where she saw her. She was the most perfect little baby she had ever seen, although she was a newborn she had a full head of hair and the brightest blue/green eyes, as soon as Mrs Laderman saw her she knew that she needed to have her for her very own. She used her magic to disable the hospital cameras to hide the crime she was about to commit, no one could stand in the way of her having this baby, and as soon as she picked her up from her cot and walked out of the hospital she felt whole again. 

That night as she rocked the baby to sleep, she knew that she would need to keep her hidden from the world, people would be looking for her- but no one would be able to take her away. She smiled, as the baby snored away in her arms, for the first time in a very long time. 

"Thank you Claudia" she whispered as she kissed the baby's forehead. 

My Presentation on chosen characters

Below is my Presentation on my ideas for my TV series and chosen characters. 

'Darkness' - A short narrative about Quentin

Quentin knew that there was nothing that he could do to stop Mrs Laderman, she was just too powerful, all he wanted to do was protect Claudia from her. Every time he tried to save Claudia, every time he stepped in front to stop Mrs Laderman, she always found a way to hurt the girl he loved. She was always there waiting for them, never letting them leave. 

It got to a point where Quentin was so frustrated by never being able to leave and protect Claudia that he took his anger out on her, they argued - much to the glee of Mrs Laderman who could see that the fighting was tearing them apart and making Claudia vulnerable. As the days wore on and they fought even more, Quentin could feel something different start to happen, he was no longer tied to Claudia as much which meant he could leave if he wished to. As he was so sick of the arguments he decided to leave Claudia in his past and move on. However when he took one step out of the door, Mrs Laderman was laying in wait for him, it only took a small amount of her magic to propel him down the back stairwell of the apartment block and into the unkept garden area where no one dared enter. 

As Quentin fell further down he thought about Claudia and how much he wished he hadn't left and how sorry he was for arguing with her, until his thoughts were broken by sharp stabbing pains all over his body. He didn't want to move, his eyes stayed closed hoping and praying that nothing was broken, all he could hear around him was the rustling of the trees until Claudia's screams broke the silence. He bolted straight up, he didn't care about the pain any more, all he needed to get to was Claudia. He opened his eyes to look up at her but everything was clouded. Bringing his hands up to his eyes he felt something protruding from them, not thinking he pulled them out. He thought this would make things all better, he would be able to see again but as soon as he pulled them out everything turned to darkness...

Gender and Horror

In the Horror genre, there is a lot of debate about how gender is portrayed- especially the female gender. Furthermore there has been an increase in the number of female viewers of the Horror genre, as it used to be dominated by male viewers. 

In the first season of American Horror Story, different types of women are shown, as T Schull analyses in her Wordpress article about the series. She writes about the female characters, placing them into individual archetypes of women in Horror, some of which are listed below;

- The Scorned Woman : Vivien Harmon played by Connie Britton, whose husband cheats on her with a younger women. In spite of what she goes through in her personal life, she is unlike a damsel in distress because she stands up for herself and doesn't just take what life throws at her. 

- The Femme Fatale : Moira played by Alexandra Breckenridge, who is seen in two forms depending on who is looking at her. To women she appears as an old housemaid but to men she appears as a french maid who uses her beauty to entice them in and reveal their secrets. 

- The Cougar : Constance played by Jessica Lange, who is in equal parts the 'Boss' character of the series. She has a lot of power, which a lot of female characters don't seem to have in the Horror genre. 

When I looked for articles on gender and horror, I found a lot about how nowadays women are being seen to be having their 'revenge' because they are being shown in more powerful roles, even being the 'monster' rather than the victim or 'damsel in distress'. (Donahue, 2014) Instead of waiting for men to come and rescue them from a serial killer, they are more empowered and fighting back. This could be seen as a reflection of changes in society, with feminism becoming a more prominent part and equality between the genders being campaigned for very publicly also. This could be why there is an increase in the number of women who are watching the Horror genre.  I think that if the film industry continued to show weak female characters being overpowered by men then they would have a lot of complaints, especially considering the society we live in now.  

Grimm

The TV show that I have chosen to create my characters for is Grimm. It is one of my favourite TV shows and I love how the original Grimm's Fairytales are used as the cases in the show. 

Grimm originally premiered in 2011, with it now being in its 5th season. The show focuses around protagonist Nick Burkhardt a detective with the Portland police, who finds out that he is descended from a long line of guardians known as Grimms. Grimms are in charge of protecting humanity from the mythological creatures known as Wesen, which take many different forms and usually Woge (show their true nature as they look like the average human normally) when under high stress/pressure. When a Wesen Woges and a Grimm witnesses this, the eyes of the Grimm turn solid black showing the Wesen their true appearance along with revealing the identity of the Grimm. 

The Eyes of a Grimm
(no date) Available at: http://grimm.wikia.com/wiki/Grimm (Accessed: 3 March 2016).

Throughout the series, Nick has to juggle having a normal life whilst battling the Wesen that cause trouble and trying to protect those in his life that he loves. This doesn't always go according to plan, meaning that he reveals his secret to a select few of his 'human' friends; Trubel who is also a Grimm, his friend and fellow detective Hank Griffin, Sergeant Wu and girlfriend Juliette. Nick also is very close friends with some Wesen; Monroe who is a Blutbad (a wolf-like character taking inspiration from the Big Bad Wolf in Red Riding Hood), Rosalee who is a Fuchsbau and Monroe's wife (similar to a fox), Bud who is Eisbiber (similar to a beaver), Captain Sean Renard who is half-Zauberbiest (similar to a zombie/witch) and also a member of the Royal family and Adalind Schade who is a Hexenbiest (a witch who is similar in form to a zombie) as well as the mother of both Sean and Nick's children. 

Monster Mash

The monsters that were created in Gothic novels show a comment on a part of the human nature. 

Vampires

There are different ways in which Vampires have been created over the years and there are different character traits associated with them. Some portrayals of Vampires show the creation as just the Vampire biting the person they wish to turn into a Vampire, some need to die with Vampire venom in their system and some become one as a result of a spell. There are certain elements are weaknesses of the Vampire characters, some include; not being able to cross running water, holy water & crosses being harmful for them, having to be invited into a house, not being able to walk in the sunlight and a wooden stake being able to kill them.
In modern society when we think of Vampires we think of; Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries to name a few. Our view of Vampires is of a very beautiful immortal young people who are integrated into normal society to see how they can cope with being vampires amongst that. There is always a highly sexualised element to the vampire, with it being the desirable 'monster' especially for women despite the element of danger. This is show through the symbolism of having a Vampire who 'sparkles' when they go into the sun in Twilight, as they sparkle it adds an element of luxury 

and unattainability thus making them even more desirable towards those around them. Furthermore they are always shown to have a 'human side', making them less monstrous and more accessible to the people who are reading the novels/watching the TV Shows and Films.  

The vampire was said to be a symbol for the fear of industry and how it was impacting everyday life. In Karl Marx's book 'Das Capital' he likens industry to a vampire sucking life out of the consumer, he played on the fears of the masses using a Gothic character as a means of doing so. 

Zombie 

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” (Grahame-Smith, Austen, 2009)

The typical association with zombies is that they are risen from the dead, either being bitten or being infected by some kind of virus, with them needing brains in order to survive (as is shown by the above quote). Zombies were a symbol for the fear of death that people have, but they can also have ties with a fear of what science can do- as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein shows.  The Creature in Frankenstein could be seen as the first Zombie with him being risen from the 'dead' but through the medium of science. As science can be blamed for some of the zombie outbreaks that have been created over the years- usually with the place of a viral outbreak- it brings it closer to home as some of the things could happen in real life, which make it even scarier.
In the recent years Zombies have become even more popular, with an increase of Zombie orientated TV shows, films and live experiences (to name a few) being made available to the public. The dystopian element of the Zombie era, could be seen to create an intriguing element for us- with everyone wondering how we would each survive as the human race. Furthermore this brings in the element of the 'live experience' where people pay to enter this world of a 'Zombie Apocalypse' to see what it would be like and whether they survive. In modern society it is almost a norm for someone to have a plan for when the 'Zombie Apocalypse does arrive'.
The appearance of Zombies have changed so much across the years, as we are being subjected to more and more violence and gore in our everyday lives we look to TV and Film to provide something that surpasses what we haven't seen before. As the video below shows, there is a lot of diversity in the way Zombies have looked over the years.

100 years of zombie evolution in pop culture | time lapse video (2016) Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SdACMZwaaw (Accessed: 28 February 2016).

Werewolf

Much like the other monsters, Werewolves have different origins; it could have been a curse that caused the person to become a wolf, a bite from another Werewolf or a genetic trait that runs in the family. Like Vampires there are things that are weaknesses to Werewolves; that they have to turn on a full moon so are slaves to it, and that they can be killed/harmed by silver. 

When Werewolves were brought in as monsters they were said to represent the fear of the monster inside ourselves, this becomes more about the mind and what happens inside ourselves instead. Rather than experiments or viruses being the cause of the monster, we are becoming the monster ourselves with it growing from within us.
In modern society, much like Vampires, Werewolves have become somewhat of a sex symbol in society. This is seen in TV Shows and Films, such as; Teen Wolf, The Vampire Diaries and Twilight. Instead of being seen as a Monster, they are seen as the 'normal people' trying to fit in with society, but the added layer of the Werewolf creates a sense of mystery that people find intriguing. 

Why is Continuity Important?

Continuity is important because it maintains the realism of a film or TV show, making any scene that was filmed multiple times seem as though it was shot in one take. It's not just seen in terms of makeup but also any props on the set, for example; a candle burning at a specific height or a lamp in a specific place on a shelf. On the set, one specific person is in charge of making sure that the continuity is maintained throughout the shoot - The Script Supervisor. 

In order to maintain the continuity throughout, extensive notes are made about each element with pictures also being used to help add to the notes. These pictures are taken from numerous angles to get as much detail as possible, and are taken at the end of each setup or at the end of the day.
Lack of continuity can be carefully planned so that it does add to the effect of the film, by doing so it can create confusion for the audience thus distorting the image and making it seem obscene as a result. However this shouldn't be overdone as it does lose the effect, which would make the film look incredibly amateurish and jarred in the final product. 

High Definition Broadcasting

What is it and how does it affect Makeup and Hair artists?

High Definition Broadcasting is a display technology that provides a higher quality of picture on our TV screens. The increased number of pixels on the screen that is featured in HDTV allows for this higher quality image to be shown to us.

I can imagine this is very difficult for makeup artists as they have to make sure that the makeup is completely perfected so that there are no mistakes that show up on HDTV. As the picture is much sharper and of a higher quality in HD, the makeup will probably need to be less so that it does look like the actor is wearing no makeup and blended in well so that it doesn't come off during action, and so that it also covers up any imperfections that the actor may have on their skin. Furthermore the sharper image will probably highlight any uneven parts to the makeup that will make it look slightly odd, so artists are probably very vigilant to make sure that every part of the makeup is correct and even. 

Collodion scars

As I want to use Collodion to create old scars on the skin for my Monster - I really want to give him the human appearance whilst also showing his past. So I researched pictures of how other people have used the Collodion to do scars of their own.

theressomethingaboutrainbows (2014) Posts about rigid collodion on there’s something about rainbows. Available at: https://theressomethingaboutrainbows.wordpress.com/tag/rigid-collodion/
(Accessed: 14 February 2016).

Makeup pro - професионален Грим, SFX, Коса, фризьорски и перукерски уреди и материали (no date) Available at: http://makeuppro-online.com/product_info.php?products_id=1364
(Accessed: 14 February 2016).

I really like the effect that the Collodian gives the skin, making the scar appear like it is sunk in. I would quite like to have the scars placed in the areas that Frankenstein is most likely to have sewn him together - the base of the neck, the forehead, the arms. However I think that doing smaller scars on the body will be a lot easier to replicate for continuity purposes. I will need to do a lot of tests to make sure that I am confident when applying the product and the placement of it also. 

Late Victorian Hair

WOMEN
- The hair was still off the face, but curls have moved back on the head.
- The middle parting was still used, but women were starting to have fringes which they wore curly.
- They loved hairpieces, and the wealthy women would be able to have them styled for them by a hair stylist.
- The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of the Middle Class which meant that fashions were changing as a result  (Chertsey museum, no date)
- The first curling tongs were patented at the end of the Victorian era by Francois Marcel, which meant that women started waving their hair instead of curling (hence the 'Marcel wave').


The first fashion plate from 'The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine' in c.1868 shows the fashion for winter bonnets, but also shows the trend for the hair at the time- curls were starting to come into the sections at the front with it being swept up and away from the face.
The second fashion plate is from a French magazine (c.1874), which shows a big difference between the two fashions for hair and bonnets. The hair looks to be a lot more elaborate in the second plate which is mirrored in the elaborate hats also, the curls look to be cascading down the back of the head more.

Birmingham, L. of (2011) Hair and millinery 1827-1874. Available at: http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/hairstylesandmillinery?nojs (Accessed: 11 February 2016).

Birmingham, L. of (2011) Hair and millinery 1827-1874. Available at: http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/hairstylesandmillinery?nojs 

(Accessed: 11 February 2016).

MEN
- Mutton chops were very popular with men, they were named due to the shape resembling a mutton chop.
- Side burns were also very popular, named after Major General Ambrose Burnside.
- The Crimean War (1853-1856) influenced men's hair, as it was so cold the soldiers were allowed to grow facial hair, which wasn't allowed previously.

The fashion plate (c.1868) shows different styles of men's hair, ranging from the young to the middle aged. The young men are shown without the facial hair, but they still look very groomed with their hair looking as if it has been put in place by a wax. The elder gentlemen are shown to be sporting the mutton chops along with a moustache, which does look as though it has been shaped so it stays curled. Furthermore the hair looks very similar to the younger men in that it looks to be set with wax, along with a slight wave at the hairline.

Birmingham, L. of (2011) Male fashion plates 1840-1870. Available at: http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/malefashionplates1840-1870
(Accessed: 11 February 2016).

The Art of Gothic Review

It was interesting how the three programmes 'The Art of Gothic' explored not only into the obvious aspects of the Gothic genre (like the literature, art and architecture), but into some more of the symbolic resonances that the Gothic leaves on society. 

One element that particularly stood out to me was at the end of the third part where Andrew Graham-Dixon mentioned how our modern society has influences from the Gothic, by even going as far to say that we are using the element of escapism in our modern life through the influence of technology. He speaks of how we are always looking for a way to escape from modern life, and much like previous generations would've sought solace in the Gothic novels, we do so by engrossing ourselves in our phones- which is probably also due to the influence of technology and social media on our modern society. Another way that I think the Gothic is still having influence on our society is through our seeming fascination with the unknown, and the need to be shocked/scared. We are constantly being shown images that shock us as the Internet leaves little to the imagination in terms of horror being a singular thing that we hardly see, so we are continuously looking for different mediums that scare us, the most popular being what we know as 'real' being distorted. This could be seen to tie back to the Penny Dreadfuls, where the horrors of a changing society were brought out to install horror into the lives of the working class and so titles like 'Sweeney Todd' were brought out. In our modern society our versions of Penny Dreadfuls would probably be stories of mental illness affecting an average person which then causes a horrific event, as this is something that we have seen in some news stories across the years it is realistic and thus installing a new sense of fear into our hearts. 

An interesting part of the documentary was showing how historical events did influence the Gothic movement across the years. One such event which was such a big influence on the Gothic genre was the industrial revolution, it was intriguing how such a change can influence a genre like the Gothic. As the landscapes were changing, so were the Gothic novels; they were becoming a reflection of the turmoil that the country was in as their lives were changing. At the beginning of the industrial revolution, science was the enemy and people were scared of what it would do. They saw it as a way to play God and were worried at what would be the consequences of doing so, as is shown in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's intriguing that something that we take for granted in modern society was such a terrifying thing, we embrace the influence that science has on our society and yet just a few centuries previous they would've been cautious about the entire subject. 

As the landscape was changing along with the lives of everyone in Britain, the new Gothic novels would feature the plague of the mind and going into the recesses of it. Much like modern society, people would use drugs to escape the modern world and go deep into themselves, escaping the ever changing world. In modern society, recreational drug use is much more common, especially amongst young people, and is typically seen as a way to cope with the pressures of life. However there was a Gothic response to the dangers of using drugs in the form of De Quincey's 'Confessions of an Opium Eater', it being written as a recount of his experiences to put off those who are using. I think in the modern world, although people are told that it is an illegal act they still partake in it so that they can escape the world, which can also be seen as escaping into themselves much like the past generations. 

The Art of Gothic just shows how timeless the Gothic genre is and how it has stretched (and is still stretching) across so many generations of time. In a sense it is a timeless genre, even though we may not know that we are seeing something 'Gothic', if you look back into the origins there is probably and element or tie to the Gothic genre. 

Early Victorian Hair

- Queen Victoria was on the throne from 1837-190, so when looking at early Victorian hair we examine the period from 1830-1860. 

- The typical style of the hair was; a centre part, with two sections at the front curled, and a bun at the back.

- In 1830, bonnets were very popular so hair was shaped to fit the bonnet, the ringlets were a lot softer and brought down to frame the fame.

- The hair did change, the typical style stayed the same with the sections, however there were different variations that came in. These were; having the front hair smooth and looped under the ears or plaiting the front hair and looping it under the ears.

- Looping the hair under the ear was said to show off the décolletage, which was very fashionable at the time. 

- Around 1840, the bun at the back becomes less prominent and any curls are much softer and dropped. 

- The hair was usually curled towards the face.

The fashion plate (c.1840) shows the bonnets that were very popular in Victorian times, along with how they would've styled their hair to fit around the bonnet. 

(no date) Available at:
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/ss/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1318276260881&ssbinary=true (Accessed: 11 February 2016).

Marie, J. (2015) Rêver de la Rosa. Available at: http://lunarosanoire.blogspot.co.uk/2012_11_01_archive.html (Accessed: 4 February 2016).

-For men, their hair usually featured a side parting with curls. Their look was very prim and proper.

- Sometimes they would fit their hair to their hats.

- Mutton chops and moustaches were very popular.

- People spent a lot of money on products and unlike previous eras were very aware of their personal hygiene. 

The photograph and fashion plate (from c.1840) show the trend for Mutton Chops in Victorian times.

Victorian portrait gallery (no date) Available at: http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/1840-victorian-photo-gallery.php
(Accessed: 4 February 2016).

Birmingham, L. of (2011) Male fashion plates 1840-1870. Available at: http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/malefashionplates1840-1870 (
Accessed: 11 February 2016).

'The Nightmare'

Khan academy (no date) Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/romanticism-in-england/a/henry-fuseli-the-nightmare
(Accessed: 4 February 2016).

This painting by Henry Fuseli is one of the most famous paintings of the Romantic era, and does highlight some themes that are prominent in Gothic novels.  It shows an imp-like creature sitting atop of a sleeping woman, whilst the head of a horse pokes through the curtains at the back. The imp-like creature is similar to the Supernatural/Unknown elements that we typically see in Gothic literature- he has the look of a modern troll. He could be interpreted as a version of the devil, come to poach upon the vulnerable damsel in distress, with the horse being his means of transport. When I looked into other people's interpretations of the painting, some suggested that the bottles on the table could contain poison/a sedative so that the girl is at the mercy of the imp. When I first looked at the painting the thing that stood out to me was the horse - the eyes are glazed over white which to me gives the illusion of possession, like the horse has been taken over by the imp and is doing its bidding. Another thing that stood out about the horse was the idea of the horsemen of the apocalypse, and the inclusion of the horse in the photo could be a foreshadowing that something even worse is about to come. 

History of Gothic - Notes from David Punter's lecture

Key Motifs in the Gothic

- Strange Places: The Arctic in 'Frankenstein' is an example of this. It is unknown, which is what makes it intriguing for Walton to explore. 

- Clashing Time Periods

- Power and Constraints: Especially women and their status in comparison to men. They are shown as vulnerable, naive and in need of saving (of course by a man).

- Sexual Power: Usually obscene men drawn to vulnerable women. Sometimes features incest, violence, abduction. The woman is always submissive to the man. 

- The Uncanny: Something that is new but is drawn back to something we already know. e.g dolls and waxworks. 

- The Sublime: Elements of nature being overwhelming or terrifying.

- Crisis: The Gothic tries to master crisis that are happening in the real world.

- The Supernatural and Real: There are two types of the Gothic, 1 uses the Supernatural and 1 uses natural elements to describe events that happen.

- Terror and Wonder

'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole was considered the first 'Gothic' novel, with its first publication being in 1794, and it was the inspiration for the succeeding novels in the genre. Even though to modern culture the Gothic is something we are used to and even admire, at the time in which it was written Gothic horror novels were considered 'trashy'. Thus the authors tended to publish them under pseudonyms so that they wouldn't be associated with trashy literature. 

In comparison to modern Horror stories (especially in films) where the twisted normalcy seems to be the typical plot (mental illness/hospitals/asylums), early Gothic fiction was typically set in Castles/Monasteries/Convents (representing religion/Catholicism). Inside them is always a labyrinth where there is no prospect of escaping, which plays upon the idea of claustrophobia and imprisonment. Furthermore David Punter said that they are symbolic of our fear to be locked inside ourselves and explore the deepest depths of our minds. 

Landscapes took the place of castles in the Gothic novel, which is where the idea of the sublime came from. It is all about the power of nature, and the monstrosity that it is if you get too close. It's better to look at it from a distance, where you can admire the beauty of the monstrosity- especially in 'Frankenstein' when the titular character comes into contact with the towering mountains. 

'The Mysteries of Udolpho' by Ann Radcliffe was deemed too dangerous for young girls due to its content, and Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey' highlights that dangers of reading too much into Gothic fiction. Her characterisation of Catherine Morland, especially her thought processes, how she ties everything to the Gothic novels that she has read, and the consequences of doing so, just highlights that there are more important things in the world.

The context in which the Gothic novels were written influences the events in the book. The French Revolution, where the monarchy was overthrown and the King was executed. This public display of gore and terror, inspired the writing of 'The Monk' by Matthew Gregory Lewis. It was a very shocking novel, showing scandal at the heart of religion (something that everyone had faith in), and ending with the Devil taking away the main character. Although in modern culture this wouldn't be as shocking as when it was written, due to there being shocking images/stories in the news or on social media everyday, so it is more accessible than when the novel was written. 

The Industrial Revolution caused a crisis of identity for Britain, as the landscape was being changed from very green to very urban. Science and terror was a big terror for the people and the  moral consequences of using science. This inspired 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley, where she used science as the terror in the novel- especially showing the result of overly abusing science as Frankenstein does in the novel. The Industrial Revolution caused people to flock to cities, where they became overpopulated, especially London, this led to poverty, violence and crime. Charles Dickens used London as the backdrop to his novels, where the fog and darkness created a good setting for a Gothic novel. Penny Dreadfuls were also brought in, bringing the terror to the working class, an example would be; Sweeney Todd, where the scenario could happen in real life. 

Creature descriptions

Below are some quotes from Frankenstein that describe the Creature. 

" I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open"

"His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."

"I was dependent on none and related to none. The path of my departure was free, and there was none to lament my annihilation. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred. 

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed"

Victorian Beauty

When researching Victorian beauty ideals, the looks that were being described by various publications showed a very plain and neutral one. In contrast to the Elizabeth I who wore a lot of makeup, Queen Victoria wanted to refine the monarchy back and simplify the look. Although the natural look was what was 'typical' of the time, women still wore makeup but they had to keep it 'secret', especially as those who were seen wearing makeup (especially rouged lips and cheeks) were prostitutes or actors. According to 'The Artificial Face', the desired look for a Victorian woman was "She possessed the innocent face of a china doll, with a rosebud mouth, dimpled cheeks and small neat features framed by a demure hairstyle of ringlets" (Gunn, 1975)

The hairstyles that are typically shown of the Victorian era, feature a middle parting pulled back into a simple bun/chignon. Even though this is the typical hair we see from the Victorian era, the styles that were popular did adapt throughout the century to progress with fashion trends. One element that did seem to change was in the 1870s, where hair seemed to be a lot higher and more elegant (Harris, 2015). Much like the Elizabethans, the hair was adorned to make it even more interesting, using objects like; pearls, hats and headpieces. 


Research

• 2007, 22 and Kuchinsky, C. (2016) Beauty through the ages - the Victorians - the beauty biz - article. Available at: http://www.thebeautybiz.com/87/article/history/beauty-through-ages-victorians (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Gunn, F. (1975) The artificial face: A history of cosmetics. New York: Hippocrene Books.
• Marsh, M. (2014) The compacts and cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian times to the present day. United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Military.
• Victorian beauty (no date) Available at: http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/agw/ssjudybeauty.htm (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Weird Victorian beauty standards we thankfully don’t deal with today (2015) Available at: http://hellogiggles.com/victorian-beauty-standards/2/#read (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• beautifulwithbrains (2010) Home. Available at: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/ (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• no date) Available at: http://www.xovain.com/makeup/victorian-era-beauty (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Harris, K. (2015) Victorian Hairstyles: A short history, in photos. Available at: http://www.whizzpast.com/victorian-hairstyles-a-short-history-in-photos/ (Accessed: 28 January 2016).

Moodboard

For our homework we had to create a moodboard about the novel and character that we chose. 

I chose Frankenstein and decided to focus in on the Creature, so I researched into different portrayals of the Creature in film and theatre to see how the appearance has changed and varied over the years. There is no typical look for the Creature in the portrayals, although some may exhibit similar features  (like Boris Karloff's Monster and Lon Chaney Jr's or Robert Di Nero's and Benedict Cumberbatch/Johnny Lee Miller's). Some portrayals make him look more like a Monster (as he is seen through the eyes of his creator Frankenstein), whereas some portray him to be more human-like in appearance just disfigured by scars. 

I also included some pictures of portrayals of Frankenstein and his female creation ('The Bride of Frankenstein') to show how they have also been portrayed. The Bride of Frankenstein is as popular as  Frankenstein's Monster in modern culture- especially as Halloween costumes. I thought that the two different makeup looks for the female characters were interesting as they are on completely different levels. Elsa Lancaster's portrayal was very glamorous and pristine, creating a 'perfect' companion for the Creature, but on the other hand Helena Bonham Carter's bride was disfigured and scarred- much like the makeup for the male counterpart. 

Bride of Frankenstein

In the novel, The Creature insists that Frankenstein make him a bride so that he can be happy. Frankenstein makes the trip to Scotland in order to fulfil his request, but at the last minute destroys the body of the woman he has made because he believes that the female could wreak even more havoc than her male counterpart. Even though she is destroyed in the book, she is featured in numerous film adaptations of the novel and is a popular Halloween costume.

Below is Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein, in the film of the same name which featured Boris Karloff's second portrayal of The Monster. 

February 2014 at chapter (2014) Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/377669118723361435/ (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

This makeup is the typical look that we see for creating The Bride of Frankenstein in modern culture, especially the frizzed hair with white highlights on the side. In comparison to The Monster, The Bride is very pretty and looks as though she has minimal scarring - especially on her face. As the Bride was made because of the need of the male Monster, the way that she is made to look beautiful shows that her character is only there to look pretty for the male character. Furthermore the fact that she is so pretty in comparison, could be symbolic of the fact that the Monster doesn't even need to look good for her  but she does for him. Even her name shows that she is made solely for the males in the film, the use of 'of' makes her the property of both Frankenstein and the Monster.

Below is a look that MAC did in 2013 for Halloween, creating a Bride of Frankenstein. The entire look was done without using special effect makeup, just MAC products that are available to the wider public- as shown in the video below.

Panych, S. (2013) Oscar-Winning makeup artist scares up Halloween collection with M.A.C. Available at: http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/10/rick-baker-collaborates-with-mac.html (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

MAC Cosmetics (2013) M∙A∙C Rick Baker - how to create the monster’s bride. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsfqJsv5w50 (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

In the Kenneth Branagh version of Frankenstein, he tries to reanimate Elizabeth after The Creature kills her on their wedding night. The transformation into the female creature makes her look a lot like  the male creature, and more realistic in terms of stitching together body parts to make another body. The use of the visible stitching makes her look disfigured, and so much like The Creature so that they almost look like their own species, and the product of Frankenstein. 

Davies, J. (2005) Horror makeups | Frankensteins’s brides | Helena Bonham Carter in ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/horror/bride/frankhbc.htm
 (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

What is Gothic Horror?

Gothic Horror originates from Gothic Literature, with 'The Castle of Otranto' by  Horace Walpole being regarded as the first ever Gothic Novel, with the subtitle to his novel being 'A Gothic Story' (The origins of the Gothic, no date). After the publication of this, the Gothic genre became its own. 

Typical features of Gothic novels are; the supernatural (or at least the prospect of something supernatural happening), castles, mystery, a damsel in distress or wild landscapes/weather episodes (Elements of the Gothic novel, no date)

'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen is an example of a novel that can be seen to be Gothic due to the number of typical Gothic devices that are used - however taking those away it just becomes a typical novel about a girl finding a husband. The way in which Jane Austen uses the Gothic devices almost creates a comic and parody effect, and thus makes the main character Catherine look rather foolish as a result. One example of this is Catherine's interpretation of why General Tilney does not display a portrait of his late wife; "A portrait - very like- of a departed wife, not valued by her husband! - He must have been dreadfully cruel to her!" ((Austen, 1992)p132) Her interpretation of General Tilney not displaying a portrait of his wife must be that he had something to do with her death- especially because she died suddenly- which Henry Tilney disregards as foolishness. "What have you been judging from? Remember the country and the age in which we live. Remember that we are English, that we are Christians. Consult your own understanding, your own sense of the probable, your own observation of what is passing around you - Does our education prepare us for such atrocities? Do our laws connive at them?" ((Austen, 1992) p144). Henry's reaction just shows that Catherine's reading of Gothic novels is causing her to over think and apply the situations that happen in Gothic Novels to real life- when in reality there is no foul play. By having her main protagonist be this foolish, it highlights how inconceivable the typical elements of Gothic novels are when applied to normal life. 

These Gothic novels were the starting point for the genre to develop with time, and for films to eventually be made of the same genre. The novels that are the most famous for being adapted into or inspiring film versions are Dracula and Frankenstein, with multiple versions being released over the years. In modern society however, horror films have changed the typical premise from monsters and the unknown to being more about psychological thrillers and twisting normal elements of everyday society. Nowadays horror is more accessible to the public so writers need to find different ways to shock and scare the audiences, even going as far to use typical Gothic elements to make parody films to 'poke fun' at the genre. Some film companies however still go back to the great Gothic novels and create another adaptation - which is most likely a twist of the original plot to make it 'different' to the others we have all seen. 

'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley

Mary Godwin came up with the idea for Frankenstein one night whilst staying with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley in Geneva. As those in his company were authors, Lord Byron suggested a ghost writing contest to pass the time, and thus Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein. Initially the contest was only supposed to be of a short story, but Percy Shelley convinced her to adapt it into a full novel. When Frankenstein was originally published there was no name connected to it, which caused much speculation as to whether the book was actually written by Mary Shelley. 

The title of the book 'Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus', is one of the first things that the reader sees when they open the book. This implants the idea of 'playing God' into the mind of the reader from the outset of the novel, and also creates a link between the character of Frankenstein and Prometheus, thus causing the reader's opinion to already be a negative one. The myth of Prometheus tells the story of how Prometheus stole fire from the Gods, but by taking this power he was punished by being chained to a rock and having his liver pecked out by an eagle by day and have it grow back by night. Having Frankenstein tied to this myth from the outset foreshadows the eventual actions and fate of the titular character. 

The novel deals with numerous themes, each of which have a significant place within the plot. The themes which stand out the most to me are; women/mothers - or more specifically the lack of them in the novel-the lack of mothers in the plot is the key theme that brings the Creature to life, along with Frankenstein's need to 'play God'. The absence of a mother is seen to be the reason behind the violent behaviour of the Creature, and as to why Frankenstein decided on creating him in the first place due to his want to re-animate life after his mother's death. Another important theme is death; with the Creature being made from death and also causing death to those around him, which is also a symmetry with Frankenstein's life. The final theme I found to be important was sexuality. This theme does connect with the theme of mothers and how Frankenstein wanted to make a life without the need for a woman. He also makes excuses to not marry Elizabeth right away, and finds ways to not include her where he does include Henry Clerval- which could be him avoiding his sexuality and trying to fit in with the society in the novel.