The Romance of the Forest Literary Elements

The gothic novel

France, the 18th century

The author uses third-person narration. But he doesn’t “open” to the reader all the characters’ souls: as for Adeline, Madame de La Motte and some others – the author describes their feelings, their plans in different situations, but as for the marquis, Adeline’s father and others, Radcliffe doesn’t describe their intentions, thus making the story more unpredictable.

The work is written in true romantic, gothic style: the text is filled with lyrical digressions, artistic elements, the events are often depicted in contrast with other ones (for instance, gloomy abbey and beautiful, bright nature). The characters are endowed with too many heroic, “dramatic” traits of character. Thus the story has festive, solemn mood.

The main protagonist of the story is Adeline and the main antagonist is the marquis. As for the La Mottes, they don’t have a stable “position”: first they are devoted to Adeline, then they decide to “work” with the marquis, and then they again come back to Adeline.

The major conflict takes place between Adeline and the marquis: he wants her to be his paramour, but she resists it with all her forces.

The culmination of the story happens on the night when the marquis decides for sure to ravish Adeline. After the woman gets to know about it, she escapes and, furthermore, does as much as possible to be with her love Theodore, but not with the man she hates.

The story has a mostly narrative tone, but the author shows how pure can stay the soul of a man even under the pressure of difficulties, betrayals, and the darkness of the world. The bright example of this is the protagonist of the story – Adeline.

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The author very often uses lyrical digressions, both prosaic and poetic ones. She quotes Guyot de Pitaval, Shakespeare and many other writers in the story.

See imagery section

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The author uses this method in the descriptions of the abbey, gloomy and grey, in opposing to the nature, bright and light. Also she uses this method in this phrase: “To them [to Theodore and Adeline] the absence of the Marquis was short, though long to Madame La Motte.” Thus she shows the hearts of people who love each other: they don’t notice the course of time, when they’re together.

The author sometimes uses these methods such as in the phrase “They were strangers to man!” while talking about the La Mottes. Thus she shows that the family is really lonely in this world, she wants to highlight this loneliness.

The author often personifies the nature, as in “Nature had impressed upon his heart (Pierre de la Motte), austerity anticipated an earthly purgatory.” Thus, Radcliffe shows the power of this element.