Gothic and Historical Displacement - Assignment Example

Introduction Historical displacement is a Gothic trope that was used, in which people and situations were placed into historical periods, when, in actuality, these people and situations belonged in contemporary times, not in the time in which they were set. In this way, Gothic fiction used the past to comment upon the present. This is a trope that is used effectively in The Piano, a 1993 film by Jane Campion. The Piano is set during the Victorian age, yet centers around a female who is not only independent and scornful of patriarchy, but also bore a child out of wedlock. Holly Hunter's Ada ignores her husband, makes passionate love to Baines, and focuses her life around her piano and her daughter, instead of doing the usual female chores of keeping the home and servicing the husband. While she was the most prominent of the historically displaced characters, the other characters, too, belong to contemporary times, much more than Victorian times. This paper will explore the nature of Gothic historical displacement, and carefully examine how The Piano carries on this Gothic tradition. Gothic and Historical Displacement The Gothic form is known for its sense of historical displacement, as the novels set during the Gothic times were antithetical to the time period in which they were set. For instance, according to Azzam (2007), times that were “orderly, simple, pure, modern, civilized, [and] elegant” (Azzam, 2007) – such as the classical period, were portrayed as “chaotic, ornate, convoluted, excessive, uncivilized, barbaric, crude, archaic and aristocratic” (Azzad, 2007). In other words, the Gothic novels portrayed darkness when the conventional wisdom of the day portrayed light. These were novels that were set in the past, that were used to comment upon present events - such as novels written during the French Revolution, while these novels were set during a time during the past, thus making the inquiry historical. At the same time, they were contemporary allegories, which means that they have a sense of historical displacement which is used to comment upon present events (Azzad, 2007). Examples of historical displacement that was used to comment upon contemporary society includes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, in which Frankenstein's monster is used as a cautionary tale to contemporary society, in the event that contemporary society might want to tinker with nature. Another example is The Castle of Otranto, a complicated story about politics, inheritance and betrayal. Azzad (2007) states that this novel, which is set in the past, was a commentary upon contemporary English nationalism based upon blood rights (Azzad, 2007). This historical displacement is a technique which is used in The Piano, a film which is considered to be Gothic, because of its use of violence and the Gothic elements, such as “a journey, a forest, a cottage in the woods, a magical object, a prince, a kiss and happy ever after, all made strange by obsession, the compelling force of thought” (Riu, 2000). The Piano is a film that is deliberately dark, in that the setting is dark and rainy, which heightens the Gothic feel of the film. It is not until the very end, when Ada is finally free to indulge her love for Baines, does the film become light, and this is a technique that feels decidedly Gothic in nature. And, like the Gothic novels of old, The Piano makes use of historical displacement to get its message across. The Piano and Historical Displacement One of the key issues that The Piano explores is that of feminism. This is an example of historical displacement in that the Victorian age in which the film is set was not known for their feminist women. This was an age that was before women's suffrage and well before the sexual revolution, yet Ada embodied the sensibilities and values of the modern woman. In this way, the film makes comment upon the modern woman's struggles against patriarchy and the modern woman's desire to be sexually awakened and not have to live in a loveless marriage. These are unheard of behaviors and values for women living during the 1850s, which is when this particular movie was set, as this was a time when women were not just essentially property of a man, but were literally property of a man. It was time when a woman can be arranged to be married by her father to somebody that she has never met. And for a woman to behave like Ada would be unheard of. There are many instances in the film where Ada showed a modern woman sensibility that would surely be shocking for the time. It is made clear, at the beginning of the film, that Ada is not a Victorian-age shrinking violet, as the men who bring her to shore offer to have her stay with them until Alistair, her husband-to-be, can come and get them. Ada tells the men in no uncertain terms that she would rather be “boiled then get back in your stinking tub” (The Piano). This is the first indication, the the viewer, that Ada is not a woman who will submit to patriarchy. It is almost a bit sad, in this instance, as the man was trying to be kind in offering to protect Ada and her young daughter, Flora, as there was no indication that Alistair would be able to get to Ada and Flora anytime soon. Yet, Ada patently rejects the man, thus patently rejecting patriarchal protection. Actually, the viewer is attuned to the fact that Ada is not necessarily a weak Victorian-era woman when it is discovered, in the opening frame, that Ada is a highly trained pianist. In modern times, with her degree of talent, Ada would be a classical pianist. She is passionate when playing her piano, and this is not something that a typical Victorian-era woman might do, for pursuing an instrument with such passionate abandon might have been frowned upon in an age when women are supposed to be seen and not heard. However, Ada's voice is her piano, this is how she expresses herself, as she unable to speak. Ada also has shown herself to be an atypical Victorian-era woman just by the fact that she has a daughter and no husband. One might assume, because this film was set during the Victorian era, that Ada had a husband, and perhaps he died, and that is why she is a single-mother. However, it is soon apparent that this is not the case, despite the fact that Flora relays a story that Ada was married to a man who was struck by lightning and died, which rendered Ada speechless. The actual story, which is told by Ada to Flora, was that Flora's father and Ada never married. This is another example of a feminist touch to the film which takes the film out of the Victorian era, and makes a comment on the modern era. This thread continues as Ada pursues a passionate relationship with Baines, while ignoring her husband, for whom Ada does not care. Yet again, Ada is acting out of the conventions for the age in which she lives, and acts more like a modern woman. As stated before, Ada would have been considered to be Alistair's property when she married him, so her ignoring her husband and pursuing passion with another man would be antithetical for a woman of that age. In short, Ada was a modern woman who was historically displaced in the Victorian era. This is even shown in the anachronistic body of Holly Hunter, as she is shown to have muscular arms during the nude scene with Harvey Keitel's Baines. It is as Campion is showing the reader that Ada is a woman of a different time, specifically, that she is a modern woman. As such, Campion is commenting on the modern woman through Ada – just as Ada refuses patriarchy, pursues her passion and is sexually liberated, so should the modern woman follow Ada's lead. It is only through Ada pursuing her passions of the piano and Baines, and leaving behind her loveless marriage to Alistair, does Ada find true happiness and fulfillment. Campion seems to be instructing the modern woman that she must pursue her passions and her dreams, and if a woman's marriage is not satisfying, then the woman should pursue other sexual liaisons which are. Ada always remains in her truth, in that she refuses to be somebody she is not. She is a passionate woman who loves the piano, does not love Alistair, and does love Baines, and she would not try to force herself into prescribed roles because society would will it. Neither should modern women, seems to be message put forth by Campion. This type of historical displacement is similar to other Gothic novels, argues Riu (2000). In particular, the Bronte sisters infused their novels with heroines who were displaced from another time. Their Gothic novels centered around women who rejected motherhood, wanted to control patriarchal estates, struggles against religious forces, wanted to overthrow the suffocation and claustrophobia of nuclear families and celebrated women's education (Riu, 2000). In this way, Ada's character echoes those of the Bronte sisters in their Gothic novels Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Just as the heroines in these Gothic novels are heroines who were historically displaced, in that they possessed independence and liberation that was unheard of, Ada possesses these same qualities, so the historical displacement of the Gothic novels is central to the plot in The Piano. The character of Alistair, Ada's husband, is another anachronism, thus showing another example of Gothic historical displacement. As this was a time of Victorian patriarchy, which would necessarily mean that Alistair should have the strength in the family, not Ada, and that Alistair owns Ada, therefore would presumably should be able to force Ada to submit to his sexual wills, Alistair proves to be a historical displacement because he is ineffectual, weak and patiently waits for Ada to open up to him. Macassey states that Campion actually envisioned Alistair, a man who appears to be in his 40s, as a virgin (Macassey). This the irony in the situation, in that Ada was clearly not a virgin, and has had sex out of wedlock, yet her husband, a handsome, middle-aged man, is the sexually inexperienced one of the two. While this does not necessarily denote historical displacement, in that the modern man would not be a virgin in his 40s, it does imply historical displacement in another way. And this is that Alistair, in the Victorian age, would be the embodiment of the patriarchal structure, and, as such, would most likely be expected to force himself upon Ada. After all, according to Hendershot (1995), Alistair was representative not just of the patriarchy of that time, but is also symbolic of the British colonialism/imperialism (Hendershot, 1995). Just as the British forced themselves upon the New Zealand land, thus stealing the land and marginalizing the native Maori people (Hendershot, 1995), Alistair would be expected to do the same with Ada. That he does not is more fitting of a modern male, in that forcing oneself onto a woman, even a wife, is a crime, so Alistair is a historical displacement in this way. Again, the desexualization of Alistair is a technique that was borrowed from Gothic novels. Hendershot (1995) states that “the desexualization of the demon masculinity” is a staple of Gothic novels such as The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Monk, as well as Jane Eyre and Dracula (Hendershot, 1995). As in the novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, in which the female is independent and free-spirited and rejects patriarchal structures, therefore is strong, Hendershot states that a similar dynamic is at work in The Piano. And that is that Alistair is not only desexualized, but is also emasculated, in that he needs a wife to embolden his own masculinity (Hendershot, 1995). That Alistair is looking to bolster his masculinity in a patriarchal society, where it is just assumed that the man is masculine and effectual, is another example of historical displacement which has borrowed its subtext from earlier Gothic novels which portray the same thing. The other central character in the film, Baines, represents another historical displacement of sorts. Baines was initially portrayed as a bit of wild sort, uncouth and outside of British society. His people were the Maori, as he wore the Maori symbols on his face, was able to communicate with the Maori and it seemed that the local Maori accepted him as one of their own. However, upon meeting Ada, Baines showed a different side, and it is a side that is known in modern-day as “the sensitive man.” Baines appears to become interested in Ada because of her passion with the piano, therefore he takes notice of Ada's talent, an aspect which apparently escapes Ada's husband. He is so intrigued with Ada, in fact, that he gives up 80 acres of land so that he could be with her, as this was what he bartered to Alistair for possession of the piano. After Ada and Baines begin an affair, he attempts to call it off because he feels that perhaps she does not really care for him, that she is simply using him for sex. Baines truly falls in love with Ada, and the viewer is never quite sure that Ada returns the sentiment until Ada sends the piano key with her message of love to Baines. When Ada goes away, and Baines feels that he might never see her again, he goes into a deep depression, in which he does not eat or sleep. Yet, Baines is sacrificing as well – he knows that Ada is married, and that Flora is attached to Alistair, and his guilt about this eventually consumes him, which causes him to give her up. In short, Baines embodies what today's woman might long for in a man – he is rugged yet sensitive, sacrificing and loving, and identifies with the underdog instead of the white hierarchy. Baines is not necessarily what might be expected of an actual man of that period who lives among the Maoris, for it is doubtful that such a man would have the kind of aesthetic sensibility and capacity for love as does Baines. Therefore, Baines is a historical displacement, one that comments upon the contemporary man. The message is to men is that they should take note of their lady's accomplishments, take an interest in her passions and be a sacrificing, unconditional lover and, if they do, the woman will literally lose a finger to be with them. Another aspect of the film that is not necessarily a historical displacement, in that the actions do belong in the Victorian time, yet is still an effective commentary on the contemporary world, is the relationship between the Maori people and the whites in this film. All through the film, there is an undercurrent of racism both overt and subtle. Baines apparently took the land that belonged to the Maori, which was apparently fine, since Baines was effectively one of them, but, when he gave the land to Alistair, the Maori wanted the land back. Alistair can't understand this, because, after all, the Maori do nothing to improve the land, so why would they want it? The Maori also seem to be essentially slaves to Alistair, as they do labor for him, like bring Ada's possessions to the home, but there is no indication that they are paid for it. However, at the same time that there is racism, there is also a peculiar type of integration as well. The Maoris joke with Alistair, seem to be almost brothers with Baines, and appear throughout the film to interact with the whites on a friendly basis. In one of the comedic scenes in the film, the Maori's integration with the whites causes a near-riot, as they are invited to Bluebeard, a play in which the main character pretends to take an ax to his wife after she finds out that he killed his past wives as well. The Maoris take this very seriously, and attack the man, who is appearing to attack a woman behind a sheet. It is only after meeting the women who portrayed the “beheaded” wives that the Maoris calm down. Therefore, The Piano blends historical displacement with historical accuracy in this film, assuming that the Maori did not get along with the whites who conquered them and attempted to reign over them. Probably the historical accuracy was the racism, and the historical displacement was the friendliness that the Maori had with the whites. At any rate, the portrayal of the Maori, and how they were driven from their land and enslaved, was meant to be a commentary on contemporary racial relations, for the dominant white society has continued to marginalize minorities. Perhaps the friendly relationship shown was how Campion demonstrated that racial relationships should resemble, and the racism shows how contemporary society really is. At the same time, the portrayal of the Maori, and how Alistair and Baines took their land through “fraudulent exchanges” was meant to show the illegitimacy of how the land in New Zealand came to be in the possession of the white man, and this is a comment that has resonance with contemporary society as well (Faust, 2009). Kelly (2001) might argue that the entire film is a historical displacement, in that the themes that they portray – sex and violence – as a backdrop to romance is a decidedly modern phenomenon (Kelly, 2001). The earlier age in which the story was set would have portrayed romance with a sense of love and adventure. Ada and Baines might have found love, but, at least in the beginning, it was more a matter of lust and sex. There was no indication that Ada actually loved Baines as much as she had a need for him and his masculine touch. Baines sensed this, as he stated that he could no longer see Ada if she did not care for him, and that he felt that their “arrangement” made a prostitute of her. Likewise, the sensational and gruesome violence, when Alistair chopped off Ada's finger, is a conceit that belongs in today's genre, as opposed to the romantic tales of old. That the story centers around unbridled, out of wedlock, lust and graphic violence puts the story squarely into the realm of the modern, thus embodying another anachronism that would be considered to be a historical displacement. Conclusion The Gothic tales of old used the device of historical displacement to illustrate points about contemporary society. Just as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights makes commentaries about feminism, when the setting of their novels were pre-feminism, The Piano does the same. Its commentary is relevant to contemporary society, even though the film was set during the Victorian period. From the passionate, free-spirited heroine who probably did not exist during this time, to the sensitive “native” man who probably also did not exist, The Piano used historical displacement to tell its tale of passion, betrayal and violence. The characters did not seem to fit into the Victorian age, simply due to the fact that they were not, in fact, Victorian, but, contemporary characters who were placed in a Victorian setting. This kind of trope therefore hearkens back to the Gothic tales that do the same. Sources Used Azzam, J. (2007) The alien within: Post-colonial Gothic and the politics of home. Avalable at: http://gradworks.umi.com/3300570.pdf, pp. 1-288. Faust, G. (2009) The Piano: Defining the “national.” TCNJ Journal of Student Scholarship, XI: 1- 4. Hendershot, C. (1995) Masculinity and the Gothic. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/2346/8616, pp. 1-410. Kelly, D. (1997) The lady in the frame: Two portraits by Henry James and Jane Campion. Available at: http://escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/SSE/article/viewFile/522/494 Macassey, O. Carnal (un)knowing: the structural function of the erotic in the period film. Available at: http://escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/SSE/article/viewFile/522/494 Riu, C. (2000) Two Gothic feminist texts: Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and the film, The Piano, by Jane Campion. Atlantis, XXII.1: 164-173. Read More