Ann Radcliffe is the founder of the gothic novel. This novel is no exception. The wicked baron murdered the good earl's father twelve years before the novel began. Only twelve years later, free from his mother's wishes, can the earl seek revenge. Meanwhile, Mary, the earl's beautiful sister is falling in love with a peasant. Yet her brother was abducted by the baron and he wants to marry her. She may have to wed him in order to secure his return. We see Mary's conflict along with a description of her brother's captivity. This book has everything: murder, revenge, battles, damsels in distress, aristocrats, captives, secrets, and, most of all, love. It is a love story in every sense: the love to the Scottish highlands in which it is set, the family love that binds almost above all else, and of course the love between men and women. This short work would later influence Radcliffe's other works. Radcliffe had an influence on Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, and many others who wrote popular gothic novels.
By : Ann Radcliffe (1764 - 1823)
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The novel tells the story of two clans, those belonging to the Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne. The narration begins by recounting the death of the "noble" old Earl of Athlin during an ambush at the hands of Malcom, Baron of Dunbayne, a "proud, oppressive, revengful" man who resented the Earl's superiority and power. Distraught at the loss of her husband and her people in the conflict, the widowed Matilda "forbore to sacrifice the lives of her few remaining people to a feeble attempt at retaliation" and withdrew from public life to raise her children in the "bosom of her people and family".
The story itself begins twelve years later with Earl's children, Osbert and Mary, now nineteen and seventeen respectively. Osbert, whom "nature had given him a mind ardent and susceptible, to which education had added refinement and expansion", learning of his father's death wishes to lead his clansmen against Dunbayne to avenge him but is forbidden by his mother. In effort to "stifle the emotions which roused him to arms" Osbert departs to wander the Highlands, where he meets by chance a young Highland peasant named Alleyn after losing his way. Alleyn offers to act as Osbert's guide through the countryside, informing the young Earl of Malcolm's poor stewardship of the surrounding lands and the people's displeasure with the Baron. The two young men are impressed by one anothers characters and Alleyn is invited to Athlin as Osbert's guest, where he takes part in the castle's martial exercises and impresses the young Mary. During the feast following the clansmen are roused again to the idea of vengeance and, despite the protestations of Matilda and Mary, Osbert agrees to lead an effort against the castle of Dunbayne.
Though both Osbert and Alleyn fight valiantly, the assault on Dunbayne is unsuccessful; a number of them clansmen are slain and both young men are captured. The attack on Malcolm's castle fails, and both Alleyn and Osbert are taken captive as prisoners of war. Matilda, desperate for the prisoners safe return, sends offers of ransom to the Baron who rejects the offers in contempt and instead settles on a scheme to capture Mary (whose beauty had "often been reported to him") to use her later a bargaining tool.
The Baron dispatches men who come across Mary whilst she is out riding. Mary attempts to escape, but is unable to outrun the men and faints in fear as the men seize her horse. A scuffle ensues as another man appears, snatching Mary away from her would be captors. Though Mary is overcome by terror the stranger is revealed to in fact be Alleyn, who has escaped Dunbayne along with the other clansmen. Mary is charmed by the young man's bravery and heroism and the two begin to fall in love, despite their seeming differences in status.
At Dunbayne, meanwhile, Malcolm is enraged to discover that his attempt to possess Mary has failed and that Alleyn and the other captives have escaped: furious at being bested, Malcolm resolves to threaten to execute Osbert if Matilda will not allow him to marry Mary. The imprisoned Osbert becomes aware that there are two ladies who appear to be also prisoners of Malcolm within the castle, and is comforted by both the idea of their presence and the beautiful music he hears from his cell. Whilst the inhabitants of Athlin attempt to lead a rescue mission for their young Earl and Mary begs to be allowed to sacrifice herself for her brothers safe return, Osbert is able to temporarily escape his cell and discover the ladies of the Castle. The women are discovered to be Louisa, the widow of the former Baron of Dunbayne and Malcolm's sister-in-law, and her beautiful daughter Laura (whose music Osbert has heard). Osbert, endeared by the oppression of the woman and enchanted by Laura, learns that on the death of his brother Malcolm immediately took possession of the castle and effectively imprisoned the Baroness and her daughter within the castle.
After many complications, Osbert is able to escape the restraints of Malcolm, whom he eventually challenges. Malcolm is then killed in the ensuing battle. Before he dies, Malcolm confesses to Louisa that her son, whom she had thought dead, was really alive. Malcolm had hidden him away with a peasant family to procure the title for himself. Laura and Osbert prepare to wed, but Mary and Alleyn are both unhappy. It is then miraculously discovered the Alleyn is in fact Philip, Louisa's long-lost son. He is recognised by his mother by a strawberry mark on his skin. This makes Alleyn the rightful Baron of Dunbayne. The novel ends with the double wedding of Laura and Osbert, and Mary and Alleyn.
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