Anti-Gothic Gothic Animals in Mary Wollstonecraft's <i>Maria</i> (1798)

Mary Wollstonecraft's Maria can be considered both gothic and anti-gothic, in that it both evokes and subverts gothic imagery in order to emphasize women's oppression. Throughout the novel, Wollstonecraft employs gothic iconography while simultaneously dismissing gothic sensationalism for its failure to capture women's real-world subjugation; thus, an “anti-gothic gothic” perspective characterizes her depiction of the dark realities of Enlightenment society. The animals that feature in Maria are likewise anti-gothic gothic animals. Important signifiers in gothic texts, animals are commonly used to contribute to atmospheres of tension and disquiet. Maria employs animals ironically, using moments of seemingly uncanny animal presence to expose how both humans and animals are oppressed by the power structures that govern their lives. Wollstonecraft paints a brutal picture of late eighteenth-century society, and animals are an integral part of that picture. The social world she recreates is one of deeply entrenched hierarchical violence that permeates all levels of society and radically affects the experiences of both women and animals.