The name Ann Radcliffe rings a familiar note for everyone interested in Gothic literature - however, she is not a figure popular only among fans of the particular genre. Having utilised her vivid imagination and exceptional linguistic skills, Radcliffe became one of the most notable authors in the 18th century. Nonetheless, despite her wide recognition still being mainly associated with the realm of the supernatural, the versality of her abilities allowed her to appropriate eclectic elements of different kinds of fiction into her own work.
Born in London in the second half of the 18th century, the author grew up during the times of the birth and development of Gothic literature. Her interest in writing, however, seems to be circumstantial rather than influenced by the artistic environment of her time. As a wife of a journalist who used to spend most of his day at work, to distract herself from indifference and loneliness, Mrs Radcliffe picked up the pen and began to write short stories, and later longer pieces, of her own (with the encouragement of her husband).
Although the aforementioned talent of Ann Radcliffe is broadly known, apart from the details of her beginnings as an author, not much can be acknowledged regarding the writer's personal life. Not only did Radcliffe not strive to become a public persona; she was also a deeply enigmatic figure, keen on maintaining her privacy, to the point of desperately seeking seclusion.
Due to the rather poor level of understanding mental conditions at the time, as well as numerous rumours steaming from the public's desire to learn more about the secretive Radcliffe, the author's sudden disappearance from the literary scene almost three decades before her death, provoked the widely believed assumption that she had fallen into insanity as a result of the nature and content of her own writing.
No biographer was ever able to obtain the amount of information sufficient to either confirm or disprove such innuendos – one can only assume that it was Radcliffe's reserved personality that she chose to live in accordance with, meaning she would not continue her literary career (although generally stripped from fame and public appearances) as a result. The cause of her death cannot be asserted with certainty as well, albeit respiratory problems seem to be the option that is universally agreed upon.
Nevertheless, despite Ann Radcliffe's ambiguous persona, her literary work remains popular to this day, and attained universal acclaim (Radcliffe is regarded as one of the pioneers of her genre), influencing several later authors, not necessarily associated with Gothic fiction.
But what would make work like Radliffe's, so strongly linked with one particular style and narrative, able to fall into a different category? How did the creative versality manifest exactly? To learn the answer (and appreciate the writer's skills even more) one should analyse „The Italian”, Radliffe's second-to-last novel, published by the end of the 18th century.
„The Italian” is usually regarded as a controversial position in the author's bibliography, as a result of a supposed anti-Catholic sentiment included on its pages. Whether such claim is true, is best left for the reader to decipher and judge; the setting and the subject matter of the novel, however, especially in the „Introduction” part, serve as a fine example of genre-fusion.
While schools of criticism do not necessarily form a different literary genre, applying the thought usually related to one particular genre into another – where possible – can provide a deeper or disparate understanding of the topic. Such is the case with the discussed work of Ann Radcliffe, when it is being examined from a postcolonial perspective.
The subject of the analysis is the „Introduction”, as it portrays the disparities in understanding certain behaviours by two separate cultures.
As the title of the novel suggests, the story takes place in Italy, more specifically, in Santa Maria del Pianto church, in the second half of the 18th century (the timing, yet again, is set in the age of the highest popularity of the Gothic fiction, but also during the time of the British Empire being one of the world's greatest powers, and still governing the United States).
In short, the fragment discusses the experience of English tourists visiting the church together with their Italian friend. While, obviously, Italy was not ruled by Great Britain, one can assume the choice of the location (whether conscious or not – despite the discussed example of literary diversity, „The Italian” is still considered to be Gothic fiction, and the reader can simply conclude that Italian architecture provided an appropriate setting for such story) was supposed to be a metaphor for the great influence of colonialism; even those not affected by it in a traditional sense, can still experience its authority.
The postcolonial perspective can first be applied when the travellers spot a figure they believe is extraordinary for the place (the church belongs to a convent):
„Within the shade of the portico, a person with folded arms, and eyes directed towards the ground, was pacing behind the pillars the whole extent of the pavement, and was apparently so engaged by his own thoughts, as not to observe that strangers were approaching. He turned, however, suddenly, as if startled by the sound of steps, and then, without further pausing, glided to a door that opened into the church, and disappeared.”
A monk the group encounters a while later calmly explains that the person they have seen is an assassin.
The Englishmen have trouble believing so and do not understand how a criminal is able not only to not be locked up in jail, but also that the monk is not troubled by such situation, and, in fact, seems to be content with it.
Such surprise does not show disparities in morality between the tourists and the monk (the Italian man travelling with the English is also not startled by the presence of the assassin), as they both agree that he is a criminal. However, while the tourists show indignation at the fact he is allowed to live with the convent, the locals explain their perspective.
No one can be harmed inside the church, and – as they saw the assassin as a human first, and as a criminal later – they provided him with the shelter he was looking for. The Italians are shocked the English when they explain that the criminal is provided with food. While one can agree with the tourists at this point, especially after learning that the monks feed the man because of the seemingly ridiculous assumption that the city would die out otherwise, since the assassinations are so frequent, such attitude represents the locals' beliefs.
The situation can be perceived by the reader as a symbol for how the colonised societies are generally made to follow a justice code that is not easily understood and foreign to them. It also portrays the metaphorical colonists as those who abide justice, and the colonised as the people that are guided by their feelings and beliefs.
The Englishmen are then left speechless, and their Italian friend steers their attention to a different part of the building:
„'But observe yonder confessional,’ added the Italian, ‘that beyond the pillars on the left of the aisle, below a painted window. Have you discovered it? The colours of the glass throw, instead of light, a shade over that part of the church, which, perhaps, prevents your distinguishing what I mean!'”
The tourists study the confessional in silence for a moment, but when they finally speak up, they seem to come back to the previous discussion.
They notice that the door reminds them of those the assassination passed through earlier. The entire place also supposedly looks so scary that it would undoubtedly frighten any criminal.
Therefore, yet another analogy between real colonialism and the fictional story can be drawn.
There colonised places can be, undeniably, interesting, charming the foreign visitors with their initially mysterious and ambiguous nature; they can also serve a specific purpose, important for the locals (just like a confessional is where a confession takes place). The colonialists, however, appear to fail to acknowledge the characteristics of the land for what they are, and instead compare them to what they know from their homeland. As much as such reaction can be understandable (seeking comfort in what is known), what is suggested in the text („‘Well, but what of this confessional?’ enquired the Englishman. ‘The assassin entered it!’”) is the Englishmen' immediate negative reaction to the novelty. This, yet again, symbolises that, in the mind of the colonisers, the role of law – the law that they practise – is what dictates their views on the surroundings.
Finally, the Italian yet again tries to draw his friends' attention to the confessional itself. He reveals that it has not been used in a few years, but that he would like to share a story about it and certain „extraordinary circumstances” connected to it.
The group agrees, but one of the tourists mentions that, for what he knows, the confession should always remain a secret between the believer and the priest. The Italian agrees, but indicates that there are cases in which what has been said can be revealed and that, when he shares the story, no one will be surprised or irked by this fact.
The similarity that can be drawn between actual colonisers and the characters in the story is, as in the previously mentioned cases, that the division that emerges is connected to the original set of beliefs of both parties, although this time the colonisers are surprised at the advancement that the locals have made. It should be noted that in the story, the Englishmen are not eager to object or refuse to learn whatever their friend wants to share – they simply note that, according to them, such secrets should not be revealed, but are open to discovering the circumstances in which the rule does not apply. In reality, the colonised also did possess things, usually material, like fabrics and spices, that the „guests” find valuable or interesting, and were willing to learn more about them.
To summarize, the skills and literary talent of Ann Radcliffe allowed her to create a novel that undeniably belongs to the world of Gothic literature, yet its specific parts, when analysed separately, create an excess of diverse meanings and ways in which the work can be understood. Nowadays, when the ear of classically understood imperialism has come to an end, the initial part of „The Italian” provides the reader with an opportunity to understand the issue first hand – as written about by a person who lived in the times of interest.
Certainly, postcolonial criticism is only one of the ways in which the novel can be deconstructed and explained. It might be, however, one of the most interesting and intriguing interpretations, thanks to the visible division between „us” and „them” and the time of setting, as well as the original creation.
