Clara Reeve\\\'s The Old English Baron

In her late eighteenth century novel that was formative in creating the Gothic genre that remains highly popular. Although mild by 21st century standards, The Old English Baron did contain enough supernatural content concerning Sir Philip Harclay's adventures and struggles with the supernatural to attract a large readership when it was published, and these same attributes still attract readers today. This paper provides a personal reaction to this novel, on its own, followed by a discussion concerning what this author thought of Reeve's relatively low-intensity supernatural descriptions. Finally, an analysis concerning whether the plot resolution can be regarded as comedy or a heroic romance is followed by a summary of the research and salient findings concerning these issues in the conclusion.

Q1. How did you react to The Old English Baron, on its own?

Answer No. 1: Overall, I enjoyed reading this story despite its excessive verbosity and flowery verbiage, which of course would go on to become fundamental attributes of the Gothic genre. There was an abundance of detailed descriptions and colorful character development that helps motivate readers to not only continue reading, but to learn more about this romantic period in history through additional outside research. In addition, the fictionalized historical aspects of the storyline were especially entertaining and helped provide the plot with the credibility intended by Reeves.

Answer No. 2: Even on its own and without the author's preface as well as her dedication and "address to the reader" in the appendixes to help place the storyline and characters in context, The Old English Baron was still a page-turner. Even in the face of seemingly overwhelming adversity, including the deaths of many of the people he held most dear such as his childhood friend, Arthur Lord Lovel, Sir Philip Harclay remains undaunted but even more significantly, he remains unswervingly polite, dignified and mannerly throughout the entire ordeal irrespective of the circumstances in the true spirit of chivalry. In fact, most of the characters, particularly Edmund, positively ooze with the politeness that was characteristic of the medieval court and the realistic mannerisms and vernacular that Reeves employs makes the story all the more compelling. In sum, the redemptive and "they-lived-happily-ever-after" aspects of the ending were more than worth the effort to reach.

Q2. What did you think of Reeve's relatively low-intensity supernatural in The Old English Baron?

Answer No. 1: As supernatural events go, the lordly ghost was in fact a relatively low-intensity supernatural account that was stereotypical of hauntings caused by vengeful spirits. For instance, Reeves writes: "Soon after, it was reported that the castle was haunted, and that the ghosts of Lord and Lady Lovel had been seen by several of the servants. Whoever went into this apartment were terrified by uncommon noises, and strange appearances; at length this apartment was wholly shut up, and the servants were forbid to enter it, or to talk of anything relating to it" (29).

Moreover, even the several encounters with the "noble ghost" that followed were fairly benign. Nevertheless, for people who still believed in ubiquitous evil spirits and burned witches at the stake in obedience of the biblical command that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," these supernatural events would likely be truly terrifying and they still make for enjoyable reading today as well as when the novel was first published in the late 18th century. By that time, most of the remaining vestiges of superstition had been eradicated from society but it is reasonable to suggest that contemporary readers readily understood and appreciated the various reactions of the characters to their supernatural encounters.

Answer No. 2: The low-intensity supernatural encounters described in The Old English Baron are just scary enough to attract modern readers. After all, everyone likes to be scared within controlled limits, otherwise no one would ride roller coasters, watch horror movies, climb mountains, skydive, or patronize haunted houses on Halloween. The supernatural events in this novel are certainly within controlled limits.

Indeed, even Oswald, a confidante of Edmund, conceded that while encountering an armor-clad ghost would be cause for alarm, the fact that it did not appear to be especially malevolent should have reassured the witnesses and prevented them for alarming the household as a result. For instance, Reeves writes that when Oswald demanded, "What have you seen, gentlemen?" and Markham replied, "The ghost!," he merely inquired, "Did it speak to you?" and "Did it follow you?" When Markham replied in the negative to these questions, Oswald scolded his son, Wenlock and Markham by stating that, "Then you need not have raised such a disturbance."

Q3. How would you analyze the plot resolution -- more as the resolution of a comedy or of a heroic romance? Did you like it?

Answer No. 1: Taken together, the resolution of the plot in The Old English Baron should be regarded as the resolution of a heroic romance along the lines of "Hamlet" or West Side Story" with Edmund Twyford's marriage to Emma, Baron Fit-Owen's daughter. Likewise, the manner in which Edmund succeeds in overcoming his humble origins to assume his "rightful station in life" is another good example of a resolution of a heroic romance. Despite the significant lack of suspense leading up to this resolution, it was gratifying to learn that those who deserved their comeuppance received it and those who deserved redemption were redeemed in the classic ending to these types of novels.

Answer No. 2: In reality, there was nothing especially comedic about the plot resolution of The Old English Baron. Notwithstanding the tendency of Reeves to attempt to wrap everything up in a neat little package at the end of her story, much to the satisfaction of most readers presumably, the resolution of the plot in this novel was characteristic of a heroic romance for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Reeves provides a Horatio Alger type of outcome for Edmund whose character and nobility shone through his humble origins. Indeed, Reeves makes several references to the fact that Edmund's personal attributes clearly cut him out for better things in life than being a servant and his appropriate station in life is finally achieved in the end despite the jealousy and resentment of his former superiors.

Likewise, devotion, loyalty and faithful service and even disabling conditions suffered in the service of nobles by subordinates are returned in kind with a lifetime of security and affection in ways that would make most modern corporations and the Department of Veterans Affairs blush with shame. The honor and righteousness combined with the intrigue and supernatural elements contained in the plot resolution make it clear that this novel is a heroic romance that helped set the standard for other Gothic novels that followed.