Vathek Stories

How did you react to Vathek? I found Vathek to be quite a strange tale albeit with some dark humor. I am not completely sure about how I feel about it. However, I do not dislike Vathek. I found most part of the book to be odd. However, in the latter stages of the story, Beckford makes it much more appealing in a literary perspective. The main character Sultan Vathek gets into a deal with a djinn, which in the end does not end well.

However, he does lead a very wonderful and remarkable life. The condemnation of Caliph Vathek in the underground world, the delineations of hell and with every individual obtaining precisely what they deserve make the book much more appealing and interesting (Beckford 300). Bearing in mind that the tale is over 200 years old, the style of writing is quite different from the one that we use to in the present day. Subsequent to reading Vathek, my reaction to the story is that it is odd.

However, taking into account that it is set in the Gothic genre, to some extent I can say that Beckford does use his imagination remarkably. In addition, the plot thickens as the story goes on and becomes grasping. It is also satirical. It is based on Caliph Vathek, who is said to be a seeker of knowledge but at the same time loves the pleasures of the wealth. Consequently, he makes a deal with the devil that does not end well (Beckford 310). In overall, it is an interesting read.

The imagination and creation of the various characters is quite fascinating and considering that the story is two centuries old, it is a gothic account that can rival some of similar narratives in the contemporary times. Can you comment on Orientalist (exotic Eastern) setting description, and/or Gothic (horror/terror/decay) setting description in 'Vathek'? Does Beckford combine the two well? 1. In "Vathek", Beckford makes a splendid amalgamation of the Orientalist setting together with a Gothic setting.

This can be perceived in the manner in which Beckford hysterically fills up the novel with a lot of blood as also sexual aspects but towards the end delineates how Vathek and Carithis, his mother, wind up in the underworld owing to their actions, a gory ending. The representations of hell and the underworld do bring about a sense of horror and dread. He does this combining various representations of exotic sceneries, supernatural events, and measured luxury of event, personality, behavior, sentiment, and speech (Beckford 374).

The use of evil ambience, spirits, and djinns shows just how well Beckford combines the two aspects and in turn generating a fantasy story tale that has magic, horror, and romance in it (Al-Alwan 48). 2. Orientalism was quite prevalent in the 18th Century, the time when Beckford was writing "Vathek". The Middle East was represented in a typecast manner that personified a colonialist outlook. Beckford, largely in the disposition of Orientalism as he is, utilizes Orientalist metaphors in characterization.

For instance, the author has characterized the Orientals not as personalized subjects. Instead, Beckford has fallen back on stereotypical imagery in creating an Asian womanizing dictator as Vathek (Al-Alwan 45). He has managed to fuse this imagery with horror details. In particular, as the book slowly comes to an end, the djinn reveals itself and this progresses on with Vathek and his evil mother going to hell and eventually pay for what they have done. Discuss cultural appropriation in relation to Vathek 1.

Cultural appropriation encompasses espousing the aspects on of one culture by members of a different culture. One of the apparent aspects of cultural appropriation encompasses the fact that the book is written by an English novelist yet the book is set in a Muslim context. More so, the book was originally written in French. Therefore, it takes into account a tradition of French literature, yet delineates Muslim culture. This takes into account the fact that Vathek includes djinns.

The story simply appropriates the manner in which the Arabian culture perceived djinns and Beckford is not fully familiar with this element. In addition, there is the sacrifice of virgins and portraying women as being evil. These are myths that the English culture does not identify with, and simply tries to use it to suit the story tale (Sagalia 78). 2. Cultural appropriation is apparent in Vathek. Members of a culture can delineate it.