FREE Sheridan le Fanu:in A Glass Darkly Essay (original) (raw)

In Victorian Supernatural fiction we see ourselves "in a glass darkly".
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known"1 Cor. 12.
The above is quoted from the scripture of St Paul, and appropriated or indeed somewhat misappropriated by Sheridan Le Fanu as the title for his collection of five short tales published in 1872 under the title "In a Glass Darkly". The original quote, like most things written in scripture, is a somewhat ambiguous statement; in the generally accepted meaning, however it is taken as a reference to looking through a window pane, in a somewhat cloudy manner seeing only glimpses of that which is spiritual or indeed heavenly as analogy to life on earth. The inference being that upon arriving into the lord's arms in heaven, the vision will become clear. As Robert Tracy notes in his excellent introduction to the Oxford world's classics edition of "In a Glass Darkly", Le Fenu was the son of a clergyman and raised in a very religious household and therefore would not have occasion to "misquote scripture lightly" . The "glass" of Le Fanu's is believed a mirror in which "darkly" viewed we see a darker nature to our own selves. In both of the contexts of the quote however, is the implication of the desire to no longer see "darkly". While the use of glass can be seen as having two major but somehow polar opposite uses, that of looking through and that of reflecting, material glass in actuality is a much more indistinct substance, holding the ability to be seen through and to reflect; the reflective qualities of a window becoming all the more apparent when it is, of course, dark. The idea of Le Fanu's "glass" being that of a transparent but simultaneously reflective state adds an interesting new dimension too the critical analysis of the short tales within this collection.
Sheridan Le Fanu was born 1814 in Dublin, Ireland, attended Dublin University and apart from brief periods to the contrary spent most of his life in that city; as a result much of his work is deeply entrenched in Irish folklore.

1. Le Corbusier And Ex-Urban Wright

Le Corbusier and Ex-Urban Wright 1. How is Le Corbusier's "Villa Savoye- and F.L. ... Le Corbusier creates these large open spaces with his ideas of the free plan. ... The free fazade allows Le Corbusier to create walls that are made almost entirely of glass. ... Like its Prairie House predecessors, such as the Robie House, Falling Water contains exterior walls of predominantly glass and large over-hangs, which make each level look as if it were floating above the last. ...

2. How far do you feel it is poss

Should they be taken on their merits as a delightful pieces of wonderful trivia or are they altogether darker plays, satirising the upper classes? Sheridan and Wilde both use setting, costume and scenery to comment. ... Sheridan scripted plays that he knew would appeal to his audience, much as Wilde did. ... Sheridan, son of a poor Dublin actor, used his wit to fight his way into this London elite. ... Sheridan, R.B, The School for Scandal, ed. ...

3. You Can

One of Le Guin's clearest comparisons of light and dark is when Genli Ai says, "Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness is the right hand of light. ... Le Guins message is that where there is light there is darkness. ... Le Guin uses darkness and light to show readers that there is a twist to the whole analogy of light being good and dark being bad. ... Le Guin makes sure that she shows the reader how light comes from the absence of darkness. ... Like darkness; like shadows," (Le Guin, 267). ...

4. The Left Hand Of Darkness

They are merely the framework that Le Guin uses to arrange the true story upon. ... The Left Hand of Darkness is no exception. ... Le Guin's worlds are intricately drawn and usually radically different from our own. ... When The Left Hand of Darkness was first published in 1969, to say it created a stir would be a great understatement. ... Le Guin does not beat us over the head with her ideas, however. ...

5. Le Corbusier: Influence on Urban Planning

One man who was very keen on the impact a building has on its surroundings and vice versa was Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier had such a great love of architecture, and he realized that it does not stop at the concrete slab or at the top of the tower: "Happy towns are those that have an architecture. ... He called it "Le Ville Radieuse-, or "the Radiant City-. ... Although it was an expensive lesson and not the one that Le Corbusier intended, it will always remain a part of his legacy. Whether or not Le Corbusier has deserved all the criticism has been debated. ...

6. THE GARDEN-PARTY by K.Mansfield

Setting: Sheridan Mansion: beautifull place were a rich family lives. ... Characters: Major: Laura: Daughter of the Sheridan's . ... Sheridan: Laura's mother. ... Sheridan: A person who has some feelings. ... It is usually the bush that may surround the garden of flowers , a busch being percieved as being unworthy of the flowers couls also meen to be seen as darker a darker plant not a colorfull one. ...

7. Vaux le Vicomte

The estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte is not a landmark of fame or a high amount of recognition. It lies in the shadows of Architect Louis Le Vau and landscape architect Andre Le Notre's masterpiece, the Palace of Versailles. ... The organization of Vaux-le-Vicomte is fairly simple. ... Vaux-le-Vicomte has all three of these. ... Although Le Vau and Le Notre's Vaux-le-Vicomte was a very important design for it's time, it was also revolutionary. ...

8. A Martinis Delight

The visual is a platinum coated martini glass that looks distinguishably cool and refreshing with a curled lemon rind hanging from the end. The martini glass is resting against a big bottle of Grey Goose Le Citron. ... On a much smaller scale there is a bottle of Grey Goose le Citron in the bottom right hand corner. ... They emphasize this by showing the bottle in the presence of an opulent martini glass on top of a light lemony invigorating satin table cloth. ... The other information it states in the ad describes what's in the martini glass in the picture. ...

9. Shatterd Glass

Letting you witness the unraveling of the truth from a real fake is what's at hand in the compelling and riveting drama (not to mention true story), Shattered Glass. ... From here we meet Stephen Glass, a young, hotshot writer who can win anyone over with his charm and innocent sensibilities. ... Also at hand is The New Republic's just hired editor, Chuck Lane, Glass's former rival, played very effectively by Peter Sarsgaard. In fact, Sarsgaard would own the movie if Christensen didn't make Glass such a likeable character, even as he is eventually revealed for what he...

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question