Title: Nightmare Abbey
Author: Thomas Love Peacock (“The author of Headlong Hall”)
Date of First Publication: 1818
Place of Publication: T. Hookman
Type: Novel
Characters: Lord Byron (Mr. Cypress); Percy Shelly (Scythrop Glowry); Mary Shelley (Miss Celinda Toobad)
Themes: BYRONIC HERO
Critical Summary: In Thomas Love Peacock’s Nightmare Abbey, Peacock showcases the various figureheads of Romanticism and the Romantic Movement through a seemingly satirical rendition of the qualities that the movement had attempted to represent. Nightmare Abbey follows the life of Christopher Glowry. In Mr. Glowry’s failure to attract the woman of his desires, he marries another that is most representative of the estate that Glowry resides in, Nightmare Abbey, cold and desolate. His wife dies, but leaves a son, Scythrop, a university educated man that takes after his gloomy mother.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Scythrop discovers a hidden room that he uses for his own private quarters which begins to unfold as a setting for what Nightmare Abbey was for his father. Lacking social graces, Scythrop attempts to persuade Emily Girourette into marriage but fails and leaves himself vulnerable to his loving cousin, Marionetta. Despite Marionetta’s coquettish behavior and Mr. Glowry’s disapproval of the prospect of this marriage, he still feels a strong affection towards her. In Glowry’s protection over his son, he consults his friend, Toobad, in which he offers up his daughter, Celinda, to marry Scythrop. Unfortunately, Celinda refuses to allow anybody to dictate who she should spend an eternity with and runs away from her father.
A party is held at Nightmare Abbey and the additional guests create complications for Scythrop. Two characters are introduced that impede Scythrop’s plans. Mr. Flosky is introduced as a poet that deals with supernatural subject matter and Listless, as his name suggests, lacks enthusiasm. Continuing his pursuits, Scythrop chooses to engage with Marionetta to the fullest of his ability, but is eclipsed by Listless’s sudden surge of enthusiasm when engaging with Marionetta.
Discouraged by the unfolding events, Scythrop retreats to his hidden room and a supernatural conspiracy begins to shroud the Abbey. A fleeting, wispy, figure floats throughout the estate and into Scythrop’s room. Introducing herself as “Stella,” she begins to take interest in Scythrop’s affection, discussing matters of the supernatural and returns the affection with strong interest in marriage. It is revealed that the entity known as “Stella” is Celinda, Toobad’s daughter. Bereft of assertiveness, Scythrop weighs the options between Marionetta and Stella. Unfortunately, the decisions are made as Marionetta goes off with Listless and Celinda’s obsession with the supernatural aligns her with the supernatural poet, Mr. Flosky.
The conflicts within the story express a correlation of Gothic themes between Shelley’s Frankenstein and Peacock’s Nightmare Abbey, particularly the Byronic Hero, a Gothic figure. Being restrained to the confines of the estate, Scythrop and Mr. Glowry, father and son, are unable to rid themselves of one another (like Victor and the Creature). ,Scythrop adopts many of the same characteristics that had doomed Mr. Glowry. Glowry’s reluctance for Marionetta’s affection towards Scythrop, left her a victim who marries Listless; women, in both works, are pawns in the games men play. In a connection to Mary Shelley, Stella/Celinda character established herself as an individual unchained from the dictates of patriarchal figures, creating a path for her own decisions. Unfortunately, Scythrop fails to see this, blinded by his arrogance, and perpetuates the bloodline’s traits that Mr. Glowry had established.
Administrative Notes: Danny Yit, CSUF; GC Philipp, CSUF (editing)