Transgression in Matthew Lewis's The Monk and the Fragmentation of the Self
‘‘Transgression in Matthew Lewis’s The Monk and the Fragmentation of the Self’’ is an investigation of the different stages that the human conscience undertakes and the conducts that each stage produces. It pays particular attention to the conversion of good to evil and the motives that nourish this conversion. By focusing on the spiritual defilement as a first step that leads to the concrete manifestation of evil, the thesis explores the subsequent parallel between the conscience of virtue and the conscience of malice. It examines the confused identity of its characters under an oppressive ruling system and explores the mechanism of power in relation to discourse, knowledge, and the body.  The first chapter deals with the degradation of the path of sanctity into that of profanity. It closely examines the growth of evil in Ambrosio’s conscience from the first instance of defilement to the eventual act of sin and the subsequent destruction he endures. I focus on Matilda’s overwhelming manipulation of his character and demonstrate the ways they intertwine. By examining Ambrosio’s fragmentation and duplicity with Matilda, my chapter negotiates the fragmented nature of the monastic discourse with the human innate longing for worldly pleasures.  The second chapter scrutinizes the religious figure’s failure to maintain his status of power when the knowledge he possesses is inexperienced. In this chapter, I question the status of power as dissolved and disbanded when it does not succeed in disciplining the subjugated body. I examine the reversal of pastoral power to the credit of the female transgressive character; and I finally conclude with the analysis of the body as the locus of trauma in the nexus of power relations. The third chapter studies the loss of certainty in patriarchal society. It examines the impacts of the failed hierarchal system on gender and its performance. This chapter illuminates the immediate spiritual, sexual, and social corruptions, and tackles the variety of twinnings that take place in the novel as a response to the stated corruptions. I also negotiate the restoration of social justice when the corrupt characters are offered a chance to self-discovery but do not escape punishment at the end of their lives.
Corruption Fragmentation Matthew Lewis Corruption Defilement Sin Power Fragmentation Matthew Lewis