Madhav Patel 5th Period Rational Versus Irrational The Gothic Literature motif of the rational vs.

irrational reflects a transformation in the American consciousness through its presence in American literature, history, and pop culture today. In Gothic Literature, the motif of the rational vs. irrational can be found in various Gothic texts such as The Tell-Tale Heart and In the desert. A quote from the Tell-Tale Heart that can be found on the poster is I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. The part of the quote prior to the comma is on the rational side of the poster because it discusses the authors decision to kill a man. While committing murder is a terrible act, its not necessarily irrational if a killer feels that he or she has a justified reason. However the second part of the quote after the comma is on the irrational side because it allows the audience to realize that the motive behind the murder is the unsightly appearance of the old mans eye. The quote from In the desert is also split up on the poster in the same manner to show its rational and irrational aspects. The first part of the quote prior to the comma initially appears to be symbolic with a deeper meaning. However, it is the second part of the quote that brings out the irrational reality of the creature eating its own heart. The rational vs. irrational motif is also depicted in the many Batman movies that have been created throughout the years all the way up to the recent Dark Night trilogy. These movies contain many instances where this motif is present however it is only visually represented on the face of the villain Two Face, whos exhibited on the poster. Prior to becoming Two Face, the character was a hero named Harvey Dent, who fought to protect Gotham City. In an encounter with a villain, Harvey

Dents face and strong sense of rationality both burned away, leaving the hero with only half his face intact and sense of rationality skewed. On Two Face, the intact portion of his face represents the rationality that once allowed him to make decisions based on justified reason. Meanwhile, the destroyed half represents his irrationality as a villain, which lacks any justified reason for actions. The Gothic Literature motif of rational vs. irrational can also be found in the United States history between 1800 and 1850. During this time period, the concept of Manifest Destiny took hold of Americans all throughout the nation. Manifest Destiny can be defined as the belief that the United States was destined to expand from coast to coast across the North American continent. The irrational aspects of this notion included the American beliefs that it was the United States destiny and Americans god-given right to expand as far out as the Pacific Coast. However, there were also rational aspects involving justified reasons for expansion. Examples of this rational aspect include the desire of Americans to spread their culture across the land, boost the economy with more land, and permeate their democratic form of government, which they truly felt was the best. On the poster, there are important events that were caused by Manifest Destiny and a giant arrow across the United States, which symbolizes the westward expansion caused by Manifest Destiny. The United States is placed on both the rational and irrational side of the poster to represent both of these aspects in relation to Manifest Destiny.

Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. The Tell-Tale Heart. Mankato, MN: Creative Education, 1980. Print. Crane, Stephen. "In the Desert" N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. "Two-Face on Batman: The Brave and the Bold." Http://images.wikia.com/batman/images/e/e1/Two-Face_braveandthebold_01.jpg. Images.wikia.com, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.