One of the most commonly cited Gothic tropes is fog. And for good reason. Gothic writers use this trope because it can elucidate a Gothic theme so adeptly.
But other writers, outside of the Gothic sphere – whether in literature or film – also use this trope to tie into the theme. Who can forget the iconic moment at the end of Joe Wright’s 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Darcy presses out of the dense fog over the English moors and into Elizabeth Bennet’s arms?
Weather reflects the plot, but more importantly the theme, in deeply impactful ways. In particular, fog can be used to symbolize many things, but here are some examples of how it can tie into the theme.
Fog & Theme
Fog usually represents confusion, disordered thinking or just a lack of clarity on an issue. Some form of veiled inability to see the truth. This was the case in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The second Mrs. de Winter spends the majority of the book preoccupied with her preconceived notion of who Rebecca, her husband’s first wife, was. She has determined that Maxim is comparing her to his first wife, that Rebecca was a paragon of perfection, and that he finds her, his second wife, disappointing or inferior.
During the pivotal scene after the ball, a heavy fog descends on the land and sea, obscuring the coastline and the local lighthouse. As a result, a ship runs aground. In the ensuing investigation, the divers find Rebecca’s long-lost sailboat and her body. As the facts unfolds around her, the second Mrs. de Winter comes out of her false beliefs and into a clear knowledge of the truth.
Fog is a perfect means of demonstrating this theme. It provides a physical, tangible means of portraying the character’s inability to understand and then, when the fog clears, her ascension from darkness into the light.
Sometimes this isn’t something that the character will overcome but rather a symbol of the character’s warped perspective and how that perspective destroyed him. That was true for Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Throughout much of the novel, Emily Brontë highlights the fog and heavy wind that constantly sweeps over the moors.
In this case, the fog parallels Heathcliff’s warped perspective of his life and of his obsession with Catherine. He can’t see any of the benefits of his life, can’t move on from his loss of Catherine. For him, she is the only consolation he’ll accept and thus his idolatry of her leads him to a life of revenge. In the end, he not only destroys his enemies but also himself. For him, the fog never rises. But for the second Catherine and Hareton it does. Notice the end of the book with its sunny disposition, so different from the remainder of the tale.
And in Pride and Prejudice, it’s when Darcy and Elizabeth finally see their own pride and prejudice and manage to set them aside so that they can love one another that they emerge from the fog.
How to Use Fog
The key to knowing how to use fog is to consider what fog, as a natural element, does. It obscures our sight. This can tie into many themes very easily. Whenever your character’s perspective is clouded or confused or he can’t see the truth, fog can be an effective means of paralleling that reality. This is especially the case when the inability to see the truth is an integral component of the theme.
Sometimes, as in Rebecca, the fog has more impact when it accompanies only one critical scene – a scene in which the truth breaks through the character’s disordered thinking. Other times the fog plays an ongoing role in the book. This is especially true when the character’s perspective won’t improve or when the theme is a cautionary tale or tragedy. It is also the case when the author wants to use fog to exaggerate a terrible situation that must change.
This is the case in much of Dickens’s works. He used a great deal of his writing to protest the conditions of the poor in Victorian England. It’s not surprising that he uses fog often – not just as an accurate representation of the smog in urban London, but also as a symbol of the abominable conditions that hung over the city and the thinking of that place and time.
Conclusion
As you can see, the fog in these works isn’t there as a cheap Gothic trick. The authors don’t imbue scenes with fog simply as a gimmick to make a book feel “Gothic.” Rather, the fog is used to make the Gothic theme more tangible. To parallel the character’s inner mindset, her way of thinking, or even an entire nation’s inability to see the truth and to right what is wrong.
When used in this way, fog is a powerful trope that can make Gothic themes resonate in deeply impactful ways.
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