It began as a slow, arduous read, with an almost monotone narrative. Granted, the era would suggest any form of literature to be written very eloquently, but at first Lewis seemed almost ostentatious in his style... and then the alluring plot of a forbidden romance unfolded, ultimately progressing to a story so unpredictable, yet undeniably foreboding of tragedy.
Although I've been exposed to countless takes on symbolism within the novel, one of the main connections I had formulated involves common ground among the characters. Specifically, I noticed the personal transformation from contentment to misery each of the main characters underwent. This seems almost an inverse of the typical storyline, where the protagonist seeks to remedy whatever struggles he may encounter, and in most cases, succeeds. But Lewis defies these principles by demonizing a man who society finds blameless. No imminent problems exist at the start, but once Ambrosio succumbs to desire, he follows a steep, downward slope. The same is true for Antonia, Agnes, Don Alfonso and Lorenzo. Though not so much their own personal doing that brings them to this misery, I found it rather "uncanny" [to be cliche] how the resolution left more calamity than it solved.
Another interesting pattern I noticed was the use of irony throughout the book. Naturally, we know Agnes' fate to be more than ironic in relation to the Bleeding Nun, but in several instances, (some more subtle than others), Lewis applies a favorite technique in Ancient Greek tragedy. An example of irony found in the context of the situation appears first when Agnes is dragged out of the convent for being discovered prior to her escape. This, we later find out, refers to the same night Don Alfonso arranges to rescue her - though he is unaware of her capture while the audience is completely informed. Additionally, Ambrosio is an extremely ironic character for the obvious reasons, but also somewhat due to his own decision-making. I also found it interesting how many times he claims that nothing would cause him to sacrifice his "eternal reward", yet the book draws to a close with him being swept away by a demon in his final moments alive.
Though I have discovered several other metaphors, relations, and meanings to different aspects of the novel, instead of drawing each one out individually, i have formed in my mind the collaborated effort of these, which conclusively leads me to gain such a high respect for Lewis. The way each plot was so beautifully interwoven with that of another, his method of laughing in the face of Catholicism, and creations that encompass every form of "Gothic" have all truly impressed me much more than I could have ever imagined.
Kudos to The Monk.
