Gothikana

Corvina’s greatest fear, per her own admission, is that she will develop schizophrenia, something that is genetically likely because both her parents developed the mental illness as young adults. As the narrative develops, however, Corvina’s experience of hallucinations becomes more nuanced and she gradually learns that, rather than always needing to fear “madness,” her unique mind sometimes protects her. More importantly, she learns that mental illness could never change or undermine her inherent value as a person.

Corvina initially fears mental illness because it has impacted her life growing up. Due to her mother’s mental health issues, Corvina is intimately aware of the symptoms of schizophrenia and how it can affect someone’s life. During her childhood, her mother, Celeste, would often spend days without speaking and struggled to offer basic care to herself or her daughter. Corvina doesn’t doubt her mother’s love; she regularly asserts that though her mother was unable to love her “correctly,” her love was always sincere. In the narrative present, Celeste also has dementia, which means she does not always recognize Corvina. For Corvina, the fear of “madness” thus overlaps strongly with the fear of losing her sense of self by losing her memories.

Corvina’s private fears are further compounded by her worries about the stigma surrounding mental illness. She fears that others will judge her for her medical history, so she strives to keep that history secret. Corvina’s worries that others will not accept her leave her feeling isolated. Admitting her history to Vad—and learning that he already knows and does not judge her—helps her transform this fear into fear of a potential medical diagnosis and its effects alone, rather than framing it as a fear that being “mad” will alter her value as a human being.

However, the novel also addresses “madness” in its literary connotation, a concept that is intimately intertwined with gothic literature. “Madness,” in the gothic tradition, serves to increase the psychological horror of a mysterious setting, but can also carry supernatural connotations. Significantly, the more mystical aspects of “madness” in the text are not framed as being wholly bad: The voices that Corvina hears are initially alarming, but ultimately helpful in that they lead her to the Slayers’ long- dead victims—a discovery that enables Corvina and Vad to end the curse that has long plagued the university. Furthermore, Mo is the voice Corvina most frequently hears, and he is unilaterally helpful, providing advice, aid, and comfort to Corvina whenever she needs it. The psychiatrist even suggests that Mo is not a symptom of schizophrenia, but a coping mechanism that has a positive effect on Corvina’s life.  

Most reassuring for Corvina, however, is Vad’s declaration that the intense love that they feel for one another is another form of “madness”—one that neither of them wishes to avoid. This reframing of “madness” as any form of all-consuming emotion helps Corvina see the unusual working of her mind as something that can provide benefit and not exclusively fear. By the novel’s end, Corvina no longer fears the future: She knows Vad will love her no matter what, and she understands that her unique mind can also be a source of power.