The Return of the Repressed: Gothic Horror from Castle of Otranto to Alien

Exploring the psychological and political implications of Gothic fiction, Valdine Clemens focuses on some major works in the tradition: The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, The Shining, and Alien. She applies both psychoanalytic theory and sociohistorical contexts to offer a fresh approach to Gothic fiction, presenting new insights both about how such novels work and about their cultural concerns.

Clemens argues that by stimulating a sense of primordial fear in readers, Gothic horror dramatically calls attention to collective and attitudinal problems that have been unrecognized or repressed in the society at large. Gothic fiction does more, however, than simply reflect social anxieties; it actually facilitates social change. That is, in frightening us out of our collective wits, Gothic fiction actually shocks us into using them in more viable ways.

Author: Valdine Clemens
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 09/30/1999
Pages: 274
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.95h x 5.87w x 0.55d
ISBN: 9780791443286

About the Author
Valdine Clemens is a Research Affiliate with the University of Manitoba, Canada.

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