The return of the repressed
Subtitle: gothic horror from The Castle of Otranto to Alien
By: Valdine Clemens.
Series: SUNY series in psychoanalysis and culture
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 1999
Place of publication: Albany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
Subjects: Horror tales, English -- History and criticism; Psychological fiction, English -- History and criticism; Gothic revival (Literature) -- Great Britain; Gothic revival (Literature) -- United States; Psychoanalysis and literature -- England; Horror films -- History and criticism; Psychoanalysis and motion pictures
Description: "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."--BOOK JACKET.

"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."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-266) and index.