This thesis discusses the murders and murderers in Edgar Allan Poe's “The Black Cat”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. It looks at their self-defenses and motivations for their...Show moreThis thesis discusses the murders and murderers in Edgar Allan Poe's “The Black Cat”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. It looks at their self-defenses and motivations for their crimes with specific attention for their forensic oratory.Show less
This thesis explores the ways in which the animals in Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’, du Maurier’s ‘The Birds’, Benchley’s Jaws, and King’s Cujo act as if driven by a vengeful motive. This supposed vengeful...Show moreThis thesis explores the ways in which the animals in Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’, du Maurier’s ‘The Birds’, Benchley’s Jaws, and King’s Cujo act as if driven by a vengeful motive. This supposed vengeful motive is an aspect that allows the animals to act as agents of guilt. Part of the guilt finds its origin in the history that humans and animals share, and in this thesis, specifically in the Western societies. In this shared history animals were more often than not treated horribly. However, in recent years, humans have come to think of animals quite differently than they used to. Animals and humans differ most significantly in the aspect of consciousness: where animals are merely conscious, humans are self-conscious. In horror literature the most important aspect is the monster, and a monster is almost exclusively an animal that has acquired self-consciousness. The animals in the four discussed horror narratives are all seemingly in possession of a self-conscious mind, making them horrific monsters. But, besides being a scary monster that threatens the lives of its antagonists, the acquirement of self-consciousness gives the monster a purpose, it becomes an agent of guilt. In this function the animals can confront the characters in the story with repressed feelings originating from guilt, and, more significantly, through these animals a critical view on human society is offered.Show less
When Freud first began to publish his theories on the unconscious around the turn of the 20th century, this represented a revolution within the field of psychology. However, Freud was much indebted...Show moreWhen Freud first began to publish his theories on the unconscious around the turn of the 20th century, this represented a revolution within the field of psychology. However, Freud was much indebted to literature, in which the existence of the unconscious had been postulated for some time. This thesis follows the developing perception of the unconscious in 19th century literature as it corresponds to the development of the concept of the unconscious within psychology, from a source of fear and mystery associated with pathology, to an accepted element of the human psyche recognised within everyone. In addition, it examines how particular concepts within Freudian psychoanalysis can be identified in some of the literature preceding him. Thus, it shows how Freud's theories were anticipated by 19th century literature.Show less
