In this thesis, I examine the gothic and metafictional genre elements of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel 'House of Leaves.' Chapter 1 is split into two sections: section 1.1 contains an analysis of the...Show moreIn this thesis, I examine the gothic and metafictional genre elements of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel 'House of Leaves.' Chapter 1 is split into two sections: section 1.1 contains an analysis of the gothic elements present in 'The Navidson Record' central to the novel and, in section 1.2, I proceed to examine the novel's metafictional characteristics and how metafiction and Gothicism are intertwined in the text. In both preceding sections, the reader's knowledge gap—referred to in my thesis as the epistemological gap—is prevalent in my reading of the novel. Consequently, in Chapter 2 I explore this knowledge gap further, relating it to the gothic and metafictional elements analyzed in the preceding chapter. Lastly, I argue that the audience might fill the epistemological gap by projecting their own personal interpretations of the text onto it. One of the main characters inside the narrative, Johnny Truant, projects his childhood trauma onto the text and processes it in his annotations to 'The Navidson Record.'Show less
The Open Deure, published in 1651 in Leiden, is well-known for its detailed account of the society and religious practices of the Brahmins in Pulicat, near modern Chennai. An important element has...Show moreThe Open Deure, published in 1651 in Leiden, is well-known for its detailed account of the society and religious practices of the Brahmins in Pulicat, near modern Chennai. An important element has however been ignored by scholarship: the extensive annotations written by an unknown antiquarian scholar, identified only as A.W. in the preface to the main text. In the annotations A.W. contextualises and ‘translates’ Rogerius’s account into something relevant for a European scholarly audience; this gave the contemporary reader a framework with which to judge Rogerius's descriptions, lacking from the latter's dry and factual observations. The annotations argue for a monistic Neoplatonic understanding of the Brahmins' religious practices which A.W. readily states to bear the same basic truths that can be found in Christianity. On the other hand, his comparative model elevates the Brahmins' religion to a modern understanding of the term. A.W.’s footnotes showcase the larger discourses in Europe and the seventeenth century’s transformation of the concept of ‘religion’ - as well as the birth of comparative religion which accompanied it. The annotations of the Open Deure thus turn out to be integral to the contemporary understanding of Rogerius’s text and should be considered next to the main narrative.Show less