Citation

Sugata K. J. Soc. Engl. Am. Lit. Kansei Gakuin Univ. 2005; 50(1): 43-55.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Kansei Gakuin University)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Gothic novel exposes the mystery of taboos such as those surrounding things like sexuality, death, deformity, madness, violence, and so on. Taboos associated with sexuality and death, however, have been ancient themes for literature of all kinds. What distinguishes gothic fiction from other literary genres? I believe that it is its notions of the "sublime" and the "grotesque." To begin with, I will define the word "grotesque" in this paper. The word "grotesque," which was originally an aesthetic term, was used as a literary term by Victor Hugo and later developed mainly by Wolfgang Kayser and Mikhail Bakhtin. I would like to discuss the comic grotesque and the grotesque of form (i.e. deformity) according to Hugo, and the carnival grotesque discussed by Bakhtin.