The Psychology of Fear in H. P. Lovecraft’s Gothic Fiction

A Reading of “The Rats In The Walls”

Autores

Palavras-chave:

H. P. Lovecraft, Rats, Gothic, Musophobia

Resumo

Lovecraft’s discernible taste for the Gothic yields peculiarities which are presented and discussed, in terms of the differences between the traditional European Gothic and its distinctive American version. Lovecraft selects specific traits from the Gothic repertoire to stir primal and often irrational emotions in his readers. Traits such as fear of rats and fear of the dark are discussed from both psychological and literary standpoints. The short story “The Rats in the Walls” (1924) is used as object with which to confront both Gothic characteristics and the scientific exploration of phobias.

Biografia do Autor

Gustavo Vargas Cohen, Docente, Universidade Federal de Roraima, Boa Vista, RR, Brasil

Doutorado em Literaturas de Língua Inglesa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Downloads

Publicado

25-08-2024

Como Citar

Cohen, G. V. (2024). The Psychology of Fear in H. P. Lovecraft’s Gothic Fiction: A Reading of “The Rats In The Walls”. Revista Letra Magna, 20(37), 110–124. Recuperado de https://ojs.ifsp.edu.br/index.php/magna/article/view/2691