Gothic Realities: The Impact of Horror Fiction on Modern CultureEighteenth-century critics believed Gothic fiction would inspire deviant sexuality, instill heretical beliefs, and encourage antisocial violence--this book puts these beliefs to the test. After examining the assumptions behind critics' fears, it considers nineteenth-century concerns about sexual deviance, showing how Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dorian Gray, and other works helped construct homosexuality as a pathological, dangerous phenomenon. It then turns to television and film, particularly Buffy the Vampire Slayer and David DeCoteau's direct-to-video movies, to trace Gothicized sexuality's lasting impact. Moving to heretical beliefs, Gothic Realities surveys ghost stories from Dickens's A Christmas Carol to Poltergeist, articulating the relationships between fiction and the "real" supernatural. Finally, it considers connections between Gothic horror and real-world violence, especially the tragedies at Columbine and Virginia Tech. |
Contents
1 | |
Gothic Threats | 23 |
Gothic Sexualities | 57 |
Gothic Ghosts | 115 |
Gothic Violence | 159 |
Chapter Notes | 209 |
223 | |
233 | |
Other editions - View all
Gothic Realities: The Impact of Horror Fiction on Modern Culture L. Andrew Cooper No preview available - 2010 |