Jane Austen and Shirley Jackson: A Study of the Gothic in Literature
This project explores the gothic themes and conventions that tie the novels of Shirley Jackson and Jane Austen together, and focuses on Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Though Austen is not often considered a gothic writer, Northanger Abbey functions as a gothic parody, which simultaneously challenges and reinforces traditional conventions and themes of the gothic genre. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, on the other hand, is almost exclusively read as a traditional gothic novel written by a traditional (though female) gothic writer. Interestingly, while these books were written by different authors living in different times and societies, they share similar themes and a particular handling of female characters that disrupts the way the female had traditionally functioned within the genre. This presentation will highlight the similarities and differences in the way these writers employ the gothic to develop their feminist themes.
ENG 417, Studies in American Literature: American Gothic
Connie Diffenderfer
10:30 – 10:55 AM
Goodrich 204