the human reaction (such as terror or horror) to a threatened loss of meaning when confronted by the loss of distinction between the subject and the object: the moment at which the subject (the Cartesian “I”) is confronted by the object (such as ‘a wound with blood or pus’ (Kristeva, 1980 p.3), the sickened or horrified emotion which arises is because of the lack of division between the two; thus, the abject arises when confronting the self/other divide becomes problematic. The exploration of societal
Amidst the dark, winding passageways, the crumbling mansions and castles in obscure locations, the eerie, stormy weather, the madness and the monsters of the Gothic horror genre, lie a number of conventions. Gothic horror works typically share similarities in terms of setting, character, themes and the emotional responses which they evoke in the reader. Far off settings and a focus on the power of nature give the works an otherworldly atmosphere. A weak female character in distress is typical of