The present article deals with the application of Jacques Lacan's psycho-linguistic model of the ... more The present article deals with the application of Jacques Lacan's psycho-linguistic model of the chain of signification to the fragmented postmodern subject. Because of the inherent instability of the external as well as the internal environment of the subject, anxiety arises as a result of the fragmentation of the self, which, according to Lacan, has its basis in the interaction between the Symbolic order and the Real. Even though anxiety is a phenomenon that is impossible to evade, Lacan's teachings, coupled with their immersion in Martin Heidegger's understanding of the essence of technology, and the contemporary reinterpretation of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, show that the subject can teach himself to navigate the complexities of anxiety and, consequently, even learn to use it for his benefit.
This article deals with the work of two of the most prominent horror fiction writers in American ... more This article deals with the work of two of the most prominent horror fiction writers in American history, namely Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. The focus of this study is put on the comparative approach while tracing the influence of Poe’s several chosen narratives in King’s novel called The Shining (1977). The chosen approach has uncovered that King’s novel embodies numerous characteristics, tendencies, and other signs of inspiration by Poe’s narratives. The Shining encompasses Poe’s tales such as “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “The Black Cat” which are shown to be pivotal aspects of King’s novel. The analysis has shown that the aforementioned King’s novel exhibits Shakespearean elements intertwined with Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”, the Overlook Hotel to be a composite consisting of various Poesque references, and that The Shining’s protagonist is a reflection of autobiographical references to specific aspects of the lives of Poe and King themselves.
This article discusses a novel approach to the possibility of interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s... more This article discusses a novel approach to the possibility of interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s narrative “The Black Cat”. It offers an interpretive model of the narrative on the basis of the psychoanalytical approach with the focus put on anti-social behavior coupled with the psychological phenomenon of emotional transference. The analysis of the story’s narration focuses on the unreliability of the narrator with respect to the transparency of the events unfolding during the course of the story. It also uncovers the element of the social realm of human experience within the story which asserts itself as a pivotal part of the narrative.
This monograph focuses on postmodernist tendencies which may be found in the work of Stephen King... more This monograph focuses on postmodernist tendencies which may be found in the work of Stephen King. It also deals with his place in the literary tradition which is being determined by literary critics. Because King is viewed as an author of horror fiction, his status in literature is degraded, and his works are being continually perceived as popular literature, thus they are pushed to the fringes of high-culture literature. However, the sole fact that King incorporates elements of postmodernist literary and scientific theories, makes him a good candidate for serious literary analysis. The aim of this work is to explore the literary corpus of Stephen King in the context of postmodernist tendencies which are characteristic of contemporary literature in order to demystify his place in the literary tradition. The argument is that Stephen King’s literary corpus encompasses several of the most prominent postmodernist theories which greatly contribute to the raise of his literary status in world literature, not only as a titan of horror fiction but mostly as a valuable literary figure which diserves its rightful place in the literary tradition. The detailed analysis of King’s use of postmodernist concepts along with the unique properties of horror fiction, masterfully depicted by King, show great potential for innovations which contribute to the world of postmodernist literature. King chooses a rather unconventional approach to each of the analyzed postmodernist theories, namely metafiction, Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis, as well as the notion of intertextuality. In his postmodernist works, King completely ignores traditional forms of metafiction, and instead, mixes them with elements of horror fiction, and as a result, creates their permutations. Three distinct forms of metafiction have been isolated: psychogenic metafiction, transpositional metafiction, and corporeal metafiction. In a similar manner, under the patronage of horror fiction, King works with Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis. Into the chosen novels, King implements the core elements of this form of psychoanalysis with uncanny proficiency. In these novels, King reflects Lacanian motifs of the formation of the human psyche, the unconscious being structured like language as well as a redefined theory of the Oedipus complex. By employing these motifs into his work, King presents his examination of the alienation and fragmentation of the human psyche felt by the postmodern man which constitues the central premise interiorized within the phenomenon of the postmodern human condition. In connection with Lacanian psychoanalysis, King examines another aspect of postmodernist thought, namely the notion of intertextuality. This literary phenomenon is realized through its metaphorical reflection represented by Stephen King’s Duma Key. This novel encompasses King’s attempts at examining not only the metatextual relations but also the very essence of the driving force behind art, which is the artistic talent. King thus puts the writer in the position of a mere conduit for preconceived textual information; therefore rendering the notion of originality inert. King also uses intertextuality to bridge the gap between high and low forms of literary fiction which undermines the very concept of literary criticism itself. All of these contemporary tendencies, theories and practices are reflected at their best in King’s ultimate postmodernist epic called The Dark Tower series. In this septimology, King examines the very foundation of literary fiction as well as criticism by combining metafiction, intertextuality and contemporary scientific multiple-worlds theory into a postmodernist chaos of information. King basically presents a universal model which is composed of purely symbolic composites that encompass the four basic pillars of creating a written text, i.e. the author, extralinguistic reality, fictional universe, and language as a medium of written discourse. Furthermore, by dividing intertextuality into its intrinsic and extrinsic form, in combination with the multiple-worlds theory, King renders literary criticism itself mute. He does so via the element of collapsing fictional universes, i.e. an act he positions in parallel with the flattening of the worlds of high and low culture, thus creating a vision of culture which functions on the principles of equality. The findings in this monograph suggest that the shift in Stephen King's status in the literary tradition from popular fiction into the realm of academic value is justifiable. King’s unique ability to use horror fiction as a literary lens through which he perceives objective reality, serves as a mere veil under which a myriad of different insightful ideas reside. Despite the fact that immersing King’s literary universe into postmodernism has shown great promise in the demystification of his place within the literary universe, it is only a small fraction of what his unfathomable literary universe has to bestow upon literature itself. King’s unyielding endeavor embodied in his continuing desire to create serious literary artifacts concealed under the patronage of horror fiction, combined with the literary recognition his work is receiving, shows the futility of all efforts to discredit King on the part of literary critics.
The present article deals with the application of Jacques Lacan's psycho-linguistic model of the ... more The present article deals with the application of Jacques Lacan's psycho-linguistic model of the chain of signification to the fragmented postmodern subject. Because of the inherent instability of the external as well as the internal environment of the subject, anxiety arises as a result of the fragmentation of the self, which, according to Lacan, has its basis in the interaction between the Symbolic order and the Real. Even though anxiety is a phenomenon that is impossible to evade, Lacan's teachings, coupled with their immersion in Martin Heidegger's understanding of the essence of technology, and the contemporary reinterpretation of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, show that the subject can teach himself to navigate the complexities of anxiety and, consequently, even learn to use it for his benefit.
This article deals with the work of two of the most prominent horror fiction writers in American ... more This article deals with the work of two of the most prominent horror fiction writers in American history, namely Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. The focus of this study is put on the comparative approach while tracing the influence of Poe’s several chosen narratives in King’s novel called The Shining (1977). The chosen approach has uncovered that King’s novel embodies numerous characteristics, tendencies, and other signs of inspiration by Poe’s narratives. The Shining encompasses Poe’s tales such as “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “The Black Cat” which are shown to be pivotal aspects of King’s novel. The analysis has shown that the aforementioned King’s novel exhibits Shakespearean elements intertwined with Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”, the Overlook Hotel to be a composite consisting of various Poesque references, and that The Shining’s protagonist is a reflection of autobiographical references to specific aspects of the lives of Poe and King themselves.
This article discusses a novel approach to the possibility of interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s... more This article discusses a novel approach to the possibility of interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s narrative “The Black Cat”. It offers an interpretive model of the narrative on the basis of the psychoanalytical approach with the focus put on anti-social behavior coupled with the psychological phenomenon of emotional transference. The analysis of the story’s narration focuses on the unreliability of the narrator with respect to the transparency of the events unfolding during the course of the story. It also uncovers the element of the social realm of human experience within the story which asserts itself as a pivotal part of the narrative.
This monograph focuses on postmodernist tendencies which may be found in the work of Stephen King... more This monograph focuses on postmodernist tendencies which may be found in the work of Stephen King. It also deals with his place in the literary tradition which is being determined by literary critics. Because King is viewed as an author of horror fiction, his status in literature is degraded, and his works are being continually perceived as popular literature, thus they are pushed to the fringes of high-culture literature. However, the sole fact that King incorporates elements of postmodernist literary and scientific theories, makes him a good candidate for serious literary analysis. The aim of this work is to explore the literary corpus of Stephen King in the context of postmodernist tendencies which are characteristic of contemporary literature in order to demystify his place in the literary tradition. The argument is that Stephen King’s literary corpus encompasses several of the most prominent postmodernist theories which greatly contribute to the raise of his literary status in world literature, not only as a titan of horror fiction but mostly as a valuable literary figure which diserves its rightful place in the literary tradition. The detailed analysis of King’s use of postmodernist concepts along with the unique properties of horror fiction, masterfully depicted by King, show great potential for innovations which contribute to the world of postmodernist literature. King chooses a rather unconventional approach to each of the analyzed postmodernist theories, namely metafiction, Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis, as well as the notion of intertextuality. In his postmodernist works, King completely ignores traditional forms of metafiction, and instead, mixes them with elements of horror fiction, and as a result, creates their permutations. Three distinct forms of metafiction have been isolated: psychogenic metafiction, transpositional metafiction, and corporeal metafiction. In a similar manner, under the patronage of horror fiction, King works with Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis. Into the chosen novels, King implements the core elements of this form of psychoanalysis with uncanny proficiency. In these novels, King reflects Lacanian motifs of the formation of the human psyche, the unconscious being structured like language as well as a redefined theory of the Oedipus complex. By employing these motifs into his work, King presents his examination of the alienation and fragmentation of the human psyche felt by the postmodern man which constitues the central premise interiorized within the phenomenon of the postmodern human condition. In connection with Lacanian psychoanalysis, King examines another aspect of postmodernist thought, namely the notion of intertextuality. This literary phenomenon is realized through its metaphorical reflection represented by Stephen King’s Duma Key. This novel encompasses King’s attempts at examining not only the metatextual relations but also the very essence of the driving force behind art, which is the artistic talent. King thus puts the writer in the position of a mere conduit for preconceived textual information; therefore rendering the notion of originality inert. King also uses intertextuality to bridge the gap between high and low forms of literary fiction which undermines the very concept of literary criticism itself. All of these contemporary tendencies, theories and practices are reflected at their best in King’s ultimate postmodernist epic called The Dark Tower series. In this septimology, King examines the very foundation of literary fiction as well as criticism by combining metafiction, intertextuality and contemporary scientific multiple-worlds theory into a postmodernist chaos of information. King basically presents a universal model which is composed of purely symbolic composites that encompass the four basic pillars of creating a written text, i.e. the author, extralinguistic reality, fictional universe, and language as a medium of written discourse. Furthermore, by dividing intertextuality into its intrinsic and extrinsic form, in combination with the multiple-worlds theory, King renders literary criticism itself mute. He does so via the element of collapsing fictional universes, i.e. an act he positions in parallel with the flattening of the worlds of high and low culture, thus creating a vision of culture which functions on the principles of equality. The findings in this monograph suggest that the shift in Stephen King's status in the literary tradition from popular fiction into the realm of academic value is justifiable. King’s unique ability to use horror fiction as a literary lens through which he perceives objective reality, serves as a mere veil under which a myriad of different insightful ideas reside. Despite the fact that immersing King’s literary universe into postmodernism has shown great promise in the demystification of his place within the literary universe, it is only a small fraction of what his unfathomable literary universe has to bestow upon literature itself. King’s unyielding endeavor embodied in his continuing desire to create serious literary artifacts concealed under the patronage of horror fiction, combined with the literary recognition his work is receiving, shows the futility of all efforts to discredit King on the part of literary critics.
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The aim of this work is to explore the literary corpus of Stephen King in the context of postmodernist tendencies which are characteristic of contemporary literature in order to demystify his place in the literary tradition. The argument is that Stephen King’s literary corpus encompasses several of the most prominent postmodernist theories which greatly contribute to the raise of his literary status in world literature, not only as a titan of horror fiction but mostly as a valuable literary figure which diserves its rightful place in the literary tradition.
The detailed analysis of King’s use of postmodernist concepts along with the unique properties of horror fiction, masterfully depicted by King, show great potential for innovations which contribute to the world of postmodernist literature. King chooses a rather unconventional approach to each of the analyzed postmodernist theories, namely metafiction, Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis, as well as the notion of intertextuality.
In his postmodernist works, King completely ignores traditional forms of metafiction, and instead, mixes them with elements of horror fiction, and as a result, creates their permutations. Three distinct forms of metafiction have been isolated: psychogenic metafiction, transpositional metafiction, and corporeal metafiction.
In a similar manner, under the patronage of horror fiction, King works with Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis. Into the chosen novels, King implements the core elements of this form of psychoanalysis with uncanny proficiency. In these novels, King reflects Lacanian motifs of the formation of the human psyche, the unconscious being structured like language as well as a redefined theory of the Oedipus complex. By employing these motifs into his work, King presents his examination of the alienation and fragmentation of the human psyche felt by the postmodern man which constitues the central premise interiorized within the phenomenon of the postmodern human condition.
In connection with Lacanian psychoanalysis, King examines another aspect of postmodernist thought, namely the notion of intertextuality. This literary phenomenon is realized through its metaphorical reflection represented by Stephen King’s Duma Key. This novel encompasses King’s attempts at examining not only the metatextual relations but also the very essence of the driving force behind art, which is the artistic talent. King thus puts the writer in the position of a mere conduit for preconceived textual information; therefore rendering the notion of originality inert. King also uses intertextuality to bridge the gap between high and low forms of literary fiction which undermines the very concept of literary criticism itself.
All of these contemporary tendencies, theories and practices are reflected at their best in King’s ultimate postmodernist epic called The Dark Tower series. In this septimology, King examines the very foundation of literary fiction as well as criticism by combining metafiction, intertextuality and contemporary scientific multiple-worlds theory into a postmodernist chaos of information. King basically presents a universal model which is composed of purely symbolic composites that encompass the four basic pillars of creating a written text, i.e. the author, extralinguistic reality, fictional universe, and language as a medium of written discourse. Furthermore, by dividing intertextuality into its intrinsic and extrinsic form, in combination with the multiple-worlds theory, King renders literary criticism itself mute. He does so via the element of collapsing fictional universes, i.e. an act he positions in parallel with the flattening of the worlds of high and low culture, thus creating a vision of culture which functions on the principles of equality.
The findings in this monograph suggest that the shift in Stephen King's status in the literary tradition from popular fiction into the realm of academic value is justifiable. King’s unique ability to use horror fiction as a literary lens through which he perceives objective reality, serves as a mere veil under which a myriad of different insightful ideas reside. Despite the fact that immersing King’s literary universe into postmodernism has shown great promise in the demystification of his place within the literary universe, it is only a small fraction of what his unfathomable literary universe has to bestow upon literature itself. King’s unyielding endeavor embodied in his continuing desire to create serious literary artifacts concealed under the patronage of horror fiction, combined with the literary recognition his work is receiving, shows the futility of all efforts to discredit King on the part of literary critics.
The aim of this work is to explore the literary corpus of Stephen King in the context of postmodernist tendencies which are characteristic of contemporary literature in order to demystify his place in the literary tradition. The argument is that Stephen King’s literary corpus encompasses several of the most prominent postmodernist theories which greatly contribute to the raise of his literary status in world literature, not only as a titan of horror fiction but mostly as a valuable literary figure which diserves its rightful place in the literary tradition.
The detailed analysis of King’s use of postmodernist concepts along with the unique properties of horror fiction, masterfully depicted by King, show great potential for innovations which contribute to the world of postmodernist literature. King chooses a rather unconventional approach to each of the analyzed postmodernist theories, namely metafiction, Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis, as well as the notion of intertextuality.
In his postmodernist works, King completely ignores traditional forms of metafiction, and instead, mixes them with elements of horror fiction, and as a result, creates their permutations. Three distinct forms of metafiction have been isolated: psychogenic metafiction, transpositional metafiction, and corporeal metafiction.
In a similar manner, under the patronage of horror fiction, King works with Lacanian post-structuralist psychoanalysis. Into the chosen novels, King implements the core elements of this form of psychoanalysis with uncanny proficiency. In these novels, King reflects Lacanian motifs of the formation of the human psyche, the unconscious being structured like language as well as a redefined theory of the Oedipus complex. By employing these motifs into his work, King presents his examination of the alienation and fragmentation of the human psyche felt by the postmodern man which constitues the central premise interiorized within the phenomenon of the postmodern human condition.
In connection with Lacanian psychoanalysis, King examines another aspect of postmodernist thought, namely the notion of intertextuality. This literary phenomenon is realized through its metaphorical reflection represented by Stephen King’s Duma Key. This novel encompasses King’s attempts at examining not only the metatextual relations but also the very essence of the driving force behind art, which is the artistic talent. King thus puts the writer in the position of a mere conduit for preconceived textual information; therefore rendering the notion of originality inert. King also uses intertextuality to bridge the gap between high and low forms of literary fiction which undermines the very concept of literary criticism itself.
All of these contemporary tendencies, theories and practices are reflected at their best in King’s ultimate postmodernist epic called The Dark Tower series. In this septimology, King examines the very foundation of literary fiction as well as criticism by combining metafiction, intertextuality and contemporary scientific multiple-worlds theory into a postmodernist chaos of information. King basically presents a universal model which is composed of purely symbolic composites that encompass the four basic pillars of creating a written text, i.e. the author, extralinguistic reality, fictional universe, and language as a medium of written discourse. Furthermore, by dividing intertextuality into its intrinsic and extrinsic form, in combination with the multiple-worlds theory, King renders literary criticism itself mute. He does so via the element of collapsing fictional universes, i.e. an act he positions in parallel with the flattening of the worlds of high and low culture, thus creating a vision of culture which functions on the principles of equality.
The findings in this monograph suggest that the shift in Stephen King's status in the literary tradition from popular fiction into the realm of academic value is justifiable. King’s unique ability to use horror fiction as a literary lens through which he perceives objective reality, serves as a mere veil under which a myriad of different insightful ideas reside. Despite the fact that immersing King’s literary universe into postmodernism has shown great promise in the demystification of his place within the literary universe, it is only a small fraction of what his unfathomable literary universe has to bestow upon literature itself. King’s unyielding endeavor embodied in his continuing desire to create serious literary artifacts concealed under the patronage of horror fiction, combined with the literary recognition his work is receiving, shows the futility of all efforts to discredit King on the part of literary critics.