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題名 Child’s Play in Contemporary Gothic Narratives 作者 Lu, Chifen 貢獻者 文山評論：文學與文化 關鍵詞 play; Gothic literature; childhood; Rural Gothic 日期 2023-12 上傳時間 5-Jan-2024 10:31:40 (UTC+8) 摘要 This article examines the significance of child’s play in a number of contemporary Gothic literary and visual narratives. Two short stories, “Subsoil” (1994) by Baker Nicholson and “Word Doll” (2015) by Jeffery Ford, are more closely studied, while some other relevant texts are also discussed. In these works foregrounding old-fashioned games, child’s play is associated with the ancient past, awakening rural and primordial cultural memory. They express an uncanny sentiment, mixing familiarity and estrangement, that is aroused by the return of the repressed past. In addition to the introductory and the concluding sections, the main body of this article is divided into three parts that deal respectively with how these texts evoke latent anxiety and fear about so-called “savage” cultures, the “primitive child” myth and rural childhood. Gothicized child’s play, however, also acts as a conduit—an intermediary agency—for communication with alienated entities. In the final part, I argue that the connection with Others initially brings horror and repulsion, but also enables understanding, empathy and reconciliation, which fulfills the critical function of collective play of building relations and fortifying social bonds, as in primeval societies. These Gothic narratives of child’s play provide a renewed view of play and childhood in our time. Play is not only an inconsequential pastime, but offers opportunities for re-immersion in, rethinking of and constructive appropriation of past legacies. The liminal nature of childhood is also positively acknowledged through emphasizing the qualities of inclusiveness, flexibility and responsiveness in the infantile psyche so as to empower children’s subjectivity and agency. 關聯 文山評論：文學與文化, 17(1), 93-120 資料類型 article DOI https://doi.org/10.30395/WSR.202312_17(1).0004 dc.contributor 文山評論：文學與文化 - dc.creator (作者) Lu, Chifen - dc.date (日期) 2023-12 - dc.date.accessioned 5-Jan-2024 10:31:40 (UTC+8) - dc.date.available 5-Jan-2024 10:31:40 (UTC+8) - dc.date.issued (上傳時間) 5-Jan-2024 10:31:40 (UTC+8) - dc.identifier.uri (URI) https://nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw/handle/140.119/149104 - dc.description.abstract (摘要) This article examines the significance of child’s play in a number of contemporary Gothic literary and visual narratives. Two short stories, “Subsoil” (1994) by Baker Nicholson and “Word Doll” (2015) by Jeffery Ford, are more closely studied, while some other relevant texts are also discussed. In these works foregrounding old-fashioned games, child’s play is associated with the ancient past, awakening rural and primordial cultural memory. They express an uncanny sentiment, mixing familiarity and estrangement, that is aroused by the return of the repressed past. In addition to the introductory and the concluding sections, the main body of this article is divided into three parts that deal respectively with how these texts evoke latent anxiety and fear about so-called “savage” cultures, the “primitive child” myth and rural childhood. Gothicized child’s play, however, also acts as a conduit—an intermediary agency—for communication with alienated entities. In the final part, I argue that the connection with Others initially brings horror and repulsion, but also enables understanding, empathy and reconciliation, which fulfills the critical function of collective play of building relations and fortifying social bonds, as in primeval societies. These Gothic narratives of child’s play provide a renewed view of play and childhood in our time. Play is not only an inconsequential pastime, but offers opportunities for re-immersion in, rethinking of and constructive appropriation of past legacies. The liminal nature of childhood is also positively acknowledged through emphasizing the qualities of inclusiveness, flexibility and responsiveness in the infantile psyche so as to empower children’s subjectivity and agency. - dc.format.extent 545651 bytes - dc.format.mimetype application/pdf - dc.relation (關聯) 文山評論：文學與文化, 17(1), 93-120 - dc.subject (關鍵詞) play; Gothic literature; childhood; Rural Gothic - dc.title (題名) Child’s Play in Contemporary Gothic Narratives - dc.type (資料類型) article - dc.identifier.doi (DOI) 10.30395/WSR.202312_17(1).0004 - dc.doi.uri (DOI) https://doi.org/10.30395/WSR.202312_17(1).0004 -
