The Function of Science as Parole in Gothic Fiction

Abstract

This master thesis illustrates the way in which science is used in order to support and facilitate the meaning of a gothic narrative. Both theoretical and analytical parts are merged into one single unit. The paper provides a brief overview of structuralism with focus on terms langue, parole, and binary oppositions, together with Northrop Frye's framework and theory of archetypes. Subsequently, an overview of the Gothic as a genre is presented, which is followed by detailed analysis of individual structures present in the Gothic.