The Gothic and the Sublime in the Twentieth-century Novel

Abstract

This diploma thesis examines Gothic literature and the aesthetic category of the Sublime, focusing on the role of place in generating the sublime experience. The theoretical chapter introduces key spatial concepts such as space, place, and landscape drawing on Humanistic Geography and Psychogeography, and outlines the concept of the Sublime within Gothic literary tradition. The analytical chapters examine four Gothic novels: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, I'm the King of the Castle by Susan Hill, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, and Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.