The Examination of the Uncanny in Real Life and Literature
The Examination of the Uncanny in Real Life and Literature
Uncanny. The word itself mocks it 's own paradoxical definition. This paper aims to sufficiently explain the concept of the uncanny in relation to Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle 's An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory – Chapter Five “The Uncanny.” In this chapter, it is suggested that there are thirteen unlucky forms that the uncanny can take. From these thirteen forms, four have stood out as striking, and those will be discussed in detail in this paper. Furthermore, in discussing the four prominent traits, a relation between personal experiences and a full understanding the concept of “the uncanny” can help an individual better understand the situation in an new way We must also note that the element of uncanny can be found not only in real life, but also in literature. Is literature uncanny, and what makes it so? Or is literature not uncanny at all? Aimed to develop an understanding of the uncanny and it 's role in literature, different aspects of writings will be analyzed in order to answer these questions.
Bennett and Royle state that “the uncanny has to do with making things uncertain: it has to do with the sense that things are not as they have come to appear through habit and familiarity, that they may challenge all rationality and logic” (Bennett and Royle, 36). Therefore, the main aspect of the uncanny is introducing the unknown into an occurrence that appears to be known. Uncanny circumstances deal with a sense of strangeness, eeriness, and mystery, but the main “uncanny” factor is deeper than just the unknown; it 's situation in which one feels comfortable but also uncomfortable in the familiarity, or lack thereof. The “uncanny is not just a matter of the weird or spooky, but has to do more specifically with a disturbance of the familiar” (35). There is a level of discomfort that arises when faced with an experience that disrupts what one may believe is their “norm.” This
Uncanny. The word itself mocks it 's own paradoxical definition. This paper aims to sufficiently explain the concept of the uncanny in relation to Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle 's An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory – Chapter Five “The Uncanny.” In this chapter, it is suggested that there are thirteen unlucky forms that the uncanny can take. From these thirteen forms, four have stood out as striking, and those will be discussed in detail in this paper. Furthermore, in discussing the four prominent traits, a relation between personal experiences and a full understanding the concept of “the uncanny” can help an individual better understand the situation in an new way We must also note that the element of uncanny can be found not only in real life, but also in literature. Is literature uncanny, and what makes it so? Or is literature not uncanny at all? Aimed to develop an understanding of the uncanny and it 's role in literature, different aspects of writings will be analyzed in order to answer these questions.
Bennett and Royle state that “the uncanny has to do with making things uncertain: it has to do with the sense that things are not as they have come to appear through habit and familiarity, that they may challenge all rationality and logic” (Bennett and Royle, 36). Therefore, the main aspect of the uncanny is introducing the unknown into an occurrence that appears to be known. Uncanny circumstances deal with a sense of strangeness, eeriness, and mystery, but the main “uncanny” factor is deeper than just the unknown; it 's situation in which one feels comfortable but also uncomfortable in the familiarity, or lack thereof. The “uncanny is not just a matter of the weird or spooky, but has to do more specifically with a disturbance of the familiar” (35). There is a level of discomfort that arises when faced with an experience that disrupts what one may believe is their “norm.” This
Cited: Bennett, Andrew, and Nicholas Royle. An Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and Theory. 4th ed. Harlow, UK: Pearson, 2009. Print.