The Oedipal and the Gothic: The Mechanics of Suspense in The Mysteries of Udolpho and Two Poirot Investigations
The Oedipal and the Gothic: The Mechanics of Suspense in The Mysteries of Udolpho and Two Poirot Investigations

Summary/Abstract: The article offers a redefinition of the Gothic as an Oedipal narrative arrangement. This artistic meaning of the Oedipal as relevant for Gothic narratives is defined in separation from the clinical understanding of it as related to the Freudian transgressions of incest and patricide. The article’s literary-comparative analysis is concerned with Sophocles’ Oedipus and Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho. Finally, a brief analysis is offered of the classic mystery plot for the purpose of making the proposed Oedipal definition of the Gothic more articulate. The examples are provided by two Hercule Poirot novels by Agatha Christie.

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