Gothic Utterance: Voice, Speech and Death in the American Gothic

Gothic Literary Studies

by Jimmy Packham

In-depth analysis of the American Gothic and the utterances of marginalized voices.

The Gothic has always been interested in strange utterances and unsettling voices, from half-heard ghostly murmurings to the terrible cries of the monstrous nonhuman. Gothic Utterance offers the first book-length study of the role such voices play in the Gothic tradition, exploring their prominence and importance in the literature produced in America between the Revolutionary War and the close of the nineteenth century. This book argues that the American Gothic foregrounds the overpowering effect and meaning of the voices of those on the margins of society, as well as the ethical charge of our encounter with such voices.
 

Genres: Gothic

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2021

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another strong instalment of the Gothic Literary Studies series from the University of Wales. This one sees Birmingham-based scholar Jimmy Packham tackling the use of sound and voice in American Gothic fiction of the nineteenth century, and as a specific study it works very well. The introduction sees Packham setting out his argument by drawing on a diverse range of critics and theorists before he begins his study of a variety of exemplary texts. Expected discussion of the groundbreaking works of Charles Brockden Brown begins the study before Packham moves onto an exploration of Poe's PIT AND THE PENDULUM, frontier Gothic and later plantation stories. For me, the strongest part of the book is the fifth chapter's examination of the works of Ambrose Bierce, which well reward Packham's close scrutiny. This impressive book once again highlights the usefulness of the aural lens in providing fresh critical perspectives on well-discussed texts.