Facilitating the grotesque reception and human-nature interrelationship in Tunku Halim’s Dark Demon Rising
Horror novels often celebrate gore, darkness, madness and emotional repression as the central themes to invoke terror and horror in readers. In the novel Dark Demon Rising (1997) the elements of grotesque and nature provide the impetus and the plot, thus invoking horror. Apart from the evident ele...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pusat Pengajian Bahasa dan Linguistik, FSSK, UKM
2016
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9708/1/10236-33901-1-PB.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9708/ http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/751 |
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| Summary: | Horror novels often celebrate gore, darkness, madness and emotional repression as the central themes to invoke
terror and horror in readers. In the novel Dark Demon Rising (1997) the elements of grotesque and nature
provide the impetus and the plot, thus invoking horror. Apart from the evident elements of grotesque, nature as
a backdrop is also significant. Both elements are omnipresent and pivotal in developing the plot. Noting the
relationship between the two elements, this paper explores the relationship between the grotesque and nature
through the portrayal of human-nature interconnectedness in the selected novels. This paper utilises the
concepts of ecocriticism and grotesque. Ecocriticism provides sufficient explanation on the relationship between
humans and the natural world. The concept of grotesque by Wolfgang Kayser provides a solid framework in
highlighting and exploring the texts. The application of these concepts will then demonstrate that apart from
imagery, the role of nature is also evident in channelling the relationship between human and nature. The
interrelationship between nature and the grotesque is portrayed under Kayser’s notion of the grotesque
reception. Pertaining to this notion, the interconnectedness is unveiled through the comic/horror and
attractive/repulsive dualities. The finding concludes that the element of nature depicts the grotesque reception
via the characters’ demeanour, especially the protagonists’ emotions, perceptions and attitude. |
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