Lovecraftova zapuščina: Preplet življenja in dela H.P. Lovecrafta

Gregorc, Gregor (author), Blake, Jason Frederick (mentor)

Magistrsko delo obravnava življenje in delo H.P. Lovecrafta ter zagovarja tezo, da ju ni mogoče ločiti med seboj, saj so avtorjevi strahovi, prepričanja ter grožnje, ki jih je zaznaval, odločilno vplivali na njegov opus. Na podlagi analize kratke zgodbe “The Rats in the Walls” magistrska naloga identificira temo atavizma, oziroma avtorjevega strahu pred mentalno regresijo, ki izhaja iz krhkega duševnega zdravja prednikov. Temu sledi analiza kratke zgodbe “The Horror at Red Hook”, ki vsebuje Lovecraftove izbruhe rasnih predsodkov do priseljencev. Avtorjeva ksenofobija je še posebej prišla do izraza v času njegovega bivanja v New Yorku, ko je prišel v neposreden stik z Drugim. Analiza tretje Lovecraftove zgodbe “The Shadow over Innsmouth” razkrije avtorjev strah pred miscegenacijo in njegovo obsesijo z etnično čistostjo. Osebni strahovi H.P. Lovecrafta niso prevladali le nad njegovim življenjem, temveč so mu služili tudi kot navdih za ustvarjanje grozljive fikcije.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: H.P. Lovecraft, koncept Drugega, atavizem, ksenofobija, miscegenacija.
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2019
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-107986
• Publication date in RUL: 11.06.2019

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Lovecraft's Legacy: The Intertwinement of H.P. Lovecraft's Life and Work

Abstract

This thesis argues that in the case of H.P. Lovecraft it is not possible to separate the person from the author, as his personal fears, beliefs and perceived threats decisively shape his body of work. I show this especially through the analysis of the story “The Rats in the Walls,” which reveals the author’s atavistic fear of mental deterioration, which originates from the family’s fragile mental disposition. Next, the story “The Horror at Red Hook” marks Lovecraft’s outbursts of racial prejudice towards immigrants, which came to the fore when he came in contact with the Other during his stay in New York. Finally, the analysis of the story “The Shadow over Innsmouth” points out Lovecraft’s fear of miscegenation and his obsession with a pure ethnic line. Not only did Lovecraft’s personal fears dominate his life, he also channelled them to become an inspiration for his eldritch weird fiction.

• Keywords: H.P. Lovecraft, the Other, atavism, xenophobia, miscegenation.