Masters Thesis

Cosmic revulsion: representations of the Longinian Sublime in the works of H.P. Lovecraft

Conventionally, the sublime is the state of mind in which observers of art and culture, comprehend, for a fleeting moment, the incomprehensible. As our imagination cannot conceptualize infinity, or death, our capacity for reason must fill the gaps. This knowledge, that our reasoning mind can understand concepts which our imagination is incapable of grasping, is the sublime. The works of H. P. Lovecraft, in all their cosmic, super-sensible horror, demonstrate for the narrators or characters the nature of the sublime, through terror and revulsion. To explicate examples of the sublime experience in Lovecraft's works, I will read "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Outsider," and "The Music of Erich Vann," with the aim to understand the sublime further, and tie it to revulsion and horror. Lovecraft's enjoyed a revival recently, with his short stories inspiring new movies, comic books, video games, and books. As such there is a demand for Lovecraft, and criticism and essays on his works are a part of that revival that I wish to partake in.

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