Works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft It is morning on August 20, 1890 and the world of literature is about to change, though it will not understand just how much so for decades. It is on this morning that a precocious child, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, is born. Lovecraft would begin his writing career at the tender age of six with his short story “The Noble Eavesdropper”. He would grow up to be well read and well learned (he was producing scientific journals for his friends at age nine), despite never finishing high school (Joshi para 1- 4). Now, nearly three quarters of a century after his death, he still influences the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His influence can be felt in the creations of Robert Bloch (Psycho), Stephen …show more content…
Where the traditional Monomyth ends happily, however, Lovecraft’s tend to end in tragedy. There is nothing good to be found in his land of mystery. There is only death, madness, darkness, suffering, and things that man was not meant to know. The “boon” that the hero returns with is almost always a warning to those who might think to journey after him. (Lowell 48) Lovecraft creates a sort of anti-Monomyth or perhaps a deconstructed Monomyth, its final form after the binary oppositions inherent to the heroic tale are reversed and in place. Because the Monomyth is the archetypal form of every heroic story, any story written in this form will resonate subconsciously with the …show more content…
This Archetype offers aid and is often a moral compass. He may give warnings of danger or provide tools to overcome evils. (Fonda para 22) This Archetype takes form in the narrator character Daniel Upton. This Archetype relationship is sealed when Upton first goes to Derby’s aid by picking him up from Chesuncook. “And now the town marshall…had wired of the draggled madman [Derby] who stumbled out of the woods…and screamed to me for protection.” (702) It begins, though, with the beginning of the narrative. He shares his tale for what warnings it may give of darker things that lurk in the world. It is the combinations of these things, the use of the Monomyth and the Archetypes that causes the works of Lovecraft to resonate as they do with the reader. The avid reader is over and over again presented this unconscious form. For those with creative outlet and interest to explore that outlet, it can be inspiration. For others, fans, it can inspire devotion. And for the few, it can inspire something like faith. Bibliography Fonda, Marc. “Fonda’s Jung Notes: Summary of Jung’s Psychology.” Notes on CG Jung. 8 December 1996. 6 December
Jung, C. G., and Marie-Luise Von Franz. Man and His Symbols. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964.
Jung, C. G. "The Shadow." Encountering Jung On Evil. Ed. Murray Stein. Princeton: Princeton University, 1995. 95-97.
Thus, the research confirms that the dark romantics have influenced Stephen King in his writings. In most aspects, he has become one himself using the same dark ideas that they instilled in their writings. They share many of the same beliefs of the world and its ability to be unpredictable. Anything can happen to anyone at any time, supporting the battle of good and evil. Therefore, he writes dark tales of obsession, revenge, shame, and madness. He fills his stories with killer sewer clowns, rabid Saint Bernard’s, and a Man in Black to impede in on the path of Gunslingers questing for universal truth (Cahill). Then, “A breeze in the leaves rattled the pages. The hairs on my arms stood on end. The story began” (Cahill)
Lovecraft, H.P.. “The Beast in the Cave.” The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writers to date. His thrill filled tales of darkness and death helped people see a different side of romantic literature. Many believe that his isolated life and drinking problem helped influence his works. Poe showed his most prominent life accomplishment and disappointments through his life in his stories. He defined a lot of his life’s parallels through his works.
Details come from his own personal knowledge of them, and his only way to release and use his own imagination was to write his thoughts and feelings down for others to read. Edgar Allan Poe may not have had any recognition during his lifetime, but in the years and decades following his death, his writing has become a huge influence to people and writers. Poe had a very fascinating imagination and he wrote certain style way, which many writers could not write. While he often wrote about dark topics, Poe's best-known fiction works are Gothic. He inspired a new generation of writers but not until years after his death did his level of inspiration become known.
His legacy influenced a whole new genre of literacy. It influenced not just American but international literature. He was one of the first writers whom developed the genre of detective, fiction, and horror. He is known as the “Architect” of the modern short story. Poe was one of the first critics to focus on style in literary work. Steven King, Clive Barker, and others followed Poe’s footsteps. The genre of horror is bigger than ever today and Edgar Allan Poe was the forefront of this style of writing. French, Italians, and writers in Spanish and Portuguese acknowledge their debts to Poe. If not for Poe, we wouldn’t have all of the great horror and detective films and stories we still read to this day.
Hoeller, Stephan A. "The Gnostic Jung." The Gnostic Jung. Wheaton: Theosophical publising House, 1982. 11. Paperback.
Contemporary Psychology, 36, 575-577. Freud, S. (1961). The Species of the World. The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud. London: The Hogarths.
Really I don’t know how to start this essay off, considering that I am not really that good at writing essays. However, I do wish to say one thing, this year has been really enjoyable, yes I have messed up a few times and I’m not ashamed to admit that, but a lot of the time the road to success is paved with mistakes. I don’t know why but that feels like a quote from somewhere, not sure where. So I guess what I’m saying is that I enjoyed working in this course.
Freud, S., Strachey, J., Freud, A., Rothgeb, C., & Richards, A. (1953). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (1st ed.). London: Hogarth Press.
H.P. Lovecraft’s fascination in supernatural theories plays into a main basis for his novels. (Wohleber) With the unknown lurking, Lovecraft incorporates horror through the use of psychological fear as a form of expression making it become crucial for many of his works. At the Mountains of Madness encompasses this thought by the expeditions before and after effects on the characters. The urge to be a success fills the scientists up with courage to embark on such a dangerous trip; however, after the trip the survivors, Danforth and Dyer, had lost all sense of sanity. “On our return Danforth was close to hysterics..promise to say shew our sketches or say anything.” (Lovecraft 176.) Their eyes couldn’t believe what was seen having them debate whether it was hallucinations or real. Ultimately this made them reach a decision where the world will not have to question their authority, for they will both keep their mouth shut. This novel expresses a psychological factor through the use of scientific theories showing the horror that lies beneath them.
Mosig, Dirk W. “The Four Faces of The Outsider.” Discovering H.P. Lovecraft. Ed. Darrell Schweitzer. Mercer Island, Washington: Starmont House, 1987.
Langley, Travis. “The Psychodynamic Duo: Freud and Jung on Batman and Robin.” Henderson State University. Henderson State University, 2011. Web. 10 May 2014.
20 May 2011. http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/jung.html>. Boeree, George Dr. "Personality Theories: Sigmund Freud." Shippensburg University Journal. Sept. 1, 1997.