Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Major/Program
English
First Advisor's Name
Bruce Harvey
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Chair
Second Advisor's Name
Yvette Piggush
Third Advisor's Name
Andrew Strycharski
Date of Defense
7-13-2010
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the ways in which 19th century Gothic fiction novelists Charles Brockden Brow and James Hogg explore the themes of religious enthusiasm and divine revelation. A close look at these texts reveals a common interest in the tension between the imagination and reality. By analyzing the philosophical and theological roots of these issues it becomes clear that Wieland and Confessions of a Justified Sinner mirror the anxieties of 19th century Anglo American culture. Questions regarding voice and authority, the importance of testimony, and religious seduction are common to both novels. I maintain that these authors comment on the obscure nature of human rationale by presenting readers with narrators that exhibit traits of delusion and spiritual awakening.
Identifier
FI14061582
Recommended Citation
Dabek, Diana I., "Misinterpreted experiences : the tension between imagination and divine revelation in early 19th century Anglo American Gothic fiction" (2010). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2649.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2649
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