Depictions of space and place in contemporary ghost novels: Fostering the uncanny and reflecting social identities and relationships

This thesis explores depictions of space and place in contemporary ghost novels, relating this to two of my own novels, The Toll House (2022) and Hear Him Calling (2024). In particular, I ask the following questions: How can depictions of space and place foster a sense of the uncanny in contemporary ghost novels? How can depictions of space and place reflect social identities and relationships in contemporary ghost novels? <br/><br/>The introduction describes my interest in space and place, and explains my focus on the uncanny and social identities and relationships. It introduces the two comparative texts that will be explored alongside my own work (Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter [2010] and Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions [2017]) and considers the multidisciplinary literature of relevance to my research questions. Specific attention is paid to the concepts of ‘space’ and ‘place’, Freud’s discussion of the uncanny, and feminist critiques of ghost stories as a means of depicting social issues.<br/><br/>Chapter One focuses on haunted internal space with specific reference to The Toll House and The Silent Companions. It includes discussions of liminal and tomb-like spaces, perceptions of the home, inanimate objects appearing to become animate, and the related concept of doubles. I argue that the death mask in The Toll House acts as a proxy for character and is a means by which the dead infiltrate the spatial world of the living.<br/><br/>Chapter Two focuses on haunted external spaces and structures left open to the elements (ruins) with specific reference to Hear Him Calling and Dark Matter. It includes discussions of isolation and disorientation, dangerous landscapes, trauma and repetition, and women’s bodies as space. I argue that depictions of space and place reflect the cyclical trauma of my characters and the psychological nature of the novel.<br/><br/>In the conclusion I argue that haunted space is distinctive on account of its potential for agency, animation and infiltration by spirits of the dead. I consider how I use place and space differently in The Toll House and Hear Him Calling, reflecting the differences between the two novels, specifically in relation to plot and psychology of the characters. Finally, I reflect on what I have learned and how this has shaped the writing of my third novel, The Infirmary (2025). <br/>

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctoral Thesis

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Student thesis

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Reagon, Carolyn

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Wallace, Diana
• Llewelyn, Barrie

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/7beb3444-0701-44ca-b416-a22d2984a1b4

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/7beb3444-0701-44ca-b416-a22d2984a1b4