> Golly, seems to me there is quite a bit in common
between the gothic and
> noir genres. They may not always use the same
techniques in their
> efforts to generate anxiety, but that doesn't mean
you can't even
> discuss the terms. As far as that goes, any attempts
to "do violence to
> both terms" would probably do them a world of
good.
Philip, I like that last part.
I was thinking the same, like someone said earlier, that the
effect is the thing (a big Poe idea) in both. But updating
and substitution occured: the big city for the craggy
mountain ranges, the mansion for the castle, the fear of
being watched/pursured, the fear of death and the dark, etc.
etc. And as far as the supernatural elements, I don't think
the key in Gothic was to ask if they were real or not, but to
ask if you believe the characters' fears that they might be
real. A lot of that in HB/noir: did you really see what you
thought you saw? Are you really being followed? Not to
mention all the family secret stuff.
As with anything 20th century, someone should realize that
the coherence of the Gothic splintered and fragmented like
eveything else, giving rise to Romance, Noir, Sci-Fi, etc.
Pulps in America.
Ah, Tribe, the eggheads look down on me from their pedestal,
marking checks or Xs by names of those who seek to amuse them
below. I should be quiet with them and come to the rare birds
for consolaton.
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