King＇s narratives exemplify the themes of the uncanny, of masking and unmasking, of the corporeal otherisation and of the questioning of identity. This paper is an invitation to go beyond what may commonly be thought...King＇s narratives exemplify the themes of the uncanny, of masking and unmasking, of the corporeal otherisation and of the questioning of identity. This paper is an invitation to go beyond what may commonly be thought of as a uniform looking-glass so as to discover King＇s particular treatment of the body. Far from shying away from sexuality, the American writer depicts it in an ambivalent or disguised manner （Thinner, Mr. Mercedes, Christine, Misery, Cycle of the Werewolf）. If the female body is mainly connected with the taboos of rape and incest （Gerald＇s Game, Dolores Claiborne, Bag of Bones, Under the Dome）, or with ungenderisation （The Tommynockers, Rose Madder）, the notion of monstrosisation can nevertheless be applied to both male and female bodies （The Shining, Desperation, ＂The Raft,＂ ＂Survivor Type＂）. Oscillating between hypermonstration and avoidance, King pulls the strings of the fragmentation, even of the silencing of the body. The fissure impregnating the characters＇ identity and bodies is enlightened by the shattering of the very connection between signifiers and signified, inserting the reader into a state of non-knowledge： a mesmerising dance of disembodied bodies within disembodied texts.展开更多
The article aims at deciphering Clive Barker＇s multilayered short story ＂The Body Politic＂ inserted in the 4th book of Books of Blood （1984-1985）. In this work, the British author presents the human body as liter...The article aims at deciphering Clive Barker＇s multilayered short story ＂The Body Politic＂ inserted in the 4th book of Books of Blood （1984-1985）. In this work, the British author presents the human body as literally a book which has to be opened, rediscovered; it is a terra incognita marked by the resurgence of repressed elements or by the sense of urgency of applying a new significance to this locus. The notion of rewriting is a leitmotiv in ＂The Body Politic＂ as Barker seems to redefine not merely the organic political metaphor but drapes this imagery with Gothic, biblical or psychoanalytic veils. Julia Kristeva＇s Powers of Horror （1982） is a cornerstone to apprehend the depiction of the body as the ultimate unknown. The narrative traps the reader into the paradoxical hypnotic delights of the Otherized, abjectified body.展开更多
文摘King＇s narratives exemplify the themes of the uncanny, of masking and unmasking, of the corporeal otherisation and of the questioning of identity. This paper is an invitation to go beyond what may commonly be thought of as a uniform looking-glass so as to discover King＇s particular treatment of the body. Far from shying away from sexuality, the American writer depicts it in an ambivalent or disguised manner （Thinner, Mr. Mercedes, Christine, Misery, Cycle of the Werewolf）. If the female body is mainly connected with the taboos of rape and incest （Gerald＇s Game, Dolores Claiborne, Bag of Bones, Under the Dome）, or with ungenderisation （The Tommynockers, Rose Madder）, the notion of monstrosisation can nevertheless be applied to both male and female bodies （The Shining, Desperation, ＂The Raft,＂ ＂Survivor Type＂）. Oscillating between hypermonstration and avoidance, King pulls the strings of the fragmentation, even of the silencing of the body. The fissure impregnating the characters＇ identity and bodies is enlightened by the shattering of the very connection between signifiers and signified, inserting the reader into a state of non-knowledge： a mesmerising dance of disembodied bodies within disembodied texts.
文摘The article aims at deciphering Clive Barker＇s multilayered short story ＂The Body Politic＂ inserted in the 4th book of Books of Blood （1984-1985）. In this work, the British author presents the human body as literally a book which has to be opened, rediscovered; it is a terra incognita marked by the resurgence of repressed elements or by the sense of urgency of applying a new significance to this locus. The notion of rewriting is a leitmotiv in ＂The Body Politic＂ as Barker seems to redefine not merely the organic political metaphor but drapes this imagery with Gothic, biblical or psychoanalytic veils. Julia Kristeva＇s Powers of Horror （1982） is a cornerstone to apprehend the depiction of the body as the ultimate unknown. The narrative traps the reader into the paradoxical hypnotic delights of the Otherized, abjectified body.
