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2013-2014
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Republic of Tunisia
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
University of Sousse
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
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Taphephobia in Edgar Allan Poe's Collection of
Gothic
Tales: A New Historicist Study of 19th Century America's
Most
Prevalent Fear
A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the
Master of Arts Degree in English Literature
Candidate: Salma Layouni Supervisor: Dr. Edward
Sklepowich
Academic Year:
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my special gratitude and thanks to my
supervisor and mentor Dr Edward Sklepowich for his limitless encouragement and
patience. I would like to thank him for his selfless dedication to my academic
development. I owe my deepest gratitude to all my MA teachers who guided me
throughout two years, providing me with a constant support and care.
Likewise, I would acknowledge my gratitude to my friend and
teacher Mr. Mehrez Mzoughi for his endless love and support from secondary
school until the present moment. Thank you for believing in me.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratefulness to my
family. Words cannot express how grateful I am to my mother for all of the
sacrifices that she has made in my behalf. Thank you for your prayers and for
your support in the hard moments of my life.
Abstract
This dissertation presents a new historicist study of the motif
of taphephobia, or fear of premature burial, in Edgar Allan Poe's collection of
gothic tales. The choice of new historicist theory, particularly Stephen
Greenblatt and Louis Montrose's concepts, is a strategic choice to go beyond
the critics' psychoanalytic analysis of the same motif, using mainly Sigmund
Freud's theory of tripartite psyche. This paper offers a study of the different
strategies used by the author to reflect the 19th century United States' rife
phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to show how Poe's use of taphephobia
reflects his society and era, showing an image of an obsessive United States
controlled by the fear that reshapes the lifestyle of a whole nation. It also
presents a reflection of the collapse of the religious dogma and faith and the
rise of the belief in scientific approach. Hence, taphephobia is not studied as
a psychological phenomenon but rather as a historical event. This dissertation
offers a complete image of taphephobia through the literary analysis of Poe's
tales. It clarifies the reasons behind the phenomenon through a parallel study
of the characters' agony and the United States' public horror that leads to a
number of precautions adapted by the whole society. The conclusion reached is
that Poe uses literary representation of taphephobia to show how the obsession
becomes the driving force behind the rise of whole industry and how the private
events of death and burial become a national affair that necessitates the power
of the law.
Keywords: New Historicism, intertextuality, historicity
of the text and textuality of the history, anecdote, sublime, safety coffins,
taphephobia.
Outline
Introduction 1
Chapter I: New historicism and Literature 5
1. New Historicism: Definition and Origins 5
2. The Influences of the Other Theories on New Historicism 6
2.1.Michel Foucault: The Godfather of New Historicism 6
2.2. Clifford Geertz: the bridge between Anthropology and New
Historicism 9
2.3. The Marxist Influence 11
3. New Historicist Theorists and Concepts 13
3.1. Stephen Greenblatt: The Originator of New Historicism
13
3.2. The Theory of Intertextuality 16
3.3. Louis Montrose: the Key Pillar of New Historicism 17
4. New Historicism : Concluding Notes 19
Chapter 2: Historicity of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales
20
1. Taphephobia: : The Essence of Poe's Definition of Sublime
25
1.1. Representation of Female Characters: A Glimpse into Poe's Biography
and Era
30
2. Edgar Allan Poe's Tales: An Encyclopedic World of Literature
33
2.1. The Choice of Taphephobia 33
2.2. The Use of Epigraphs : Another Strategy to Highlight the
Universality of Poe's
Tales 40
2.3. Characters' Names : A Well Studied Choice 44
3. Edgar Allan Poe's Tales: Taphephobia as a Medical Concept
47
3.1. Edgar Allan Poe: An Artist with Scientific Mind 50
4. Edgar Allan Poe's Tales: Concluding Notes 53
Chapter 3: Taphephobia in Edgar Allan Poe's Gothic Tales
: A Reflection of 19th
Century United States' Worst Nightmares 55
1. The Use of "Anecdote": A Strategic Concept to Record the
Phenomenon 55
2. Taphephobia: The Nightmarish Reality 58
2.1. The Role of Newspapers: The Accusation of Medicine 59
2.2. Taphephobia and the Decortication of Religion 66
3. Adapted Precautions : A Reflection of an Obsessed Society
72
3.1. Putrefaction 73
3.2. Wills 74
3.3. The rise of Safety Coffins Industry 75
3.4. Bills 77
4. Concluding Notes 79
Conclusion 80
Works Cited 83
Layouni 1
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