The hunters of humanity: creatures of horror in M. R. James's ghost stories

Oryshchuk, Nataliya 2017. The hunters of humanity: creatures of horror in M. R. James's ghost stories. Studies in Gothic Fiction 5 (2) , pp. 13-20. 10.18573/j.2016.10105

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Abstract

In his ghost stories, M.R. James disclosed the most irrational and fearful aspects of archaic demonology still haunting the modern world. He turns humans into prey species, hunted and haunted by repulsive insect- and spider-like demons. This paper offers a closer look at the creatures of horror and the recurrent theme of the hunt in James's ghost stories, viewing them in the context of Victorian evolutionary theories as well as traditional medieval beliefs. James's protagonists, unimaginative and unadventurous scholars, suddenly come face to face (or face to tentacle) with the enormity of the Universe and its non-human creatures as they invade and shatter the homely Edwardian world. From this perspective, James's works express the social and cultural fears of his generation.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Uncontrolled Keywords:	M.R. James, ghost story, Gothic, spider, insect, hunt
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2156-2407
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 February 2017
Date of Acceptance:	1 January 2017
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 10:49
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/98243

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