| abstract |
Roald Dahl has been a beloved author of children's literature since 1961 when his
first published story, James and the Giant Peach, hit bookstore shelves. Prior to this,
Dahl was a successful adult short story writer for seventeen years. Unfortunately, this
part of his work has been largely overlooked in recent times with his reputation as a
children's author greatly overshadowing his earlier works. However, by viewing his
fiction in its entirety, it becomes obvious that all of his work is characteristically Gothic
in nature. The most noticeable conclusion of this evaluation is two-fold. Firstly, the dark
nature of his stories, regardless of the audience they were written for, is compelling
enough to consider the rightful place of his works in the Gothic literary canon and
secondly, that the caliber of his writing is equal in stature to that of other, more
renowned, Gothic authors.
In order to claim Dahl's Gothic categorization, this dissertation provides an in-
depth examination of the genre, including its history and development over time as well
characteristics that help to classify a work as Gothic. The importance of how elements
and themes work towards the genre's classification, including a thorough analysis of the
sublime, uncanny, grotesque, supernatural, and the fantastic. Specific examples of Dahl's
work scrutinized against this analysis, reveals that all the hallmarks associated with
Gothic literature are present in his collective stories. To provide additional perspective
on Dahl's place within the genre, its origins along with its evolution are examined.
Considering the development of the genre alongside its characteristics, puts his writing
abilities into context when compared to other well-known gothic writers. These
comparisons have been presented as a benchmark that provides further evidence of his
skill and understanding of the genre. This examination of Dahl's writing through the
Gothic lens has been undertaken so that a new appreciation of his work may be
discovered.
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