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{{Short description|Subgenre of Gothic fiction, art, film and television}} |
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{{about|the subgenre|the 2014 film|Suburban Gothic (film)}} |
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'''Suburban Gothic''' is a subgenre of [[Gothic fiction]], art, film and television, focused on anxieties associated with the creation of [[suburb|suburban communities]], particularly in the United States and the [[Western world]], from the 1950s and 1960s onwards. |
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==Criteria== |
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Like its predecessor, Suburban Gothic writing is dark and disturbing, often employing psychological and supernatural devices to drive the plot along. It uses these devices not so much to entertain, but to explore social issues and to challenge the suburban dream. |
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It often, but not exclusively, relies on the supernatural or elements of [[science fiction]] that have been in wider Gothic literature, but manifested in a suburban setting. |
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==Description== |
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Suburban Gothic strives to break down the facade of normality that pervades suburbia. The knights and heroes of traditional Gothic literature have been replaced in most cases by a heroic underdog figure. The grotesqueness of its characters lay not in the dis-figuration of the body but of the mind, delving into the dark and twisted psyche of its characters. |
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Suburban Gothic is defined by Bernice M. Murphy as "a subgenre of the wider [[American Gothic Fiction|American Gothic]] tradition which dramatises anxieties arising from the mass urbanisation of the United States and usually features suburban settings, preoccupations and protagonists".<ref name="Murphyp2">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WbQnAQAAMAAJ&q=sub-genre p. 2].</ref> She argues that a common trope of the suburban Gothic is the danger within a family or neighbourhood, rather than an external threat.<ref name="Murphyp3">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, p. 3.</ref> Teenagers and children are often major protagonists or sources of threat, and characteristic conflicts often focus on issues of individuality and conformity.<ref name="Murphyp2-3">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, pp. 2–3.</ref> |
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==Literature== |
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In most cases in Suburban Gothic literature good does not prevail. Wrongs are often left unrighted and are, in fact, often can not be righted. They are, in fact, often compounded when confronted. |
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Important early works identified with the subgenre include [[Richard Matheson]]'s ''[[I Am Legend (novel)|I Am Legend]]'' (1954) and [[Shirley Jackson]]'s ''[[The Haunting of Hill House]]'' (1959).<ref name="Murphyp15">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, p. 15.</ref> A more recent book identified within the genre is [[Bret Easton Ellis]]' mock memoir ''[[Lunar Park]]'' (2005).<ref name="scott">{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=A. O. |date=August 14, 2005 |title='Lunar Park': Hero and Heroin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/books/review/lunar-park-hero-and-heroin.html}}</ref> |
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== Film == |
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This genre of writing is exemplified in the works of [[Edward Bloor]] and [[Robert Cormier]], and in some of the works of [[Stephen King]]. |
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Important films include [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s take on ''[[Lolita (1962 film)|Lolita]]'' (1962), [[Wes Craven]]'s original ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984)<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films">[http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films/2/ The 15 Best Suburban Gothic Films — Page 2 — Taste of Cinema]</ref> and [[Tobe Hooper]]'s ''[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Poltergeist]]'' (1982).<ref>J. E. Hogle, ''The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), {{ISBN|0-521-79466-8}}, p. xxv.</ref> Works that incorporate environmental concerns include [[Ira Levin]]'s ''[[The Stepford Wives]]'' (1975), [[Anne Rivers Siddons]]'s ''[[The House Next Door (novel)|The House Next Door]]'' (1978), [[Todd Haynes]]'s ''[[Safe (1995 film)|Safe]]'' (1995)<ref name="Murphyp4">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, p. 4.</ref> and [[David Lynch]]'s ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' (1986) have been identified as part of the suburban gothic subgenre.<ref name="Anadromous">The Anadromist (2012) American Gothic Films: An Incomplete List. The Anadromous Life, [blog] November 7, 2012, Available at: [http://theanadromist.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/american-gothic-films-a-list/] Accessed: December 9, 2012.</ref> An earlier cinematic example of this is [[Nicholas Ray]]'s 1955 classic ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''.<ref name="Anadromous"/> Films with threats from a female protagonist, including ''[[Fatal Attraction]]'' (1987) and ''[[Disclosure (1994 film)|Disclosure]]'' (1994), have also been identified as part of the genre.<ref>K. I. Michasiw, "Some stations of sub-urban Gothic", in R. K. Martin and E. Savoy, eds, ''American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative'' (University of Iowa Press, 2009), {{ISBN|1-58729-349-8}}, p. 240.</ref> In addition, films that feature a more character-driven or dramatic standpoint also inform the genre, notably [[Peter Jackson]]'s ''[[Heavenly Creatures]]'' (1994), [[Todd Solondz]]'s ''[[Happiness (1998 film)|Happiness]]'' (1998),<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films"/> [[Sam Mendes]]'s ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999), and [[Richard Kelly (director)|Richard Kelly]]'s ''[[Donnie Darko (2001 film)|Donnie Darko]]'' (2001).<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films"/> Other films described as within the suburban gothic genre include [[Brian De Palma]]'s version of [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'' (1976), [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978), ''[[The Amityville Horror (1979 film)|The Amityville Horror]]'' (1979),<ref name=hughes>{{cite book|last1=Hughes|first1=William|title=The Encyclopedia of the Gothic|date=2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781119210412|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbS1CgAAQBAJ&q=%22suburban+gothic%22&pg=PA659}}</ref> ''[[Fright Night (1985 film)|Fright Night]]'' (1985), ''[[The Stepfather (1987 film)|The Stepfather]]'' (1987),<ref name=crow /> [[Joe Dante]]'s ''[[The 'Burbs]]'' (1989),<ref name=mulvey /> ''[[Parents (1989 film)|Parents]]'' (1989),<ref name=mulvey /> [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'' (1990),<ref name=mulvey>{{cite book|last1=Mulvey-Roberts|first1=Marie|title=The Handbook to Gothic Literature|date=1998|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=9780814756096|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5lATCgAAQBAJ&q=%22the+burbs%22+%22suburban+gothic%22&pg=PA80}}</ref> ''[[The People Under the Stairs]]'' (1991; also by Wes Craven),<ref name=crow /> [[John Waters]]'s ''[[Serial Mom]]'' (1994),<ref name=crow /> [[Peter Weir]]'s ''[[Truman Show]]'' (1998), ''[[Little Children (film)|Little Children]]'' (2006),<ref name=crow />'' [[The Girl Next Door (2007 film)|The Girl Next Door]]'' (2007), ''[[The Sisterhood of Night]]'' (2014), ''[[The Invitation (2015 film)|The Invitation]]'' (2015),<ref name=crow>{{cite book|last1=Crow|first1=Charles L.|title=A Companion to American Gothic|date=2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118608425|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CYrHAAAAQBAJ&q=%22suburban+gothic%22&pg=PT356}}</ref> ''[[Snowtown (film)|Snowtown]]'' (2011)<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films"/> and ''[[The Babadook]]'' (2014).<ref>[http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films/ The 15 Best Suburban Gothic Films — Taste of Cinema]</ref> |
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== Television == |
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Visual artists who explore suburban gothic themes include Australian [[Tanja Stark]] and Americans [[Gregory Crewdson]] and [[Thomas Cummins]]. |
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The works of [[David Lynch]] are seen as defining examples of the genre, notably the television series ''[[Twin Peaks]],'' alongside the 1992 feature ''[[Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me|Fire Walk with Me]]''.<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films" /> TV series such as ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]],'' ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'', and ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' have also been seen as dealing with concerns about hidden Gothic worlds behind the suburban façade.<ref name="Murphyp166">B. M. Murphy, ''The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), {{ISBN|0-230-21810-5}}, p. 166.</ref> Another televised example is the Emmy-winning ''[[American Horror Story]]''.<ref name="the-15-best-suburban-gothic-films"/> |
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== Visual Art == |
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Suburban Gothic shows its face considerably in contemporary [[film]]. The genre is comprised of mixing elements of thriller, drama, dark comedy, and even fantasy, all in contrast to the idyllic settings of fences, lawns, and boxes. This style has seen an impressive build-up under the wings of such auteurs as [[David Lynch]], [[Larry Clark]], [[Todd Solondz]], and [[Todd Field]]. A flourish in these dark suburban films has grown over the last several decades, filling the void for Gothic enlightenmnet. Archetypal portraits of the grotesque suburbs can be seen in such films as: [[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]], [[Edward Scissorhands]], [[American Beauty (film)|American Beauty]], and [[Donnie Darko]]. |
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Australian visual artist [https://tanjastark.com Tanja Stark] explores themes of ''Suburban Gothic and the [[Sublime (philosophy)|Sublime]] Divine'', drawing from a background as a [[Social work|social worker]], [[Domestic violence in Australia|domestic violence]] counsellor and upbringing in the [[Baptists|Baptist]] church.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stark |first=T |date=15 March 2022 |title=tanjastark_artist |url=https://www.instagram.com/tanjastark_artist/}}</ref> She approaches her creation through a symbolic lens, and sees the genre of suburban gothic as influenced by [[Psychoanalysis|psycholanalytical]] ideas of the [[Analytical psychology|Jungian]] [[Shadow (psychology)|shadow]], and the parts of domestic life that lie beneath conscious awareness. Her art explores these [[Unconscious mind|unconscious]] desires and feelings and their powerful influence on waking life, particularly when they are associated with serious [[psychological trauma]]. In accordance with Jungian ideas, where the 'shadow' is not acknowledged or integrated, but is repressed, projected or inflated, the darker aspects of the psyche may emerge in ways that can be dangerous or destructive to mental or physical well-being of the individual and those around them, a key tension in Suburban Gothic art. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Lecture: Suburban Gothic and the Sublime Divine, Tanja Stark for C.G.Jung Society of Queensland |url=https://jungqld.com/events/dec-2021/tanja-stark/suburban-gothic-and-the-sublime-divine/ |access-date=13 March 2022 |website=C.G. Jung Society of Queensland}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Stark |first=Tanja |title=Spiralling Undercurrents : Melbourne Jung Society Lecture March 2022 |url=https://www.jungsocietymelbourne.com/march-2022 |website=C.G Jung Society Melbourne}}</ref> |
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==Films== |
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<!-- chronological by year --> |
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3"> |
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*''[[Bad Ronald]]'' (1974) |
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*''[[The Stepford Wives (1975 film)|The Stepford Wives]]'' (1975) |
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*''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'' (1976) |
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*''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978) |
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*''[[Poltergeist (film)|Poltergeist]]'' (1982) |
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*''[[Christine (film)|Christine]]'' (1983) |
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*''[[Fright Night]]'' (1985) |
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*''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' (1986) |
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*''[[The 'Burbs]]'' (1989) |
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*''[[Parents (film)|Parents]]'' (1989) |
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*''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'' (1990) |
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*''[[The People Under the Stairs]]'' (1991) |
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*''[[Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me]]'' (1992) |
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*''[[Spanking the Monkey]]'' (1994) |
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*''[[Welcome to the Dollhouse]]'' (1995) |
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*''[[Scream (film)|Scream]]'' (1996) |
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*''[[Lawn Dogs]]'' (1997) |
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*''[[Gummo]]'' (1997) |
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*''[[Happiness (1998 film)|Happiness]]'' (1998) |
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*''[[Apt Pupil (film)|Apt Pupil]]'' (1998) |
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*''[[Idle Hands]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[Election (1999 film)|Election]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[American Beauty (film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[Julien Donkey-Boy]]'' (1999) |
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*''[[Storytelling (film)|Storytelling]]'' (2001) |
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*''[[Donnie Darko]]'' (2001) |
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*''[[In the Bedroom]]'' (2001) |
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*''[[Bully (film)|Bully]]'' (2001) |
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*''[[Ken Park]]'' (2002) |
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*''[[One Hour Photo]]'' (2002) |
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*''[[Spun]]'' (2003) |
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*''[[The Stepford Wives (2004 film)|The Stepford Wives]]'' (2004, remake) |
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*''[[Mean Creek]]'' (2004) |
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*''[[Palindromes (film)|Palindromes]]'' (2004) |
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*''[[Crutch (film)|Crutch]]'' (2004) |
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*''[[Bubble (film)|Bubble]]'' (2005) |
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*''[[Wassup Rockers]]'' (2006) |
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*''[[Little Children (film)|Little Children]]'' (2006) |
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*''[[Snow Angels]]'' (2007) |
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*''[[Disturbia (film)|Disturbia]]'' (2007) |
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*''[[Teeth (film)|Teeth]]'' (2007) |
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*''[[An American Crime]]'' (2007) |
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*''[[The Girl Next Door (2007 film)|The Girl Next Door]]'' (2007) |
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*''[[Beautiful (2008 Australian film)|Beautiful]]'' (2008) |
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*''[[Let the Right One In]]'' (2008) |
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</div> |
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==Television== |
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3"> |
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*''[[Are You Afraid of the Dark?]]'' |
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*''[[Goosebumps]]'' |
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*''[[Eerie, Indiana]]'' |
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*''[[Twin Peaks]]'' |
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*''[[The X-Files]]'' |
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*''[[Breaking Bad]]'' |
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*''[[The Oblongs]]'' (animated) |
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</div> |
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==See also== |
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[[Category:Literary genres]] |
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* [[American Gothic Fiction]] |
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* [[Dark Romanticism]] |
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* [[Southern Gothic]] |
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* [[Tasmanian Gothic]] |
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* [[Urban Gothic]] |
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* [[Social thriller]] |
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* ''[[The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street]]''-1960 episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' featuring commentary on [[McCarthyism]] |
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* [[Pulp noir]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{Gothic}} |
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{{Horror fiction}} |
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{{Fantasy fiction}} |
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{{Film genres}} |
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[[Category:Horror genres]] |
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[[Category:Gothic fiction]] |
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[[Category:1970s in film]] |
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[[Category:1980s in film]] |
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[[Category:1990s in film]] |
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[[Category:2000s in film]] |
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[[Category:2010s in film]] |
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[[Category:1990s in television]] |
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[[Category:2000s in television]] |
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[[Category:2010s in television]] |
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[[Category:1950s in literature]] |
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[[Category:1970s in literature]] |
Revision as of 06:10, 24 August 2023
Suburban Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction, art, film and television, focused on anxieties associated with the creation of suburban communities, particularly in the United States and the Western world, from the 1950s and 1960s onwards.
Criteria
It often, but not exclusively, relies on the supernatural or elements of science fiction that have been in wider Gothic literature, but manifested in a suburban setting.
Description
Suburban Gothic is defined by Bernice M. Murphy as "a subgenre of the wider American Gothic tradition which dramatises anxieties arising from the mass urbanisation of the United States and usually features suburban settings, preoccupations and protagonists".[1] She argues that a common trope of the suburban Gothic is the danger within a family or neighbourhood, rather than an external threat.[2] Teenagers and children are often major protagonists or sources of threat, and characteristic conflicts often focus on issues of individuality and conformity.[3]
Literature
Important early works identified with the subgenre include Richard Matheson's I Am Legend (1954) and Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House (1959).[4] A more recent book identified within the genre is Bret Easton Ellis' mock memoir Lunar Park (2005).[5]
Film
Important films include Stanley Kubrick's take on Lolita (1962), Wes Craven's original A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)[6] and Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist (1982).[7] Works that incorporate environmental concerns include Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives (1975), Anne Rivers Siddons's The House Next Door (1978), Todd Haynes's Safe (1995)[8] and David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986) have been identified as part of the suburban gothic subgenre.[9] An earlier cinematic example of this is Nicholas Ray's 1955 classic Rebel Without a Cause.[9] Films with threats from a female protagonist, including Fatal Attraction (1987) and Disclosure (1994), have also been identified as part of the genre.[10] In addition, films that feature a more character-driven or dramatic standpoint also inform the genre, notably Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994), Todd Solondz's Happiness (1998),[6] Sam Mendes's American Beauty (1999), and Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko (2001).[6] Other films described as within the suburban gothic genre include Brian De Palma's version of Stephen King's Carrie (1976), John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), The Amityville Horror (1979),[11] Fright Night (1985), The Stepfather (1987),[12] Joe Dante's The 'Burbs (1989),[13] Parents (1989),[13] Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990),[13] The People Under the Stairs (1991; also by Wes Craven),[12] John Waters's Serial Mom (1994),[12] Peter Weir's Truman Show (1998), Little Children (2006),[12] The Girl Next Door (2007), The Sisterhood of Night (2014), The Invitation (2015),[12] Snowtown (2011)[6] and The Babadook (2014).[14]
Television
The works of David Lynch are seen as defining examples of the genre, notably the television series Twin Peaks, alongside the 1992 feature Fire Walk with Me.[6] TV series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and Desperate Housewives have also been seen as dealing with concerns about hidden Gothic worlds behind the suburban façade.[15] Another televised example is the Emmy-winning American Horror Story.[6]
Visual Art
Australian visual artist Tanja Stark explores themes of Suburban Gothic and the Sublime Divine, drawing from a background as a social worker, domestic violence counsellor and upbringing in the Baptist church.[16] She approaches her creation through a symbolic lens, and sees the genre of suburban gothic as influenced by psycholanalytical ideas of the Jungian shadow, and the parts of domestic life that lie beneath conscious awareness. Her art explores these unconscious desires and feelings and their powerful influence on waking life, particularly when they are associated with serious psychological trauma. In accordance with Jungian ideas, where the 'shadow' is not acknowledged or integrated, but is repressed, projected or inflated, the darker aspects of the psyche may emerge in ways that can be dangerous or destructive to mental or physical well-being of the individual and those around them, a key tension in Suburban Gothic art. [17] [18]
See also
- American Gothic Fiction
- Dark Romanticism
- Southern Gothic
- Tasmanian Gothic
- Urban Gothic
- Social thriller
- The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street-1960 episode of The Twilight Zone featuring commentary on McCarthyism
- Pulp noir
Notes
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, p. 2.
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, p. 3.
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, pp. 2–3.
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, p. 15.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (August 14, 2005). "'Lunar Park': Hero and Heroin".
- ^ a b c d e f The 15 Best Suburban Gothic Films — Page 2 — Taste of Cinema
- ^ J. E. Hogle, The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), ISBN 0-521-79466-8, p. xxv.
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, p. 4.
- ^ a b The Anadromist (2012) American Gothic Films: An Incomplete List. The Anadromous Life, [blog] November 7, 2012, Available at: [1] Accessed: December 9, 2012.
- ^ K. I. Michasiw, "Some stations of sub-urban Gothic", in R. K. Martin and E. Savoy, eds, American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative (University of Iowa Press, 2009), ISBN 1-58729-349-8, p. 240.
- ^ Hughes, William (2015). The Encyclopedia of the Gothic. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119210412.
- ^ a b c d e Crow, Charles L. (2013). A Companion to American Gothic. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118608425.
- ^ a b c Mulvey-Roberts, Marie (1998). The Handbook to Gothic Literature. NYU Press. ISBN 9780814756096.
- ^ The 15 Best Suburban Gothic Films — Taste of Cinema
- ^ B. M. Murphy, The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), ISBN 0-230-21810-5, p. 166.
- ^ Stark, T (15 March 2022). "tanjastark_artist".
- ^ "Lecture: Suburban Gothic and the Sublime Divine, Tanja Stark for C.G.Jung Society of Queensland". C.G. Jung Society of Queensland. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ Stark, Tanja. "Spiralling Undercurrents : Melbourne Jung Society Lecture March 2022". C.G Jung Society Melbourne.