Possessed Child Narratives in Literature and Film: Contrary States (Crime Files S.)

This book undertakes a study of the trope of the possessed child in literature and film. It argues that the possessed child is fundamentally an American phenomenon which, first, may be traced to the Calvinist bias of the US as a nation founded on Puritanism and, second, to the rise of Catholicism in that country, to which Puritanism owes its origins. Cover......Page 0 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Preface......Page 10 Contrary states......Page 14 The lost child......Page 20 The possessed child: themes and variations......Page 24 Culture, religion and discourse......Page 41 2 The New England Connection......Page 51 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter......Page 55 Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw......Page 67 3 God is Dead......Page 76 William Peter Blatty’s and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist......Page 77 Masculinity in crisis: Damiano Damiani’s Amityville II: The Possession......Page 94 Frank De Felitta’s and Robert Wise’s Audrey Rose......Page 100 5 Culture Shock......Page 123 James Herbert’s Shrine......Page 129 6 For Children Only?......Page 147 William Mayne’s IT......Page 149 Victor Kelleher’s Del-Del......Page 164 7 Conclusion......Page 177 Notes......Page 187 Filmography......Page 195 Bibliography......Page 198 Index......Page 209 In This Analysis Of The Shifting Cultural Perceptions Of The 'good' And 'evil' Child, Schober Revisits Such Classics As The Scarlet Letter And The Turn Of The Screw, While Examining Its More Contemporary Face In Books And Films Such As The Exorcist And The Omen. He Compares These American Representations With Those From Other National Contexts, As Well As Its Treatment In The Field Of Children's Literature. The Book Adopts A Unique Interdisciplinary Approach, Which Offers New Insights By Examining The Possessed Child Trope Within A Broad Historical And Cultural Perspective.--jacket. 1. Introduction -- 2. The New England Connection -- 3. God Is Dead -- 4. East Meets West -- 5. Culture Shock -- 6. For Children Only? -- 7. Conclusion. Adrian Schober. Series From Cover. Includes Filmography (p. 182-184), Bibliographical References (p. 185-195) And Index.