Work

Food Symbolism and Traumatic Confinement in "We Have Always Lived in the Castle"

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962) is a contemporary Gothic Novel in which women appear as both villains and victims, subverting the traditional characterization of women in classic Gothic Fiction. The apparently innocent and selfless Constance and the young Mary Kate live isolated and absolutely dedicated to housewifery. Due to the recurrent presence of food in the novel and drawn by the significance of its omnipresence, the purpose of this article is to discuss the symbolic meaning of food based on a cultural approach and how the characters’ relationship with food marks their social class, power position, anxieties, fears and desires within and outside the family.

Source: Estudios Ingleses de la Universidad Complutense

DOI: 10.5209/cjes.56359

Author: Esther Muñoz González

Institution: Universidad de Zaragoza

Language: English

Topic: Gothic Literature and Media Analysis

Subfield: Cultural Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, European Social Fund

Award: G6977280234