The Grotesque In Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines Of Doctor Hoffman

This thesis attempts to explore threefold functions of the grotesque in Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman(1972),arguing that the grotesque functions as a catharsis for its readers,a way of subversion and a particular mode of satire.This thesis first examines how the grotesque functions as a catharsis for readers,pointing out that in the grotesque,the uncanny which arouses infantile fear and impulse is always interwoven with the comic which creates carnival ambience.The interaction between the fearsome and the comic makes readers switch back and forth between fear and laughter and thus go through an emotional release as tension and anxiety are aroused and soon eased.This thesis continues to explore how the grotesque functions as a way of subversion,arguing that the grotesque narration of exaggerated dressing-ups,androgynous bodies and female with overwhelming sexual desire undermines the dichotomy between beauty and ugliness,female and male,and subject and object and challenges the traditional expectation of female body,gender identities and gender roles in patriarchal society.The thesis finally investigates how the grotesque functions as a mode of satire,arguing that the grotesque highlights the targets of the satire,namely the unreasonable phenomenon in society.Through the grotesque,Carter satirizes the oppression imposed on female,female's internalization of patriarchal disciplines,cold and logical totalitarianism,the utilitarian spirit behind the manipulation of love and desire,and ways of protest against manipulation that lead to disequilibrium of mind and body.The thesis concludes that through the grotesque,Carter provides readers with an experience of catharsis,encourages readers to be more open-minded by subverting binary oppositions and challenging conventional rules,urges readers to contemplate on a series of serious issues in reality by highlighting and satirizing the inappropriate phenomenon.