American Horror Story: Murder House
When I think of something that is the sort “new wave” of gothic
I immediately think of the show, “American Horror Story” (aired fall 2011.) The
story is based on family with a troubled past (stillborn babies and affairs)
they can’t escape so they choose to move into an old, restored mansion with its
own troubled past, so exaggerated that over twenty gruesome crimes had occurred
in it. Even a sightseeing tour bus passes by daily naming the home, “The Murder
House.”
Shortly after moving into the home the family is oblivious to
the fact that they are living amongst ghosts and former residents of the home
from the past. Ben (the father) a psychiatrist starts seeing patients in his
home, one who later fall in love with his daughter, even becomes obsessed with
her. Ben is completely unaware that not only is he a ghost but an infamous
school shooter, but he figures it out too late before his daughter tragically
kills herself to be with him. Through a series of events, its turns out her
suicide was for not and she banishes him from the house and he proclaims he,
“will wait for her forever.”
Another character named Larry is introduced into the fold. He disfigured and missing limbs and it’s not till the end of the season it is explained what happened to him. He begins to warn the family of the house and its dangers; classic gothic element. He reappears throughout the season constantly warning and foretelling them on the certain death they will face.
By last episode the entire family is dead and had been assimilated into the saga of the Murder House where they will live with all the other ghosts for eternity.
“American Horror Story” contains all the elements of all classic gothic horror with the timeworn mansion with a macabre past and a cast of characters with an equally disconcerting history the characters in the end just couldn’t escape. There are elements of purity and young virginal love and the amalgamation of them make for a traditional gothic story.
Another character named Larry is introduced into the fold. He disfigured and missing limbs and it’s not till the end of the season it is explained what happened to him. He begins to warn the family of the house and its dangers; classic gothic element. He reappears throughout the season constantly warning and foretelling them on the certain death they will face.
By last episode the entire family is dead and had been assimilated into the saga of the Murder House where they will live with all the other ghosts for eternity.
“American Horror Story” contains all the elements of all classic gothic horror with the timeworn mansion with a macabre past and a cast of characters with an equally disconcerting history the characters in the end just couldn’t escape. There are elements of purity and young virginal love and the amalgamation of them make for a traditional gothic story.
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