Joyce Carol Oates' extension of the monstrous in contemporary gothic

By exploring the extension of traditional gothic into the contemporary gothic we can see the classic tropes of violence and monsters portrayed from the late 18th century into modern gothic texts. However using three of Oates’ contemporary texts we can examine what it is to be a monster; is it the physical appearance of the body or is it a manipulation of the mind? By using these two conflicting symbols to explore Oates’ presentation of monsters and violence we can see how she subverts them thus creating a new strain of gothic congruent with her writing style and demonstrating that the monstrous can inhabit the human form. The three texts examined in this book are Carthage (2014) Landfill in Dear Husband: stories (2010) and Rape: a love story (2003).