Professional paper
The Intertextual Use of H. P. Lovecraft’s Fiction in Rick and Morty
Tamara Hlupić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0862-2045
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the influence of h.p.
Lovecraft’s ideas on Rick and Morty, the tv programme from the 2010s that brings
forth the devices characteristic for postmodernist works. The main focus is on
explaining the postmodernist notions and Lovecraftian elements on which Rick
and Morty was based. More precisely, two episodes in total – s02e06: The Ricks
Must Be Crazy and s04e06: Never Ricking Morty – are analysed and compared
with elements of Lovecraft’s works they draw from. Furthermore, the effect of the
time of the show’s creation on the choice of used postmodernist devices and
Lovecraftian elements, as well as their purpose, try to be explained. Based on the
comparative analysis of two episodes of Rick and Morty and Lovecraft’s works,
one concludes that the show successfully incorporated Lovecraftian ideas and
worldview into its episodes and transferred them into the 21st century. Because of
the current situation in the world marked by a global pandemic, the show relies
mainly upon Lovecraft’s cosmic indifference. The show refers to the coronavirus,
which could be regarded as a monster of the 21st century that awakened the
cosmic fear present in Lovecraft’s works.
Keywords
Rick and Morty, Lovecraft, Cosmicism, Lovecraftian Horror, Postmodernism, Intertextuality
Hrčak ID:
264982
URI
Publication date:
29.10.2021.
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