Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.15291/sic/2.16.lc.7
The Horror of N. V. Gogol’s “Vij”
Antonia Pintarić
Sažetak
Though N. V. Gogol’s “Vij” is commonly recognized as a work of horror, the elements motivating this interpretation still lack sufficient, systematic research through a contemporary horror studies apparatus. This paper offers a cognitive stylistic analysis of “Vij,” integrated with a biocultural perspective on horror. It aims to identify and explain the mechanisms through which “Vij” evokes fear by analyzing its language and the cognitive structures and processes underpinning it. Drawing on conceptual blending theory, the study demonstrates how horrifying entities—especially the witch—are constructed through the incremental integration of mental spaces, yielding emergent concepts grounded in cultural tradition and evolved fear circuits while remaining contextually specific. Special emphasis is placed on the role of sight, from perceptual instability to predation, demonstrating how linguistic patterns engage deep-seated fears. The paper further argues that the narrative’s exploitation of the metaphor understanding is seeing positions vision as a source of existential threat: looking entails dangerous knowledge that destabilizes core world schemata. This study contributes to growing research on Gogol’s horror poetics and offers a basis for empirical investigations into readers’ experiential responses to literary horror.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
349180
URI
Datum izdavanja:
23.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *