The Haunting of Haddonfield
The Haunting of Haddonfield
This chapter argues that, formally, narratively, and thematically, the character of Michael Myers is constructed as a haunted force, and Haddonfield as a haunted space. One common framework for dealing with the supernatural in literature comes from the Bulgarian structural narratologist Tzvetan Todorov. Todorov delineated three modes for the literary supernatural: the Marvellous, the Uncanny and the Fantastic. Many of Halloween's most effective moments similarly depend on Fantastic hesitation. The chapter then explores the themes of haunted houses and legend tripping in Halloween, as well as the utilization of sound in implying a kind of omnipresence to Michael's presence and perspective. John Carpenter's musical score works similarly to project Michael's presence beyond his body.
Keywords: Michael Myers, Haddonfield, Tzvetan Todorov, literary supernatural, Halloween, Fantastic hesitation, haunted houses, legend tripping, John Carpenter, musical score
Liverpool Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.