Author: Tahirjon Abdulhamid Alesso

John Cheever’s “The Enormous Radio” is Gothic because the replacement radio behaved supernaturally by broadcasting the conflicts among the apartment tenants (The Fantastic). Irene experienced Gothic emotions since she was in suspense of her neighbor’s secrets and shocked by how the radio had still revealed the private conversations after the initial repair. Irene’s Gothic actions such as doing what is forbidden, eavesdropping and her degenerate desire to listen for more even when the conversations were distressing (degradation) demonstrated the Gothic aspect of this story. Uncertainty had occurred since Irene was unsure as to whether or not the radio could record her own private conversations.

The story, “The Enormous Radio” by John Cheever is not Gothic because the drama between the private conversations and Irene’s gloom was emphasized rather than the Fantastic aspect. The radio’s defect was not horrific nor did the story involve excesses and human boundary explorations. The story did not contain a return to normalcy since the radio’s final repair seemed normal, but Jim and Irene fell into conflict with each other which had not occurred before the radio was even purchased. The story was lacking in Gothic elements such as nightmares, miraculous survival and settings such as castles or basements. Although the radio’s “interference” might be deemed supernatural, Jim and Irene’s reactions to the mystery did not produce suspense or terror in the audience since no apprehension was expressed. The radio might have been an allegory against eavesdropping since Irene’s worldview had been warped because she couldn’t mind her business, rather than a terrifying story of a radio that invades privacy.

-Tahirjon (Vince) Alesso

When I read Alan Lloyd Smith on American Gothic, several important ideas existed that I perceived as crucial for my comprehension of fiction literature.

#1 American Gothic literature emerged from the concepts had existed in works prior to the genre becoming a definitive aspect of the English tradition. (page#3)

#2 American Gothic was emerged as a “subaltern” since it closely resembled English writing styles, but some American writers had been influential to English literature due to cultural similarities. (page#4)

#3 Societal boundaries must be explored and tested in order to determine how the literature becomes Gothic. (Page#5)

#4 American Gothic exposed another facet of the Enlightenment period to which magical concepts were sometimes explained, but uncertainty was reinforced for other occurances during a time where secularism and criticism of religious doctrine was becoming widespread. Science became an important element of American gothic as it was combined with supernatural ideas to convey the story. (page#6)

#5 American gothic utilizes terror to reinforce an idea being conveyed by mere horrific descriptions. Therefore the reader’s are psychologically overwhelmed with the broader reality of the situation in the works. (Page#8).

-Tahirjon (Vince) Alesso

In my perspective, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Black Cat” was the most enjoyable from the assigned readings since it incorporated multiple techniques that retained my attention throughout the story. Although the nature of the story might have been described as gruesome and unsettling by some, the first person narration seemed to manipulate the reader into understanding the reasoning associated with their actions. That aspect of the story was appreciated because I was compelled to read further whereas, third person narration would have just resembled a psychological evaluation or a description of a crime scene. I had noticed that the main character’s demeanor had transitioned at some point which could be identified as a twist when their impulses could no longer be solely blamed on alcoholism. For example,the main character had violently removed an eye from his cat, Pluto and eventually hanged this cat due to an internal frustration. However, the main character’s carefully calculated method to conceal his wife’s corpse in the cellar wall revealed that he wasn’t merely a weak man burdened by addiction to alcohol, but self-aware and capable of disguising his guilt. Although, the ax swing was intended for another pet cat, the weapon of choice could have indicated he might have already intended for the animal’s death to be bloody. I had re-read the interior monologues of the main character after each violent action since he had felt remorse because I didn’t want to assume that he was simply an evil person. I appreciated that the main character had described his desire to nurture life in the beginning of the story and how he didn’t derive pleasure from harming others since I began to question whether he should have been imprisoned or admitted to a psychiatric ward. In conclusion, I enjoyed Poe’s”The Black Cat” since it was elaborate and somewhat saddening. -Tahirjon (Vince) Alesso