Utterances connected with social criticism in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary

Abstract EN

Stephen King’s PET SEMATARY (Hence, abbreviated as PS) (1983) has seldom been studied from the perspective of utterances connected with social criticism.

Usually, this work is thematically treated as a narrative text in the Horror Fiction genre.

The present research analyzes some utterances and their meanings (clear or hidden) in connection with the social criticism in this novel, to determine how the Horror, or Gothic, element is used to express the manner of speaking as a critical interlocutor of Postmodern American culture, and the role, judgment and attitudes in specific narrative situations.

The study highlights the nature of social criticism between interactants in the text, in relation to the relevant contexts.

The approach enables us to examine what is communicated (i.

e.

discourse) and how it is communicated insofar as the narrative text is socially oriented with a critical intention that activate areas of articulation which may seem unrelated to any familiar socio-political background.

Stephen King is perhaps one of the best known practitioners of Post Modernism in contents, themes, and techniques including the display of thought process and his use of untraditional language in Horror Fiction.

He had a purpose in his genre.

The aim of the paper is to reveal the unspoken message of the writer in using such utterances in this novel.

It is not to achieve temporary gory effects that King composed such a novel, but for a more lasting social impact, as will be revealed in the analysis.

This research selects a number of utterances from Stephen King’s PS to prove that despite the semblance of supernatural horror, the real source of fear in post modern times comes from the socially condemnable abd blameworthy points criticized in the course of the narrative.