The Halls of Eblis The uncanny in William Beckford's 'Vathek'

Abstract

This thesis will argue about the idea of the Uncanny in William Beckford’s Vathek paying specific attention to the descending of the Caliph Vathek (main character) in the nether regions, called in this novel The Halls of Eblis. William Beckford is one of the most controversial characters of the eighteenth century. His literary activity has not been very wide. Yet, Vathek is one of the most interesting novels of the eighteenth century, both for its contribution to the Gothic group of novels, and for linking two extremely important eras of English literature: the eighteenth century oriental tale and the romantic novel of the nineteenth century. It is considered as the last book that closed the circle of the gothic novels. Beckford’s representation of Hell and damnation and the perception of terror are the most important elements in this book, but also of what Freud called Das Unheimlich. For Freud the uncanny is something unusual and disturbing that comes to the surface right from the depths of the unconscious colliding with the ego and bringing to light moments lived in the past, forgotten and removed. Furthermore, we feel lost in a world, which we do not know any longer, which is not familiar to us anymore. Accordingly, Beckford’s Halls of Eblis is constructed as a dream; by getting lost in those halls, wandering where they will lead, the confusion, the uncertainty, are those kind of feelings that we have already experienced in our dream-activity yet still disturbing for us. The anxiety accompanies us from the beginning of the descending of Vathek to the underworld, when the doors of Eblis open, until the end of the novel where everyone gets his/her own punishment.