A Wild Sheep Chase and Japanese Horror

Japanese horror and gothic literature focuses more on psychological terror than anything else. Japanese horror uses techniques of tension and suspense building with supernatural elements to leave the reader antsy and on edge. In the novel A Wild Sheep Chase, many of these elements are utilized to leave the reader constantly questioning what is going on and what the point is to many of the happenings. Like many Japanese horrors, A Wild Sheep Chase has ghosts and mystery surrounding them; the reader doesn’t know Rat, who is commonly mentioned in the story as the narrator attempts to find him, is a ghost until it is revealed later in the story.

This story focuses on the mystery that Rat’s disappearance and the image of the sheep is shrouded in. The narrator is sent on a mission to find a particular sheep in this image that was used at his ad agency as a visitor tells him to take the ad down and do so. The visitor threatens his livelihood if he does not comply. Many of the elements in A Wild Sheep Chase, such as the unnamed narrator, the visitor, the happenings/tasks without any explanation (finding the sheep, taking the ad down, the missing girlfriend later in the story, the sheep man) all work together to create this incredibly mysterious setting that pushes the reader to constantly ask questions about what is going on.

The Mortal-Vampire Relationship in Twilight

As I have never actually read Twilight, I decided to give it a try as I was surprised to find it on this list in contrast with the public ridicule it received upon release. The characteristics of the vampires in this story were definitely different from the common tropes I was expecting. I had come to know of the sparkling-in-the-sun element due to internet memes and the easy spread of information that the internet allows us to have today. The vampires in Twilight do survive on the consumption of blood, whether that be animal or human. They live forever as long as their heads aren’t removed from their body and they sparkle in the sun. They don’t sleep and some of them have extra special abilities such as reading minds or seeing the future. ‘Newborn’ vampires are extra rambunctious and harder to coerce into not killing humans for food, but if that is the lifestyle they choose, then they try as hard as they can. These vampires are also perfect in appearance, which is an extension of making it easier to lure humans in with basic attraction. They have superhuman strength and speed as well. The main vampire in this story, Edward, has a relationship with the main mortal, Bella. Edward has the extra ability of being able to read minds, but for some reason he cannot read Bella’s, which adds to his attraction to her. At first, he attempts to avoid her as he is not sure he can control himself and he knows that he is no good for her, but after Bella continues to pick at all of the mystery surrounding him, he lets her in. Edward and Bella’s relationship is the start to a connection between mortals and vampires as vampires in this universe can live without killing humans if they so choose.

The Gothic Nature of the story Frankenstein

The main gothic elements of Frankenstein are the dark and desolate setting of the scenes and the isolation of the characters in the story. As Victor Frankenstein begins creating the monster, the circumstances surrounding the process are shrouded in mystery; the collecting of body parts for experimentation and the use of new technology with supernatural intentions.

The setting of Frankenstein, set in Switzerland and Germany, but in the less explored arctic regions and in the labs both gave the reader a sense of gloom and mystery. As people were unaccustomed to these regions and probably do not spend their everyday lives in a dark lab trying to raise the dead, these elements leave the reader feeling a little on edge.

On the note of raising the dead, that alone is enough to give readers goose bumps. Shelley uses this gothic element to instill terror in the reader, as they read about Victor searching for body parts in the dark of the night, setting up a sense of foreboding for the future of the characters involved in the story. This connection between the mortal and supernatural world is another element of gothic nature that leaves the reader feeling a little disturbed. Giving Frankenstein some sort of unrecognized method of communication between him and his master combined with heightened speed abilities make him an extraordinary force in the gothic nature of Frankenstein.