Nightmare Abbey · Theme
Satire of Literary and Philosophical Fashions
How Nightmare Abbey develops Satire of Literary and Philosophical Fashions.
The novel mocks contemporary literary trends, including Gothic novels, German tragedies, and transcendental philosophy, through characters like Mr. Flosky, who revels in obscurity and pretentious mysticism.
Where it surfaces
- Epigraph
The epigraph's juxtaposition of high literary references and the mock-heroic tone of the Butler quote signals a satirical treatment of contemporary literary and philosophical affectations.
- V
The discussion of the new novel 'Devilman' and poem 'Paul Jones' mocks the clichés of Gothic and Romantic literature, while Mr. Flosky's self-aggrandizement parodies contemporary critics.
- Chapter VI
Mr. Flosky's speech mocks the trend of creating heroes from vice and the preference for mystery over reason in contemporary fiction.
- VII
Mr. Flosky's transcendentalist musings and Mr. Asterias's absurdly credulous belief in mermaids satirize contemporary philosophical and scientific fads.
- VIII
Mr. Flosky's absurd metaphysical distinctions and his ballad 'Bottom's Dream' parody the obscurantism and pretension of contemporary Romantic and transcendental writers.
- XI
The characters' exaggerated postures—Cypress's despair, Flosky's obscurantism, Listless's ennui—mock contemporary intellectual trends.
- XII
Mr. Flosky's pseudo-philosophical discourse on ghosts and the characters' credulity satirize the Romantic and Gothic literary trends of the time.
- XIII
The chapter satirizes Gothic conventions and the melodramatic posturing of characters, including Scythrop's theatrical pose at the end.
- Endnotes
The endnotes mock the pretentiousness of literary and philosophical allusions, such as the heterogeneous mythological company in Manfred, and satirize political figures like Burke and the laureate.