Intimacy and Isolation in Jen Silverman’s Gothic Worlds

Abstract

As a genre, the gothic deals frequently in loneliness, isolation, and paranoid orientations toward others. These characteristics make the gothic a productive lens through which to explore the effects of neoliberalism, particularly the way neoliberalism structures intimate human connection. I analyse three plays by Jen Silverman, demonstrating how her use of gothic conventions illuminates the promotion of isolation within neoliberal discourse as well as the exchange of emotional intimacy for public intimacy and the commodification of intimacy within the attention economy. By reframing familiar gothic tropes, Silverman draws parallels between the rebellious nature of gothic villains and the hyper-individualism promoted by neoliberal discourse. She further reworks the gothic heroine’s struggle against patriarchal authority, utilizing it to interrogate the role of family life within neoliberalism. Through these techniques, Silverman highlights the anxious tension that lies at the heart of neoliberalism: between fearing others and needing them to affirm our existence.