On the comparative consciousness and researcherandrsquo;s influence in global ambiguity in nineteenth-century American Gothic: A study in form, history, and culture

Abstract

This study intends to discuss Assistant Professor Wanlin Li’s latest work Global Ambiguity in Nineteenth-Century American Gothic: A Study in Form, History, and Culture from the comparative perspective, which can be divided into two aspects. First, the research reflects the comparative consciousness in various respects such as mentioning Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant about their theory on “sublime” and comparing them to that of Edgar Allan Poe. Second, it implies that Wanlin Li, as a Chinese scholar with America learning experience, tries to explore American Gothic by a relatively “native” approach, but it still manifests the Chinese characteristics to some extent. By perusing Li’s interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”, this study may shed light on further research on American Gothic while employing the comparative perspectives in a broader cultural horizon.