In the second part of Thomas Ligotti’s collection of short stories (Teatro Grottesco) entitled “Deformations”, the concept of the grotesque-abject figure is one that is evident in the events that occur in the short stories that make it up. With each tale comes a different example of the grotesque-abject and how it impacts the actions of the main character.
Firstly, what is a grotesque-abject figure? According to Julia Kristeva, as explained by Kelly Hurly in her text “Abject and Grotesque”, a grotesque-abject body is “a body of fear, but fear tempered with fascination” (Hurly 138). In other words, it is a body that scares us but also fascinates and interests us. As previously mentioned, this notion is applied constantly throughout the chapter as the main characters from each story are confronted with unusual and terrifying beings that they can’t help but question and look upon with slight interest.
For example, in the first short story entitled “My Case for Retributive Action”, the grotesque-abject figures appear at the end of the story. The main character has started working as a form processor in a storefront office for the Quine Organization, a company that specializes in medication production. There he meets Ribello, an eccentric employee who informs the main character about the events leading up to the disappearance of the former employee, Hatcher. The main character attempts to learn more about Hatcher and learns that after his (Hatcher’s) disappearance, many people are told to have witnessed a cat sized spider creature, referred to as the “nobby monster”. Already we see the main character showing an interest in these strange sightings that appear to be dreadful and odd. "[...] I prompted Ribello for whatever else he could tell me about the man whose position in the storefront office I had been hired to fill" (Ligotti 91). Later the main character finds this horrendous creature hiding in his attic amongst other vermin that appear to be in the process of transforming into other monsters due to the monster’s venom. However, the main character does not run away in fear upon seeing the deformed rats (and the nobby monster) but instead chooses to continue investigating the attic and the creatures that have inhabited it before killing the monster and extracting its venom.
In the second story, “Our Temporary Supervisor”, the main character works for a factory that is also owned by the Quine Organization and is confronted by the grotesque-abject figure when the current supervisor of the factory, Mr. Fowly, has to take leave. The factory is left with a temporary supervisor that they (the employees) cannot see behind the window of the supervisor’s office, other than some movement and shadows. The indiscernible being becomes abject-grotesque when the main character and the rest of the employees attempt to understand what the supervisor looks like, despite being put off by to an extent by its unfamiliarity. “Even if no one said anything that specifically referred either to the new supervisor’s presence or absence […]. I saw that nearly everyone […] had cast a glance at some point […] in the direction of Mr. Fowly’s office” (Ligotti 104). It is clear that the employees are interested in what the temp could be, despite being trepidatious in the process of actually finding out.
Therefore, the theme of the abject-grotesque is in fact very present in the second part of Ligotti’s collection of short stories.
Works cited:
Ligotti, Thomas. “The Town Manager.” Teatro Grottesco. 2006. London: Virgin Books Ltd, 2008. 22-36. Print.
Hurley, Kelly. "Abject and Grotesque.” Routledge Companion to the Gothic. Ed. Catherine Spooner and Emma McEvoy. Routledge, 2007. 137-46. Print
Firstly, what is a grotesque-abject figure? According to Julia Kristeva, as explained by Kelly Hurly in her text “Abject and Grotesque”, a grotesque-abject body is “a body of fear, but fear tempered with fascination” (Hurly 138). In other words, it is a body that scares us but also fascinates and interests us. As previously mentioned, this notion is applied constantly throughout the chapter as the main characters from each story are confronted with unusual and terrifying beings that they can’t help but question and look upon with slight interest.
For example, in the first short story entitled “My Case for Retributive Action”, the grotesque-abject figures appear at the end of the story. The main character has started working as a form processor in a storefront office for the Quine Organization, a company that specializes in medication production. There he meets Ribello, an eccentric employee who informs the main character about the events leading up to the disappearance of the former employee, Hatcher. The main character attempts to learn more about Hatcher and learns that after his (Hatcher’s) disappearance, many people are told to have witnessed a cat sized spider creature, referred to as the “nobby monster”. Already we see the main character showing an interest in these strange sightings that appear to be dreadful and odd. "[...] I prompted Ribello for whatever else he could tell me about the man whose position in the storefront office I had been hired to fill" (Ligotti 91). Later the main character finds this horrendous creature hiding in his attic amongst other vermin that appear to be in the process of transforming into other monsters due to the monster’s venom. However, the main character does not run away in fear upon seeing the deformed rats (and the nobby monster) but instead chooses to continue investigating the attic and the creatures that have inhabited it before killing the monster and extracting its venom.
In the second story, “Our Temporary Supervisor”, the main character works for a factory that is also owned by the Quine Organization and is confronted by the grotesque-abject figure when the current supervisor of the factory, Mr. Fowly, has to take leave. The factory is left with a temporary supervisor that they (the employees) cannot see behind the window of the supervisor’s office, other than some movement and shadows. The indiscernible being becomes abject-grotesque when the main character and the rest of the employees attempt to understand what the supervisor looks like, despite being put off by to an extent by its unfamiliarity. “Even if no one said anything that specifically referred either to the new supervisor’s presence or absence […]. I saw that nearly everyone […] had cast a glance at some point […] in the direction of Mr. Fowly’s office” (Ligotti 104). It is clear that the employees are interested in what the temp could be, despite being trepidatious in the process of actually finding out.
Therefore, the theme of the abject-grotesque is in fact very present in the second part of Ligotti’s collection of short stories.
Works cited:
Ligotti, Thomas. “The Town Manager.” Teatro Grottesco. 2006. London: Virgin Books Ltd, 2008. 22-36. Print.
Hurley, Kelly. "Abject and Grotesque.” Routledge Companion to the Gothic. Ed. Catherine Spooner and Emma McEvoy. Routledge, 2007. 137-46. Print