DUALITY, DOPPELGÄNGERS AND EVIL TWINS: THE GOTHIC FIGURE OF THE DOUBLE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

This thesis examines the theme of duality and the motif of the doppelgänger in literature, tracing its evolution from 19th-century Gothic literature to contemporary literary works. Chapter one serves as an introduction, delving into the description of duality and the doppelgänger, and their historical development in literature and scholarship to contextualize the discussion. Chapter two delves into the portrayal of the double in 19th-century gothic literature with a focused analysis of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. These works serve as a representative example of the doppelgänger motif’s exploration during this literary era. Chapter three shifts the attention to contemporary literature, where works such as Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, and Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley are examined. Through the close analysis of these novels, this chapter discovers how modern authors employ the theme of duality in the contemporary context. By providing a comparative analysis of the theme of duality across 19th- century gothic literature and contemporary literature, this thesis aims to analyse how the doppelgänger motif has evolved across the last two centuries.