Freud uses the example of the fantasy to formulate the view that masochism originates from sadism which has been turned round upon the self. But while the stipulations of sado-masochism are of vital importance for the Gothic genre in general, it is exactly the figure of the spectator in the sado-masochistic context this paper is specifically devoted to. Under the scrutinising gaze of the Gothic Spectator the re-enactment of his/her own tragedy may both bring voyeuristic enjoyment and add a sharper edge to the Spectator’s own masochism through the repetition of trauma. Seen from this perspective the Spectator becomes an inseparable element of the clash between the submissive Same and the dominant Other – the spectator becomes the Third.
Resources