L’Intersection de l’Anxiété et L’Idée de L’Étrange

Flashcards covering the concepts of anxiety, fear, and the portrayal of the strange of the texts 'La Belle et la Bête' and 'Le Cabinet du Dr. Caligari'.

Central Theme

In "La Belle et la Bête" and Le Cabinet du Dr. Caligari, fear symbolizes human anxiety created by the strange.

The Beast as a Source of Fear

The Beast's physical traits, described as "so horrible" and having "une voix terrible," cause fear and prevent understanding.

Multidimensional Fear

Fear is evident and multidimensional because characters fear ruptures with social conventions more than the Beast itself.

Fear in Le Cabinet du Dr. Caligari

The audience's fear is constructed through Dr. Caligari and Cesare, uncertain whether the film is a fantastic-strange or fantastic-marvelous tale.

Spectator Uncertainty

The ambiguity of whether the film's world is supernatural or has a rational explanation adds to the uncertainty (following Todorov).

Villagers' Fear

The village's fear is caused by Dr. Caligari's mysterious nature, Cesare representing the strange, and the police's inability to find the source of the murders.

Function of Fear

Representations of fear express that humans are uneasy with things that disrupt social conventions.

Dr. Caligari and Cesare Represent

Characters who are strange because they are not members of the village and seem supernatural.

Fear as Reflection

Fear functions as a mirror of the reader's or spectator's emotions because it reflects the confusion about whether the story is rational or supernatural.

Fear Definition

A emotion created by traits differing from the social norm and as a reflection of uncertainty and anxiety that supernatural stories can inspire.