A Gothic Sinthome

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A Gothic Sinthome ?

The Case of H. P. Lovecraft

Benjamin Noys

Abstract:

This paper explores the possibilities of the or! of the later Lacan

for provi"in# an analysis of the Gothic text. $t foc%ses partic%larly

on the or! of the American riter H. P. Lovecraft& a relatively

%n!no n an" little're#ar"e" (#%re of early )* th cent%ry #othic +

horror (ction. $ "ra on his texts to exemplify Lacan,s revision of

the symptom to the ne form of the - sinthome ,& a constr%ction that

allo s the in"ivi"%al to s%pplement or repair the f%n"amentalr%pt%re at the basis of s%bjectivity. $ ar#%e that Lovecraft,s texts

pro"%ce a partic%lar form of Gothic sinthome & hich allo s him to

#ain a position as a s%bject hile also creatin# a ne sin#%lar form

of horror (ction. His ne cosmic non's%pernat%ral horror (ction

p%shes at the limits of the #othic. This (ction is ta!en %p by the

contemporary rench riter /ichel Ho%ellebec0 to pro"%ce a post'

#othic (ction in hich the e1ect of horror is locate" in the

inconsistency of the social bon".



A Gothic Sinthome ?

The Case of H. P. Lovecraft

Benjamin Noys

$n Seminar XXIII 32456'78 Lacan elaborates the invention of

somethin#& the sinthome & hich ill allo the s%bject to live ith

the tra%matic relation bet een lan#%a#e an" jouissance . $t is a

0%estion of ho e mi#ht ma!e "o ith this relation& a 0%estion of

savoir-faire 2 or& in 9incent :achy,s phrase& of a -!no 'some'ho ,. )

Lacan (n"s this inventive -!no 'some'ho , thro%#h the sin#%lar

blo that ;ames ;oyce in<icts on the narcissism of literat%re. ;oyce

ma!es his name thro%#h ma!in# his or! as his sinthome . As asin#%lar in"ivi"%al he creates a ritin# that is f%n"amentally

o%tsi"e the "isco%rse of literat%re. This is especially tr%e of

Finnegans Wake 324=48& hich is& in Lacan,s phrase& -not'for'

rea"in#, 3 Pas-à-lire 8. $t is so beca%se it s%bjects the letter to

litterin#& t%rnin# it into -r%bbish,& an" constr%ctin# a jouissance

that is& in some senses& ;oyce,s alone. Therefore Lacan invents the

sinthome as a psychoanalytic concept in part thro%#h one of the

most extreme& an" resistant& or!s of hi#h mo"ernism. ;ac0%es'

Alain /iller f%rther co"i(es this connection hen he ar#%es that

;oyce "estroys the ima#inary elements of literat%re 3character& plot&

etc.8 in traversin# to ar"s -the p%re relation ith lan#%a#e,. = The



elaboration of the sinthome appears to be in f%n"amental

a#reement ith the "isco%rse of hi#h mo"ernism. >

B%t is the canonical mo"ernist masterpiece the only place for

s%ch an invention? Perhaps e can trace it in a "i1erent area the

intersection of the #othic an" mo"ernism. $t is not impla%sible to

re#ar" the #othic itself as tryin# to invent ne relations bet een

lan#%a#e an" jouissance . $ts repetitive an" hi#hly str%ct%re"

conventions co%l" be seen as the e1ect of a constant "elineation of

the remains of jouissance . $n partic%lar e co%l" note the reco%rse

to the pilin# %p of a"jectives& an excess of si#ni(ers& hich veil an"

%nveil& at the same time& the monstro%s %nspea!able -Thin#,. 6 This

e1ect reaches its apotheosis in the or! of the American #othic

riter Ho ar" Phillips Lovecraft. Consi"er this "escription of an

enco%nter ith his most ell'!no n creation the alien sea #o"Cth%lh% -$t l%mbere" slobberin#ly into si#ht an" #ropin#ly

s0%ee@e" $ts #elatino%s #reen immensity thro%#h the blac!

"oor ay into the tainte" o%tsi"e air of that poison city of

ma"ness,. 7 $t as this !in" of excess that ca%se" "m%n" ilson to

aspishly remar! that - tDhe only real horror in most of these

(ctions is the horror of ba" taste an" ba" art., 5 Here e seem to

have fallen from the hei#hts of mo"ernism to the "epths of a -p%lp,

novelist e sho%l" be ashame" to a"mit havin# rea". E

The %n%s%al nat%re of Lovecraft,s bran" of -cosmic horror,

also appears to place him at the mar#ins of the #othic. Ho ever& if

Lovecraft is a -minor, riter& in terms of his lac! of artistry an" his



i"iosyncrasy& this may not be #ro%n"s for the "ismissal of his case.

:ele%@e an" G%attari conten" that the -minor, riter can

"eterritioralise the co"es of a major or "ominant lan#%a#e. 4

Lovecraft %n"ermines the -co"es, or -conventions, of the #othic by

n%"#in# them in a ne "irection. This sin#%lar n%"#in# of the

#othic p%ts it into a ne relation ith mo"ernism& to the point

here e can tal! of a -becomin#'#othic, of mo"ernism. He has

also opene" a ne space in the #othic that other riters ill

attempt to occ%py& altho%#h this has often res%lte" in slavish

imitation or %nam%sin# paro"y. $n contrast& /ichel Ho%ellebec0

has s%ccee"e" in creatin# somethin# ne from this space. He

consi"ers his 2442 or! H. P. Lovecraft: gainst the Worl!" gainst

Life to be his (rst novel& 2* an" his later ritin#s are in"ebte" to

Lovecraft,s in3ter8vention in the #othic as their point of "epart%re. Altho%#h later he o%l" minimise this connection $ ant to ar#%e

that Ho%ellebec0 "ra s o%t from Lovecraft a ne -post'#othic,

(ction. $n "oin# so he allo s %s to frame the 0%estion Ho "o yo%

ma!e yo%rself a #othic sinthome ?

This is not only a matter of the case of Lovecraft b%t also of

the possibility of a more #eneral rea"in# of the #othic thro%#h

Lacan,s or! on the sinthome . The a1inity bet een the #othic an"

psychoanalysis is a critical commonplace& 22 altho%#h one that has

become hi#hly conteste". There is evi"ence for an inextricable

bin"in# bet een these t o (el"s& hich is alrea"y visible in

re%",s essay -The Fncanny, 324248. $n that essay it is a #othic text



that provi"es the material for re%" to analyse the %ncanny as a

symptom pro"%ce" by the -ret%rn of the represse",. 2) Then critics

an" analysts ill ta!e %p this mo"el of the symptom as a po erf%l

tool for rea"in# the #othic. $n this ay the circle bet een the

#othic an" psychoanalysis is close"& ith each seemin#ly

con(rmin# the other. 2= $n topolo#ical terms they form a m bi%s

ban" e start from the #othic an" by tracin# aro%n" the ban" e

(n" o%rselves in psychoanalysis& before ret%rnin# bac! to the

#othic. At certain points on the ban" e (n" -@ones of in"istinction,

at hich ne forms emer#e the -psychoanalytic #othic,& hose

classic example o%l" be Alfre" Hitchcoc!,s Ps#cho 3247*8& an" a

-#othic psychoanalysis,& s%ch as can be fo%n" in /elanie lein,s

case st%"ies. 2>

hat remains problematic in relation to this ban" is theposition of Lacanian psychoanalysis. $t no lon#er or!s ith the

"epth'mo"el that seeme" to provi"e the neat -(t, bet een

psychoanalysis an" the #othic& an" hich has been so heavily

criticise". hile not conformin# to this hermene%tics of s%spicion

Lacanian psychoanalysis also seems to problematise the t%rn to

-materiality, an" -history,& hich have become the master'si#ni(ers

of the contemporary h%manities. $t has no place on the ban" an" no

place o%tsi"e of it. To %se /iller,s terminolo#y Lacanian

psychoanalysis is e$tim% 3extimate8 to the #othic + psychoanalysis

ban"I it is an inassimilable forei#n bo"y. 26 This is the role that

Lacanian psychoanalysis plays ith respect to the #othicI as



somethin# that is -in it more than it,& 27 a !in" of #othic of the

#othic& or hat ha%nts the #othic 3an" psychoanalysis8.

B%t ho "oes it play this role? /any critics still re#ar" it as

posin# the s%rface of the si#ni(er a#ainst the -"epths, of the

-biolo#ical, %nconscio%s& #ivin# their version of the -str%ct%ralist,

Lacan of the 246*s. The more obvio%s l%re is Seminar &II 'he

(thics of Ps#choanal#sis 32464'7*8& hich seems to o1er %s the

-#othic Lacan, the Lacan of trans#ression& of the s%blime& an" of

-p%re "esire,. 25 Lacan,s Anti#one mi#ht ell be parallele" ith

9ictoria& the Ja"ean heroine of Charlotte :acre,s )o*o#a+ or" the

,oor 32E*78&2E at least in terms of not #ivin# ay on "esire an" a

-criminal, trans#ression. To stop at this point is to reinforce a

certain ima#e of the #othic an" a certain ima#e of Lacan. The

ima#e is one in hich the real plays a transcen"ent role& hichthreatens to sever the lin! bet een the symbolic an" the real as

ell as to re'intro"%ce& even if in an inverte" form& the thematics of

"epth. $t erects the real into -the pre'symbolic Thin#,& as in Ki e!,s

rea"in# of that mo"ern #othic or! Mi"ley Jcott,s lien 324548.24

J%ch a rea"in# i#nores Lacan,s insistence& in Seminar XI 3247='>8

that psychoanalysis is a praxis - hich places man in a position to

treat the real by the symbolic,. )* Not only "oes Lacan ref%se to

sever the symbolic from the realI he also insists that - tDhe analyst,s

"esire is not a p%re "esire,. )2 $n these ays Seminar XI mar!s a

-shift, )) to ar"s hat has been "esi#nate" as the -(nal, or the -late

Lacan,.



This phase of Lacan,s teachin# "eploys topolo#ical mo"els

extensively to examine the relations bet een the three or"ers of

the real& symbolic an" ima#inary 3M.J.$.8 thro%#h a praxis of

!nottin# or lin!in#. $t is this mo"e of analysis that allo s %s a

rea"in# of the #othic that o%l" ref%se to conce"e too m%ch to the

-nat%ralness, of the paternal f%nction& the heroism of trans#ression&

or the positionin# of the real as the transcen"ent -thin#,. $nstea" it

ill allo %s to pose the 0%estion of the topolo#y of the #othic. or

the (nal Lacan the sinthome ill come to play a cr%cial role in

lin!in# M.J.$. to#ether. This is beca%se he #eneralises the symptom

by pres%min# no 0%asi'nat%ral consistency of the symbolic %n"er

the name'of'the'father. $nstea"& in a very #othic manoe%vre& the

name'of'the'father becomes another symptom constr%cte" by the

s%bject to face the f%n"amental inconsistenc# of the symbolic.)=

irst the symbolic& an" so also the name'of'the'father& loses its

privile#e" position. Thro%#h the str%ct%re of the three'rin#

borromean !not it no becomes place" in a position of e0%ality

ith the ima#inary an" the real. Then Lacan #oes f%rther by

s%##estin# that the borromean !not of M.J.$. "oes not han#

to#ether -nat%rally,I there is a -fa%lt in the %niverse, "%e to the fact

that -there is no ther of the ther,. )>

This absence means that that the e1ect of foreclos%re

becomes #eneralise" an" ith no primary si#ni(er of the name'of'

the'father each s%bject m%st ne#otiate ith the str%ct%ral

possibility of psychoses. )6 Lacan reverses re%" to ar#%e that



ne%rosis is a secon"ary str%ct%re ma"e %p from the %se of the

name'of'the'father as a partic%lar si#ni(er. ith the fail%re of M.J.$.

to spontaneo%sly han# to#ether e enter the borromean clinic in

hich the s%bject m%st (n" his or her o n ay of livin# ith the

fa%lt. ne ay to -repair, the fa%lt an" lin! the rin#s is thro%#h the

sinthome 3Σ 8. f co%rse in #othic (ction the -fa%lt in the %niverse, is

often localise" as the fail%re of a partic%lar representative of

a%thority 3often& b%t not al ays& patriarchal8 O thin!& for example&

of the behavio%r of Ambrosio in 'he ,onk 325478. e co%l" also

consi"er ho classical #othic often tries to -balance, the moral

problem of the jouissance pro"%ce" by scenes of s%1erin# O tryin#

to constr%ct a moral spectator in the face of obscene enjoyment. )7

Lacan o1ers nothin# as comfortin# as a temporary imbalance that

can be localise"& correcte"& or bro%#ht to or"erI instea" or"er isitself -chaotic,. )5

The secon" feat%re that can lea" %s to tal! of a symptom

become #othic is role of the sinthome in bin"in# jouissance . The

symptom is no lon#er a -messa#e, or si#nifyin# str%ct%re to be

"eciphere"& instea" the symptom as sinthome is a str%ct%re that is

a %ni0%e or#anisation of jouissance O that -enjoyment, hich ta!es

the form of pleas%re in pain. Lacan follo s re%" in the

Intro!uctor# Lectures by p%ttin# to#ether -The Jense of Jymptoms,

3Lect%re 258 ith the fact that -the symptom emer#es as a many'

times'"istorte" "erivative of the %nconscio%s libi"inal ish'

f%l(lment, )E 3Lect%re )= -The Paths to the ormation of Jymptoms,8



O p%ttin# to#ether sense an" jouissance .)4 $n the case of the

sinthome its partic%lar jouissance is opa0%e or mental O a

jouissance that excl%"es meanin#. f co%rse this conj%nction& an"

constr%ction& of sense an" jouissance is also visible in the #othic.

e (n" many jouissance -machines, in #othic texts tort%re "evices&

caves& cells or castles here -%nspea!able, activities can ta!e

place& an" even the in0%isition itself as a social -"esirin# machine,.

ften& in terms of the f%nction of interro#ation& these "evices

combine the extraction of jouissance ith the extraction of

!no le"#eI that is& sense an" the libi"inal.

Lacan,s ne #eneral theory of the symptom+ sinthome is

oriente" in terms of invention& !nots& an" jouissance . The sinthome

itself& hich is or"ere" thro%#h these feat%res& is a !in" of

proto'-#othic, constr%ction openin# a ne rea"in# of the #othictext. $t poses the problem of ho e invent a ay to ma!e the rin#s

of M.J.$. han# to#ether thro%#h their f%n"amental fail%re to cohere.

The sinthome "eman"s an inventive praxis that or!s ith

jouissance & an" the #othic is one place here this invention can

occ%r O one site that partic%larly interro#ates the inconsistency in

the symbolic that emer#es thro%#h the ex'sistence of the real. $s

s%ch an approach "ehistoricisin#? This is the stress of Mobert

/iles, opposition bet een the fallacio%s theoretical rea"in#& hich

o%l" ma!e the #othic a series of -relatively innocent fantasies

re<ectin# c%lt%ral or psychicQ "islocations,& an" the correct

historical rea"in# of #othic as -contentio%s& me"iate" material,. =* $n



fact it is the -"islocation, that res%lts from lan#%a#e that ma!es any

creation of -fantasies,& incl%"in# the #othic& a matter of

-contentio%s& me"iate" material,. As Ki e! has repeate"ly

"emonstrate"& =2 the invention of a sinthome & or of other ays to

ma!e the M.J.$. han# to#ether& is al ays ra"ically historical an"

i"eolo#ical. $t is the #eneral nat%re of the -fa%lt in the %niverse,

that ma!es each attempt to correct this fa%lt sin#%lar for the

s%bject.

To open this sin#%lar invention& the special theory of the

symptom+sinthome & $ ant to ret%rn to the case of H. P. Lovecraft.

Certainly Lovecraft,s life is rich in material for the psycho'

bio#rapher& especially one intereste" in the fail%re of the paternal

f%nction.=) He as born in 2E4* an" hen he as three his father

as incarcerate" in an asyl%m s%1erin# from the e1ects of syphilis&"yin# (ve years later. His maternal #ran"father& ho both

intro"%ce" Lovecraft to #othic stories an" too! an important role in

his %pbrin#in#& "ie" in 24*>. o%r years later Lovecraft s%1ere" a

nervo%s brea!"o n& only recoverin# thro%#h his ritin#. $n 2424

his mother s%1ere" a brea!"o n& "yin# in 24)2 "%e to

complications "%rin# an operation. $t as in the same year that

Lovecraft met his f%t%re ife Jonia Hart& a ;e ish i"o er seven

years his senior. This relationship o%l" fail& partly "%e to (nancial

reasons& ith Lovecraft ret%rnin# to live ith his a%nts in 24)7. His

most po erf%l (ction o%l" be ritten in this perio" before his

o n "eath& of cancer& in 24=5. hile $ "on,t ant to rely on



bio#raphical material e can see that the problem of inscription in

the symbolic ha%nts both Lovecraft,s life an" (ction.

$t can be seen in his brea!"o n. ne factor as Lovecraft,s

"i1ic%lty ith mathematics& hich he nee"e" to p%rs%e his

ambition to become a professional astronomer. f co%rse for Lacan

the -little letters, of mathematics are the s%pport of the real. == Alain

Ba"io% has ta!en this f%rther& ar#%in# that mathematics is the

inscription of Bein# itself. => $n the case of Lovecraft his "i1ic%lty is

s%##estive& if nothin# more& of a fail%re in inscription in relation to

the real O especially as his (ctions ill "ra on the mathematical to

incarnate horror. Also& hat o%l" "ra Lovecraft o%t of his

brea!"o n as the orl" of amate%r jo%rnalism& an" partic%larly

the ritin# of letters. He became one of the most proli(c letter

riters of the )*th

cent%ry an" many of his most si#ni(cant a"%ltrelationships ere s%staine" solely by correspon"ence. $n this ay

he o%l"& literally& t%rn to the -letter, to inscribe himself in the

socio'symbolic net or!& to ma!e -relations, ith others.

Another trace of this problematic of inscription is Lovecraft,s

racism& hich is at the core of his or!. =6 His time spent in Ne

Ror! ith his ife Jonia exacerbate" this alrea"y existin#

character trait. $t (n"s expression in his (ction as ell& especially

in t o stories ritten in that perio"& -He, 324)78 an" -The Horror at

Me" Hoo!, 324)58 3both ritten in 24)68. They "emonstrate his

loathin# for the hybri" misce#enation of the city& hich is (#%re"

as a horrifyin# jouissance . This conforms to ;ac0%es'Alain /iller,s



ar#%ment that racism is lin!e" to the hatre" of the ther,s

jouis sance & an" partic%larly the %nbearable ro$imit# of the

ther. =7 $n Lovecraft,s case the fail%re of symbolic inscription to

hol" lea"s to the emer#ence of the real as an intr%sive threat. This

threat is constr%cte" thro%#h the hatre" of the %nbearable

proximity of the alien 3as both extra'terrestrial an" forei#n8 an" its

obscene jouissance that excee"s anythin# h%manly ima#inable. $t is

noticeable that this intr%sive threat achieves its most s%ccessf%l

embo"iment in the (ction ritten after the fail%re of his marria#e&

after this faile" -sol%tion, for inscription in the symbolic 3Lovecraft

o%l" never si#n the (nal "ecree for "ivorce8. The 0%estion is ho

exactly "oes Lovecraft,s (ction inscribe this alien threat?

He be#ins from a profo%n" anti'h%manism& hich is

pre"icate"& as he p%ts it& on -the f%n"amental premise that commonh%man la s an" interests an" emotions have no vali"ity or

si#ni(cance in the vast cosmos'at'lar#e., =5 Lovecraft "ra s on a

mechanistic materialism that leaves h%man bein#s as simply

biolo#ical machines ithin the vast emptiness of space. This

scienti(c materialism mi#ht seem in obvio%s contra"iction ith

Lovecraft,s outr% #othic (ctions that rely on the anti'myth of

terrible alien bein#s& the Great l" nes& ho once r%le" the earth

an" ill r%le it a#ain. He sa it "i1erently

The time has come hen the normal revolt a#ainst time&

space an" matter m%st ass%me a form not overtly

incompatible ith hat is !no n of reality O hen it m%st be



#rati(e" by ima#es formin# su lements rather than

contra!ictions of the visible an" mens%rable %niverse. An"

hat& if not a form of non-su ernatural cosmic art & is to pacify

this sense of revolt O as ell as to #ratify the co#nate sense of

c%riosity?=E

Here e can see that Lovecraft,s (ction forms& in his o n or"s& a

s%pplement to the "esolate an" ari" %niverse of ri#oro%s

materialism.

This s%pplement can be lin!e" to the f%nction of the

sinthome as a s%pplement that lin!s to#ether the symbolic&

ima#inary an" the real. As a s%pplement it performs the "o%ble

f%nction that :erri"a has note" in relation to this concept hat

a""s itself as a s%rpl%s to somethin# alrea"y complete& an" hat

comes to (ll in a voi"& to replace somethin# missin#.=4

Thesinthome is a s%pplement that forms a relation to jouissance .

Accor"in# to Lacan& ;ames ;oyce,s sinthome correcte" a fa%lt that

ca%se" the ima#inary to collapse or slip a ay. $n the case of

Lovecraft the ima#inary is more sec%re& b%t the -rin#, that appears

to be less so is the symbolic. $t slips a ay into a p%re inscription&

scienti(c in nat%re& an" so becomes "etache" from both the

ima#inary "omain of meanin# an" from the real of jouissance . f

co%rse the e1ects of jouissance are only the res%lt of the symbolic

c%ttin# into the real& b%t its slippin# a ay in Lovecraft seems to

leave the real ua real. Ho then "oes Lovecraft,s s%pplementary

sinthome join the three rin#s? A relation has to be forme" bet een



the symbolic evac%ation of jouissance O the empty %niverse O ith

the remain"er of jouissance pro"%ce" by the symbolic. This

-remain"er,& or e1ect& of jouissance is accesse" thro%#h the alien

an" so -#rati(e" by ima#es, O that is by the ima#inary.

$f the ima#inary is at sta!e then it is the ima#es of

mo"ernism& ima#es that themselves problematise the meanin#

#iven by the ima#inary& hich ill prove one essential reference for

Lovecraft. He %ses mo"ernism as an object of #othic horror. or

example in -At the /o%ntains of /a"ness, 324=78 the art of the

#reat ol" ones (n"s -its closest analo#%e in certain #rotes0%e

conceptions of the most "arin# f%t%rists., >* Another example is the

bas'relief in -The Call of Cth%lh%, 324)E8 that sho s an ima#e of

that creat%re. This time this or! is seen to excee" even the

il"est ima#inin#s of c%bism an" f%t%rism.>2

Here mo"ernism isma"e #othic& an" the experiments of mo"ernist art seen as

embo"yin# an inh%man aesthetic jouissance . This is not far from

the self'ima#e of these movements& ith $talian %t%rism claimin#

a ra"ically anti'h%manist aesthetic str%ct%re" by an extreme

materialism. >) f co%rse nothin# co%l" be f%rther from Lovecraft,s

o n anti0%arianism an" rejection of mo"ernity than the f%t%rist

embrace of spee" an" technolo#y& hence perhaps another reason

hy their art mi#ht (#%re horror. Ho ever& mo"ernism exists in a

"ialectic ith mo"ernity& an" often a hostile or ambivalent one. >=

Lovecraft,s necrophile "esire for the anti0%arian past is somethin#



of shoc! absorber in relation to the mo"ernity his ritin# contests&

b%t this "oes not precl%"e a certain -mo"ernism, in his or!.

His %se of science& his anti'h%manism& his nihilism& an" his

Niet@schean hatre" for all the bo%r#eois -ill%sions, of -morality,&

-la ,& -reli#ion,& an" the -e#o,& place him close to many of the

"ominant c%rrents of mo"ernism. hat he for#es& perhaps "espite

himself& is a #othic+mo"ernist hybri" sinthome & that may incarnate

an anti'mo"ernism b%t hich is not& for all that& o%tsi"e of

mo"ernism. This not only comes abo%t thro%#h his references to

mo"ernism b%t also thro%#h science itself an" the brea!in#'%p of

-normal, %cli"ean perception O a t istin# or "istortion of s%rfaces.

The horrors of the #reat ol" ones are #eometric horrors that "efy

or excee" h%man perception& here the monstro%s is forme" from

-abnormal& non' %cli"ean, s%rfaces.>>

$n this sense Lovecraftcombines the "evelopment of non' %cli"ean #eometries in the 24th

cent%ry ith the perspectival innovations of c%bism an" f%t%rism to

#ive the -ima#es, of his non's%pernat%ral cosmic art. e mi#ht also

"etect the strain p%t on Lovecraft,s mechanistic materialism by

these "evelopments an" the ne "iscoveries in 0%ant%m physics.

They threaten the relentless mechanical %nfol"in# of consistent

cosmic -la s, by in"icatin# that they are f%n"amentally

inconsistent. As Ho%ellebec0 notes - LovecraftD is the (rst to have

%n"erstoo" the poetic impact of topolo#yI to have sh%""ere" in the

face of G "el,s or! on incomplete systems of formal lo#ic., >6



The horror that Lovecraft constr%cts is a topolo#ical horror.

This is his sinthome & hich& "espite his many imitators an"

paro"ists& remains sin#%lar in its opa0%e jouissance . hy is this?

He create" a #othic of s%pplementary ima#es thro%#h the

"istortion of s%rfaces O a !in" of #othic topolo#y. $n this ay&

thro%#h p%ttin# the ima#inary %n"er immense press%re& he p%shes

to ar" a jouissance that "e(es inscription in the symbolic. At this

point his (ction reaches a limit of the #othic text by n%"#in#

to ar"s the ra"ical inconsistency of the symbolic. This mi#ht ell

seem co%nter'int%itive. After all& the ra"ically monstro%s alien

-Thin#s, of Lovecraft,s texts #ive an aesthetic embo"iment to the

real that seems to provi"e a ne consistency to the %niverse.

Consi"er the bein# at the literal centre of his anti'mytholo#y& the

-blin" i"iot #o", A@athoth -that last amorpho%s bli#ht of nethermost conf%sion hich blasphemes an" b%bbles at the centre

of all in(nity,. >7 Not only "oes this -Thin#, resi"e at the -centre, of

the %niverse& hol"in# the position of the voi"& it also seems to

represent the -i"iocy, of the p%lsatin# circ%it of the "rives an" so

positivises the voi". >5

Lovecraft has a #othic vision of the chaos of the %niverse& b%t

this -chaos, is ma"e consistent thro%#h representation. Ho ever&

he p%shes beyon" this hen& in -The hisperer in :ar!ness,

324=28& he o1ers a more ra"ical hypothesis -the monstro%s n%clear

chaos beyon" an#le" space hich the /ecronomicon ha" mercif%lly

cloa!e" %n"er the name A@athoth., >E The namin# of this e1ect as a



#o"& a s%pernat%ral bein#& is a cloa! or mas! for somethin# more

horrible a ra"ically chaotic non's%pernat%ral cosmos. At this point

Lovecraft comes close to traversin# the #othic fantasy& thro%#h

(n"in# inconsistency ithin the symbolic itself. This inconsistency

is still re#ar"e" as an object of horror & b%t hen the symbolic

to%ches on the real an e1ect of horror is pro"%ce". Perhaps more

of a problem is the fact that& from the perspective of Lovecraft,s

mechanistic materialism& chaos ten"s to be (#%re" as a

s%pplementary threat to or"er. $n contrast& for Lacan& chaos an"

or"er cannot be oppose"& as the symbolic 3the la 8 is inconsistent.

Also& the sinthome itself emer#es& in Moberto Harari,s or"s&

-as the vehicle for a creative %nbalancin#& able to "isr%pt the sterile

symmetry of the triple Borromean chain,. >4 Lovecraft,s text o1ers

somethin# of that -creative %nbalancin#,& of a sinthome & even if italso remains attache" to a -rotten, jouissance (#%re" partic%larly

thro%#h racism O hich (lls the fa%lt. $n his -i"enti(cation ith the

sinthome , tho%#h he n%"#es the #othic to a !in" of limit& a chaotic

eternal 3"is'8 or"er that cannot be (lle" in b%t m%st be

s%pplemente". At this point Lovecraft,s #othic sinthome mar!s& in

ho ever a problematic ay& an %ncorrectable fa%lt in the %niverse.

This is partly hat ma!es him -extimate, from some elements of the

#othic -tra"ition,& at least in its classical form. Lovecraft ma!es

#othic lose its -balance,& p%shin# it to ar"s the %nbalance" nat%re

of the %niverse. hat& tho%#h& is left after this -n%"#e,? Can e

ma!e anythin# o%t of his #othic topolo#y? $f Lovecraft p%shes



to ar"s the limit of the #othic& an" homa#es or pastiches of his

or! appear limite"& is there anythin# left of his -cosmic horror,? $t

is /ichel Ho%ellebec0 ho sho s his o n -!no 'some'ho , ith

the ne si#ni(ers of Lovecraft,s sin#%lar #othic& creatin#

somethin# that is not only a critical rea"in# b%t also a ne or! of

(ction.

He ma!es somethin# o%t of Lovecraft,s anti'h%manist

materialism of chaos& thro%#h his o n re'inscription of it& as e see

in his "escription of Lovecraft - e bein#s have ever been so

impre#nate"& pierce" to the core& by the conviction of the absol%te

f%tility of h%man aspiration. The %niverse is nothin# b%t a f%rtive

arran#ement of elementary particles articules %l%mentaires D. A

(#%re in transition to ar" chaos., 6* Lovecraft,s pro#ramme

becomes Ho%ellebec0,s o n an" at the same time transforme".Thro%#h Lovecraft& an" thro%#h exacerbatin# the implications of

his or!& Ho%ellebec0 p%shes to ar"s a post'#othic (ction. His

ritin# "oes this by intro"%cin# the t o si#ni(ers that Ho%ellebec0

notes are ra"ically absent from Lovecraft,s texts money an" sex. 62

f co%rse these si#ni(ers ha" previo%sly existe" in the #othic b%t

hat is cr%cial is ho Ho%ellebec0 positions them in relation to

Lovecraft,s vision of %niversal chaos.

Ho%ellebec0 moves to ar"s a post'#othic (ction by ref%sin#

to name chaos as the monstro%s alien O instea" that chaos becomes

the social -or"er, itself. e are place" in "irect proximity to the

-"omain of the str%##le, 6) that operates thro%#h the conj%nction of



money an" sex. /oney is the si#ni(er of #eneral e0%ivalence&

"issolvin# everythin#& incl%"in# sex 3 hich resists sense8& into the

-chaotic, (el" of the commo"ity. As Alain Ba"io% states& the one

ontolo#ical virt%e of Capital is its "e'sacrilisation of every (#%re of

the bon". 6= There is& for Ho%ellebec0& no lon#er a social bon" b%t

only the %niverse of -elementary particles, competin# for

jouissance & here s%ccess is strictly "etermine" by both monetary

ealth an" biolo#ical en"o ments. 6> The t in excl%sions& on hich

Ho%ellebec0 foc%ses in his (ction& are of those ho lac! sex%al

-capital,& in terms of atttractiveness an" stat%s& an" those s%1erin#

from biolo#ical frailty& "epression& an"& %ltimately& "eath. $t is not

s%rprisin# that& li!e in Lovecraft& this competition over jouissance

pro"%ces racism foc%se" on the proximity of the ther,s jouissance .

This racism is trace" by Ho%ellebec0 as an e1ect of the act%al lac! of jouissance & lin!e" to the absence of the sex%al relation. :espite

his hostility to Lacan& 66 Ho%ellebec0,s (ction& especially tomise!

3'he (lementar# Particles 8& operates ithin the same problematic

of the tra%matic e1ects of sex%al "i1erence an" the frantic

attempts to create -relations, o%t of the lac! of the sex%al rapport

an" in the absence of the re#%latory paternal f%nction.

$n tomise! the res%lt of this ne#otiation is the biolo#ical

fantasy of the en" of "esire& an" the en" of sex%al competition&

thro%#h the creation of ne post'h%mans ho transcen" sex%al

"i1erence thro%#h an e0%al access to jouissance .67 This fantasy

co%l" be %n"erstoo" as a ref%sal of the sinthome O ith



Ho%ellebec0 erasin# the problem of inventin# relations at the level

of the real of the bo"y. Ho ever& his latest novel 'he Possi0ilit# of

an Islan! 3)**68 can be consi"ere" as a re' ritin# of this earlier

fantasy. 65 $n this novel e have clone" -neoh%mans, ho have

transcen"e" both sex%ality an" mortality& b%t at least some of them

remain ha%nte" by -the possibility of an islan", O that is the

possibility of a 3sex%al8 relationship. ven the era"ication of money

an" sex has not solve" the problem of 3lac!in#8 jouissance an" the

absence of the sex%al relationI altho%#h Ho%ellebec0,s -sol%tion, is

the love o1ere" by a pet "o#. His absol%te materialism& "e(ne"

thro%#h the economic an" the biolo#ical& inte#rates Lovecraft,s

in"i1erent %niverse into the fabric of existence itself. $n the

-possibility of an islan", e can see the persistence of the sinthome &

the "esire to constr%ct a lin! o%t of ra"ical absence& hichs%##ests that scienti(c intervention "oes not solve the problems of

those bein#s s%bjecte" to lan#%a#e. Lacan,s or! allo s %s to

probe this sit%ation the )2 st cent%ry symptomolo#y of the -self'

ma"e man, 3 L1, 8.6E He maintains the necessity of the

symptom+sinthome as an invention in the absence of the paternal

f%nction an" in relation to jouissance . This is the )2 st cent%ry

symptom& a symptom that never ceases bein# ritten.

$f the sinthome persists so "oes the #othic& in the form of

topolo#ical inventions that can ne#otiate this absence an" (#%re its

historical forms. The #othic text has al ays reco#nise" the "i1ic%lt

balancin# act of the s%bject in the face of the failin# of the paternal





2 Acknowledgements$ o%l" li!e to than! Loren@o Chiesa an" iona Price for their comments on thispaper.

;ac0%es Lacan& Le s%minaire !e 2ac ues Lacan: Livre 34" Le sinthome & e". ;ac0%es'Alain /iller 3Paris Je%il& )**68. As Lacan explains& this is an -art, or

-arti(ce, in the absence of any - ther of the ther, 3p.728.2 9incent :achy& -Jcribble"y#oo! Memar!s on Psychoanalysis,& Ps#choanal#tical /ote0ooks 54: Lacan 6ith 2o#ce & Philip :ravers 3e".8& 3)**68 25='25E& p.256.

3 ;ac0%es'Alain /iller& -Lacan ith ;oyce,& Ps#choanal#tical /ote0ooks 54: Lacan6ith 2o#ce & Philip :ravers 3e".8& 3)**68 5'=)& p.22.4 ;oyce characterise" the "isr%ptive e1ects of Finnegans Wake & in a letter toHarriet eaver 3)> November 24)78& by the relation of the text to the "reamstateI he rote - oDne #reat part of every h%man existence is passe" in a state

hich cannot be ren"ere" sensible by the %se of i"ea a!e lan#%a#e& c%tan""ry#rammar& an" #oahea" plot, in Michar" llmann 3e".8 Selecte! Letters of 2ames

2o#ce 3Lon"on aber an" aber& 24568& p.=2E.5

ve osofs!y Je"# ic!& 'he 7oherence of 8othic 7onventions 3Ne Ror! ArnoPress& 24E*8& p.26.6 H. P. Lovecraft& -The Call of Cth%lh%, 324)E8 in 'he 7all of 7thulhu an! 1ther Weir! Stories & e". an" intro. J. T. ;oshi 3Lon"on Pen#%in& 24448& pp.2=4'274&p.275.7 "m%n" ilson& -Tales of the /arvello%s an" Mi"ic%lo%s, 324>68 in 7lassics an!7ommercials: Literar# 7hronicle of the Forties 3Lon"on . H. Allen& 246*8&pp.)E7')4*& p.)EE.8 This is the contention of :avi" P%nter& see 8othic Pathologies: 'he 'e$t" 'he

9o!# an! 'he La6 3Basin#sto!e /acmillan& 244E8& p.).9 Gilles :ele%@e an" Slix G%attari& afka: 'o6ar! a ,inor Literature & trans.

:iana Polan 3/inneapolis Fniversity of /innesota Press& 24EE8. $t is noticeablethat altho%#h their rea"in# of af!a mi#ht be controversial their choice is still of a canonical hi#h mo"ernist.10 /ichel Ho%ellebec0& H. P. Lovecraft: gainst the Worl!" gainst Life & trans.:orna ha@eni& intro. Jtephen in# 3Jan rancisco Believer Boo!s& )**68& p.)=.11 /ichelle A. /assS -Psychoanalysis an" the Gothic, in :avi" P%nter 3e".8 7om anion to the 8othic 3 xfor"& Blac! ell& )**28& pp.))4')>2& p.)=*I ;errol" .Ho#le& - GothicQ Momance $ts ri#ins an" C%lt%ral %nctions, in CorinneJa%n"ers 3e".8 7om anion to ;omance 3 xfor" Blac! ell& )**>8& pp.)27')=)&p.))).12 Ji#m%n" re%"& P.F.L. 5< & p.=7E.13

or Mobert /iles this circ%larity pro"%ces a "e'historicisin# of the #othic& see8othic Writing" 5=>?-5@3?: 8enealog# 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror! Mo%tle"#e&244=8& p.2*.14 li@abeth ri#ht ar#%es that lein,s case st%"ies -mi#ht be sai" to rea" li!e aninterminably seriali@e"& %n%s%ally bi@arre Gothic novel,& Ps#choanal#tic7riticism: 'heor# in Practice 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror! /eth%en& 24E58& p.E).15 Jee ;ac0%es'Alain /iller& - ($timit% , in /ar! Bracher et al 3e"s.8 Lacanian'heor# of Aiscourse: Su0ject" Structure an! Societ# 3Ne Ror! an" Lon"on Ne

Ror! Fniversity Press& 244>8& pp.5>'E5& p.57.



16 Jee ;ac0%es Lacan& 'he Four Fun!amental 7once ts of Ps#cho- nal#sis & trans. A. Jheri"an 3Harmon"s orth Pen#%in& 24548& p.)7E.

17 ;ac0%es Lacan& Seminar &II: 'he (thics of Ps#choanal#sis B5C>C-D?E & trans.:enis Potter 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror! Mo%tle"#e& 244)8. or a "isc%ssion of the#othic as trans#ressive see re" Bottin#& 8othic 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror!Mo%tle"#e& 24478.18

Charlotte :acre& )o*o#a+ or" the ,oor 32E*78& ". A"riana Craci%n 3 ntarioBroa"vie & )**=8.19 Jlavoj Ki e!& 'he Su0lime 10ject of I!eolog# 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror!& 9erso&24E48& p.54.20 Lacan& 2454& p.7.21 Lacan& 2454& p.)57.22 Perhaps the most ele#ant sol%tion to the vexe" 0%estion of hether Lacan,stheory remains consistent or %n"er#oes ra"ical chan#es in the len#thy co%rse of his teachin# is that propose" by Loren@o Chiesa. He s%##ests that Lacanconstantly re'si#ni(es some of his basic notions in or"er to re'open his analysisan" resist aca"emic re'si#ni(cationI see Loren@o Chiesa& -Lacan -le-sinthome ,&

B;eE-turn: 2ournal of Lacanian Stu!ies vol.) 3Jprin# )**68http ++ret%rn.jls.misso%ri.e"%+Lacan+home.html.23 Lacan& )**6& p.24.24 ;ac0%es Lacan& -The J%bversion of the J%bject an" the :ialectic of :esire, in

crits & trans. Br%ce in! 3Ne Ror! an" Lon"on . . Norton Company&)**>8& pp.)E2'=2)& p.)4E.25 Jee M%ssell Gri##& - rom the /echanism of Psychosis to the FniversalCon"ition of the Jymptom n oreclos%re, in :any Nob%s 3e".8 e# 7once ts of

Lacanian Ps#choanal#sis 3Lon"on Meb%s Press& 244E8& pp.>E'5>.26 Jee iona Price& --/yself creatin# hat $ sa , the morality of the spectator inei#hteenth'cent%ry Gothic,& 8othic Stu!ies E.) 3)**78 2'25.27

or comparison of the late or (nal Lacan ith chaos theory see Moberto Harari&-The sinthome T%rb%lence an" :issipation,& in L%!e Th%rston 3e".8& ;e-Inventingthe S#m tom: essa#s on the Gnal Lacan 3Ne Ror! ther Press& )**)8& pp.>6'65.28 J. re%"& PFL 5 & p.>*7.29 Jee ;ac0%es'Alain /iller -The Jeminar of Barcelona,& Ps#choanal#tical

/ote0ooks 2 3244E8 http ++ .lon"onsociety'nls.or#.%!+;A/Ubarcelona.htm3cons%lte" Jeptember )**68.30 Mobert /iles& 244=& p.>4.31 $n 'he Su0lime 10ject of I!eolog# Ki e! "evelops the concept of the-i"eolo#ical sinthome ,& hich he has contin%e" to re(ne in his later or!& seeKi e!& 24E4& pp.52'E>.32

or the life $ am relyin# on J. T. ;oshi -$ntro"%ction, in H. P. Lovecraft& 'he 7allof 7thulhu an! 1ther Weir! Stories & e". an" intro. J. T. ;oshi 3Lon"on Pen#%in&24448& pp.vii'xx& especially pp.vii'xiii.33 Lacan& )**6& p.7E.34 Alain Ba"io%& L tre et lJev%n%ment3Paris Je%il& 24EE8I 9eing an! (vent & trans.

liver eltham 3Lon"on an" Ne Ror! Contin%%m& )**68.35 /ichel Ho%ellebec0 has reco#nise" the core f%nction of racism in Lovecraft,s

or!& see Ho%ellebec0& )**6& pp.2*6'2*4.36 /iller& 244>& pp.54'E*.

http://return.jls.missouri.edu/Lacan/home.html

http://www.londonsociety-nls.org.uk/JAM_barcelona.htm

http://return.jls.missouri.edu/Lacan/home.html

http://www.londonsociety-nls.org.uk/JAM_barcelona.htm



37 Lovecraft in J. T. ;oshi& 2444& p.xvi.38 Lovecraft in J. T. ;oshi& 2444& p.xvi.39 ;ac0%es :erri"a& 1f 8rammatolog# & trans. G. Jpiva! 3Baltimore ;ohns Hop!insFniversity Press& 245>8& pp.2>>'6. Philip :ravers also refers to the sinthome as as%pplement& altho%#h not in :erri"ean terms. Jee Philip :ravers& -;oyce thesinthome Aimin# at the o%rth term of the not,& Ps#choanal#tical /ote0ooks

54: Lacan 6ith 2o#ce & Philip :ravers 3e".8& 3)**68 4='227& p.4>.40 H. P. Lovecraft& -At the /o%ntains of /a"ness, 324=78 in H. P. Lovecraft& 'he'hing on the Aoorste an! 1ther Weir! Stories 3Lon"on Pen#%in& )**28& pp.)>7'=>*& p.)46. J. T. ;oshi also notes that Lovecraft rote a satirical poem - %t%rist

Art, in 2425& in Lovecraft& )**2& p.>=2 n.56.41 Lovecraft& 2444& p.2>2.42 Peter Nicholls& ,o!ernisms: Literar# 8ui!e 3Basin#sto!e /acmillan& 24468&chp. 6 -A /etaphysics of /o"ernity /arinetti an" $talian %t%rism,& pp.E>'222.43 Peter Nicholls notes that that "isco%rse of hi#h mo"ernism is str%ct%re" by -anattac! on mo"ernity,I Nicholls& 2446& p.)62.44 H. P. Lovecraft& -The Call of Cth%lh%, 324)E8& p.277.45

Ho%ellebec0& )**6& p.56.46 H. P. Lovecraft& -The :ream'V%est of the Fn!no n a"ath, 324)7'58 in t the ,ountains of ,a!ness an! other novels of terror 3Lon"on Panther& 247E8&pp.266')6)& p.267.47 A similar e1ect can be seen in -The Call of Cth%lh%, hen the "ar!ness ac0%iresa - ositive ualit# ,I Lovecraft& 2444& p.275.48 Lovecraft& 2444& p.)62.49 Harari& )**)& p.6).50 Ho%ellebec0& )**6& p.=).51 Ho%ellebec0& )**6& p.65.52 /ichel Ho%ellebec0& Whatever: /ovel ($tension !u !omaine !e la lutte D&

trans. P. Hammon" 3Lon"on Jerpent,s Tail& 24448.53 Alain Ba"io%&'he ,anifesto for Philoso h# & trans.& e".& an" intro. Norman/a"aras@ 3Ne Ror! Jtate Fniversity of Ne Ror! Press& 24448& p.67.54 /ichel Ho%ellebec0& tomise! Les articules %l%mentaires D& trans. ran!

ynne 3Lon"on illiam Heinemann& )***8.55 $n Ho%ellebec0,s ima#ine" f%t%re rench theory& incl%"in# Lacan& inspires-#lobal ri"ic%le,& see Ho%ellebec0& )***& p.=57.56 Ho%ellebec0& )***& pp.=74'=54.57 /ichel Ho%ellebec0& 'he Possi0ilit# of an Islan! & trans. Gavin Bo " 3Lon"on

ei"enfel" Nicholson& )**68.58 ;ac0%es Lacan& - 2o#ce le s#m tKme , in Lacan& )**6& pp.272'4& p.27E. Jee also

/arie HSlWne Moch& -T enty' irst Cent%ry /'A'N,& Ps#choanal#tical /ote0ooks54: Lacan 6ith 2o#ce & Philip :ravers 3e".8& 3)**68& pp.7='5= an" Rasmine Grasser&-/'A'N& Basic /'A'N& /'A'N o a@a Bo"y,& Ps#choanal#tical /ote0ooks 54:

Lacan 6ith 2o#ce & Philip :ravers 3e".8 3)**68& pp.56'E).

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