ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I suggest that many texts within the hybrid sub-genre of the comic Gothic provide the best evidence, within junior fi ction, of contemporary society’s gradual acceptance of the emergent paradigm. This is mainly due to the inherent ambiguity of comic Gothic texts, aided by the extensive use of sophisticated humorous forms, such as parody and irony, with a strong metafi ctive/performative emphasis, which also incorporate low forms of humor such as farce and melodrama and low properties of humor containing slapstick and grotesqueries. Comic Gothic texts, which ‘elaborate the process’ of literary creation, not only acknowledge young readers’ cognitive competencies but may also help children to learn and recognize literary conventions, providing cognitive gain that is useful in fostering critical automony of individuals, which I suggest is in keeping with the ideological tenets of critical pedagogy.
