Science and Madness: Echoes of Freudian Psychoanalysis in the Works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Weird

The purpose of this thesis was to highlight the influence of psychoanalysis on the writing of H.P. Lovecraft through a literary analysis of his critical essays, scientific essays, personal correspondence, and fiction. The subjects of note were Lovecraft’s intense focus on the sciences as an inspiration for his work, his awareness of Freudian psychoanalytic principles, and his application of those principles in his contributions to weird fiction. In doing so, this thesis explored alternative interpretations of some of Lovecraft’s more well-known stories and provided nuance to a bigoted, problematic figure of American literature. This paper highlighted the significant role of psychoanalysis in the development of H.P. Lovecraft’s writing and broadened the room for speculating on the influence of the psychological science on weird fiction as a whole