Date of Publication

2023

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Literature major in Creative Writing

Subject Categories

Creative Writing

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Literature, Department of

Thesis Advisor

Clarissa V. Militante

Defense Panel Chair

Antonette Talaue-Arogo

Defense Panel Member

Genevieve L. Asenjo
Katherine D. Ojano

Abstract (English)

Dead Seasons is a gothic supernatural horror novella written from an omniscient third-person perspective. It centers on Edwin Mangahas, the scion of a once-powerful family in Negros Occidental. Plagued by nightmares and haunted by his traumatic past, his peaceful life in Manila is abruptly shattered by a phone call from his estranged sister, who asks him to come home and be with their mother on her deathbed. As he reconnects with his family and his childhood home, a long-buried secret begins to stir—and dark forces rise from beyond the grave. The story begins with a brief window into Edwin’s idyllic life in Manila, before shifting focus to his homecoming to Negros and how he unpacks the myriad of complex emotions he experiences, especially in regard to his estranged family. From there, the narrative progresses in a linear fashion, with an overt supernatural threat being slowly built up in the background that gradually reveals his family’s dark secret, culminating in him confronting the risen, undead cadaver of his mother. As a Visayan Gothic story, it features elements commonly found within this particular subgenre of Gothic: disgraced scions, big and dusty houses, as well as insidious secrets being kept under wraps by the wealthy elite. In addition, as per conventions of the horror genre, it features prominent supernatural elements, most especially in the nosferatu-like creature that haunts the Mangahas family. Amidst this turbulence of scions, sinners, and Folk horror, this novella explores themes of home, broken families, and the struggle of disassociating yourself from a horrific legacy—familial or otherwise.

Abstract Format

html

Abstract (Filipino)

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Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Horror tales, Philippine (English); Gothic fiction (Literary genre); Supernatural in literature

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Embargo Period

12-9-2024

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