10/24/2024 Hantise

"Hantise" in English translates to "obsession" or "haunting." It signifies a deep-seated anxiety or fear that continuously occupies one's mind. Historically, the term has roots in French literature and culture, often used to describe the ghostly or supernatural elements that haunt individuals. In French Gothic literature, "hantise" frequently portrays the eerie, lingering presence of the past or unfulfilled desires, echoing themes of melancholy and the macabre. This concept is integral to understanding the psychological underpinnings in works by authors such as Victor Hugo and Gaston Leroux, where the past's ghosts metaphorically and literally haunt the present, reflecting a broader cultural fascination with the unseen and the unresolved.