The isolated west coast of Ireland, with its ancient dolmens and megaliths, great cliffs of black sandstone, dark coastline, killing sea, dangerous bogs, caves, and underground rivers, provides the compelling setting of

. Although Iris Murdoch eschews the term Gothic novel as being too narrow, five of her novels strongly emphasize Gothic motifs, and

is among those that have received critical acclaim. The novel abounds in legends and in magical signs and occasions, yet it also develops topics central to Murdoch's moral philosophy. When she discussed

at a conference at l'université de Caen, Murdoch noted the connection between the Cluny tapestries and the idea of purity and suffering shown by the unicorn. She also stated that the main themes of the novel…

1240 words

Citation: Bove, Cheryl. "The Unicorn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8019, accessed 22 November 2024.]