Suspense, anger, and disgust during reading Barbárok by Zsigmond Móricz Irodalmi elbeszélés és morális ítélet Móricz Barbárok című novellája alapján

Abstract

Suspense is one of the most fundamental emotional effects of literary fiction, without which certain genres – such as crime and horror stories or tragedies – would be unthinkable. However, suspense is not merely a means to an end in itself, but functions, for example, as a preparation for moral emotions that characterize the emotional „profile“ of the narrative text. In this study, I will present a classic realization of this by analyzing the emotional impact of the short story Barbárok (Barbarians) by Zsigmond Móricz. I will argue that suspense prepares the reader of Barbárok for two of the most dominant moral emotions in literary narrative: anger and moral disgust.