More than Death

Traversing the Enchanted Ravine with Archetypal Children in Ray Bradbury’s Illinois

Abstract

This article examines Ray Bradbury's Illinois stories, focusing on “the ravine” as a liminal space that bridges the mundane and the supernatural. The characters' journey through this ravine echoes mythological and literary motifs, embodying Kierkegaardian anxiety and Eliade's concept of sacred space. The ravine, imbued with a spectral agency, represents a primordial realm predating civilization, challenging both children and readers to confront existential and ontological questions. By engaging with contemporary philosophical perspectives like Object-Oriented Ontology and New Materialism, the analysis traces how Bradbury's depiction of the natural world fosters a materialist re-enchantment and underscores the palpable connection between childhood sensibilities and cosmic mysteries. The article situates Bradbury's work within the tradition of gothic literature, highlighting his unique contribution to the genre through the ontological and metaphysical renegotiation experienced by his young protagonists.