Póvoas, Inês da Silva Rodrigues Charrua2026-03-042026-03-042026-01-08http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/117393Mestrado em Literaturas, Artes e Culturas Modernas, na Especialidade de Estudos Norte-Americanos.Stephen King is known for writing all types of horror stories, bringing the reader a little closer to what is unknown and feared. By connecting fiction, supernatural, nature, animals, and people, he opens a door to a different world, full of imagination, but also a world where imagination and reality intertwine. The line that divides these two worlds becomes very thin, and that is what makes his stories so fascinating. Whilst entering King’s stories, it’s impossible not to notice that cats have a significant presence, not only in his books but also in his films, such as the ones that will be mentioned in this research. They are characters in his universe, often shown and described as mystical, adventurous, and kind beings. However, they have a dark side that is often explored in horror, which sometimes echoes religious beliefs, and Stephen King can enhance all sides of this animal by making them protectors, but also mysterious and unpredictable. This dissertation aims to analyse cats´ diegetic function and eventually understand why they have such an impactful role, not only in Stephen King’s art, but also in the horror genre in general. To achieve this goal, we must start by analysing the religious background of cats and how, since their domestication, they have had a big presence in different art forms; Stephen King’s background in horror and the role cats play in it; Edgar Allan Poe as an inspiration to Stephen King; and hopefully the symbolism of cats in Stephen King’s universe. To rigorously research this topic, we have confined the textual corpus to King’s works in which the cat sign plays a relevant role: The Cat from Hell (1977); Pet Semetary (1983); Cat’s Eye (1985); and Sleepwalkers (1992). However, we will start by analysing a historical background, that of Edgar Allan Poe’s story The Black Cat (1843), to demonstrate some of King’s influences and reinforce the presence of cats in the horror genre. Thus, this dissertation aims to dive deep into the cats in this universe, to really understand what they represent, and why they have such a big impact in the horror genre, while also taking a closer look at Stephen King’s work as one of the best-selling horror authors in the world.application/pdfengmaster thesis204125880http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/117393