Insanity In Stephen King's Why We Crave Horror Movies

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What makes the human population sane? How do we decipher between insane and normal citizens? There appears to be various levels of insanity, but some people hide their craziness better than those locked up in asylums. We all have the same feelings and emotions, but it’s a matter of how we express these feelings and emotions that determines our sanity. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” Stephen King shares his idea of how all people are mentally ill and possess a dark side. He claims all the people who make horrible grimaces, pick their nose when no one is watching, or have hysterical fears are insane. Humans savor watching horror movies and riding coasters not only to gain a sense of thrill, but to reestablish feelings of normality. In a peculiar way, horror film audiences enjoy seeing others being menaced and killed. King believes horror movies provide psychic relief and allow us to release our emotions and lapse into simplicity, irrationality, and sometimes outright madness. He compares horror films to modern day public lynching because everyone has the potential to be lyncher. However, a status quo of civilization has to be maintained, so we don’t allow ourselves to express anticivilization emotions. Instead, we applaud love, friendship, and kindness. It is …show more content…
When watching horror films, the audience understands the difference between reality and fictional settings. For example, in movies we get to see victims seek revenge on their perpetrators; however, in the real world, it’s dangerous to seek revenge. We can feel the feelings of rage and envy in a safe environment because our desires are filled by the violent scenes found in movies. In class, we discussed the idea schadenfreude. The is when one gains a sense of pleasure from observing others misfortunes. It’s twisted that we thrive off of other people’s pain, but it’s better to watch it in a movie theatre rather than experiencing it first

Insanity In Stephen King's Why We Crave Horror Movies

In Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, King exposes the insanity of mankind to answer the question: why is humanity so drawn to horror film? King adopts a cynical tone to explain how horror movies are the outlet humans use to indulge in their darkest, most socially unacceptable compulsions. King’s dramatic diction supports his claim that people are compulsively and obsessively drawn to horror films. By using “crave” in the title rather than simply stating “love”, King reveals humanities…

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Stephen King Why We Crave Horror Movies

Effects Over the years, horror movies were the entertainment for young adults everywhere. They were that trend in high school that never died. Adolescents seem to be hooked to movies such as Stephen King movies based off of his books, The Shining, Misery. Lisey’s Story, etc. In Stephen King’s article Why We Crave Horror Movies, he has a solid argument about why people crave horror and emotions and how everyone is insane to some sort of degree. Whether an individual craves fear or a character dying…

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Analysis Of Why We Crave Horror Movies By Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the world’s most successful writers. He has published over 50 books throughout his career. King writes contemporary horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. He even published some works under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. In the piece Why We Crave Horror Movies, King makes the comment that “horror movies, like roller coasters, have always been the special province of the young” (3). I immediately questioned the logic of this statement, and an article…

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Stephen King Argument Essay: Horror

Marjary Bresenio Mrs. Salgado English 2 PreAP 23 August 2016 Stephen King Argument Essay The Purge, Insidious sequel, Dracula, and many more are all horror movies that scare humans and that triggers a feeling called fear. Horror movies like these are what humans are asking for. Human condition is mainly why people want to watch these unpleasant, disgusting, horrific movies. Once a human watches a horror movie, it’s easier for them to release their feelings because of all the screams and terror that…

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Why We Crave Horror Movies By Stephen King Essay

people think that the reason why we like specific books is because they have an interesting story, this is a slightly true assumption. Yes, the book will be fascinating if it contains an interesting story, but what makes a story interesting in the first place? The thing that makes a story fascinate the reader is how much the story connects to them. This is exactly how Stephen King enthralls us to read more and propels us into trusting him. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies” King uses an informal tone…

Words 972 - Pages 4