Humor is portrayed as the main theme of the two essays by Margaret Atwood, Female Body, and Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King. However, due to different subject matter being discussed, the humor employed in each is dissimilar in many ways. The essay by Atwood is written in relation to the body of a female in which she manages to give the readers a sensitivity of the female body with a comparison of a female mentality to that of a man. She crafts her essay using humorous approach such as wit and inscrutability. King’s essay is more of a straight forward humorous piece in which he uses facts and sarcasm (irony). His expository essay discusses the reasons why people prefer horror movies in such a factual, but silly way.
In his essay, King mocks the very habits that are done undercover and the possible things which people are terrified about. When the readers read this, an automatic chuckle emerges either as a cause that it applies to them (or someone they know), or simply because it is hilarious. In the opening paragraph, King writes: “we’ve all known people who talk to themselves…people who have some hysterical fear…” (King, 86). He articulates about the many habits which are embarrassing and humiliates those addictions while comparing it to the reasons why people don't mind going to the horror movies only to get embarrassed with their priceless reactions. He compares the horror movies to roller coasters: “and horror movies, like roller coasters” (King, 87), and the reactions when watching horror movies to the screams when riding the roller coaster: “horror movie may not surprise a scream out of us at some point, the way we may scream when the roller coaster twists…”. This is a metaphoric comparison to top off the humor.
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...a women’s brain is “like light on waves” and men’s brain is “good for aiming through, for hitting the target when you pull the trigger…” (Atwood, 92). She also portrays that a women’s body is precious and, therefore, advises the readers to “catch it. Put it in a pumpkin, in a high tower, in a compound, in a chamber, in a house, in a room…” (Atwood, 92).
To sum up, the use of humor is prevalent throughout both essays for the purpose of grab the reader’s attention and to let the readers hold on to the book while being exposed to many ironic and witty facts. The two authors manage to put a twist in their essays by providing different incidents which make the readers laugh out loud due to the fact that the readers can relate to.
Works Cited
Bowers, R., Jones, R. E., & Stott, J. C. (2006). The Harbrace anthology of short fiction (4th ed.). Toronto: Thomson Nelson.
May, C. E. (2012). Critical Survey of Short Fiction: World Writers (4th ed.). Ipswich: Salem Press.
Bausch, Richard, and R. V. Cassill. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Print.
One of America’s famous actress film director and producer Katie Aselton once said,” I don’t love horror movies with something surreal happening. That doesn’t work for me. What’s terrifying is something that could actually happen to me and what I would do. I don’t know how to throw a punch, and I’ve never had to do it.” This quote shows connection to King’s article. I’m starting to consider that everyone has a crazy side. Why We Crave Horror Movies explains the reason people want to go see horror movies. The average person enjoys the horror movies because they are in a safe environment knowing they can not be harmed. By discussing the argumentative strategies such as ethos, logos,
We are born afraid of only two things: falling and loud noises. All our other fears are learned and influenced by the environment and cultures surrounding us. The world we live in helps differentiate the “insanity of man” that we all share (3). Since “we’re all mentally ill” (King, “Why We Crave” 1), it leaves us the decision of our degree of sanity. In his essay, “Why We Crave Horror,” Stephen King thoroughly claims that we humans crave horror to face our fears, restore humans feelings of being normal, and to encounter a peculiar sort of fun.
Bausch, Richard & Cassill, R.V. " The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction ". 7th. New York: Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. Book.
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
Film scholar and gender theorist Linda Williams begins her article “Film Bodies: Genre, Gender and Excess,” with an anecdote about a dispute between herself and her son, regarding what is considered “gross,” (727) in films. It is this anecdote that invites her readers to understand the motivations and implications of films that fall under the category of “body” genre, namely, horror films, melodramas, (henceforth referred to as “weepies”) and pornography. Williams explains that, in regards to excess, the constant attempts at “determining where to draw the line,” (727) has inspired her and other theorists alike to question the inspirations, motivations, and implications of these “body genre” films. After her own research and consideration, Williams explains that she believes there is “value in thinking about the form, function, and system of seemingly gratuitous excesses in these three genres,” (728) and she will attempt to prove that these films are excessive on purpose, in order to inspire a collective physical effect on the audience that cannot be experienced when watching other genres.
We all have cravings, be it for snacks or sweets, there is always something we desire. We crave horror in the same way. In Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” he argues that people need to watch horror films in order to release the negative emotions within us. King believes that people feel enjoyment while watching others be terrorized or killed in horror movies. King’s argument has elements that are both agreeable and disagreeable. On one hand he is acceptable when claiming we like the thrill and excitement that comes from watching horror movies; however, his views regarding that the fun comes from seeing others suffer cannot be agreed with because the human condition is not as immoral as he claims it to be.
“Morreall argues that, if we want to answer these questions, we shouldn’t focus on whether the joke happens to trade on a stereotype. Instead, he takes the primary problem with some humor to be that it involves disengaging from things with which we ought to be engaged.” (Morreall, 529)
Horror is one of many fears humans have. We all have many terrors, but horror is the one that gets the best of us. Some crave, while others resent, the feeling horror movies bring to our body and the emotions that we experience. In Stephen King’s article, “Why We Crave Horror,” he explains that it is a part of the “Human Condition,” to crave the horror. King gives many strong and accurate claims on why we crave the horror movies, such as; testing our ability to face our fears, to re-establish our feelings of normality, and to experience a peculiar sort of fun.
Bausch, Richard & Cassill, R.V. "The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction". 7th. New York: Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. Book.
Stephen King “Why We Crave Horror Movies” this article was published in Playboy Magazine (1981)
Humor can come in many different forms. Many people are aware of the blatant humor of slapstick, but it takes a keener mind to notice the subtle detail in sarcasm or satire. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift was able to create a piece of literature addressing the faults of the Irish culture while embedding in a humorous essay. Swift’s satire allows for the gravity of the Irish standings to be exploited under the disguise of a proposal for economic benefit.
A horror movie “makes people think, what if it was reality?” said by a thrill seeker person who was waiting to watch a horror movie. Experts also cite more various reasons about why people enjoy watching scary movies. For the thrill of it and also because it seems real for thrill seekers; these are some secretes reveled to show why thrill seekers enjoy horror movies. Feeling the sense of evil and being curious about understanding humanity’s dark side makes horror movies a perfect way of enjoying these feelings, and relieving the tension of curiosity about violent, blood and terrorism. Moreover, experts said that not only desirability to blood and fear could consider as an attraction to whose ...
Humor is the tendency to look at things from the mirthful or incongruous side. It is the quality that makes something laughable or amusing. Humor is the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing or comical. It is the source of laughter and the catalyst of smiles. Humor is the spark that lights our eyes as well as the cause of tears that never grows old. Humor is a state of mind.