Classics of Horror Subgenre Notes

Classics of Horror

Mr. GlischRoom 120

Appeal of HorrorJournal:Why do people read horror and watch horror films? What makes people enjoy being scared?ResponsesResponses of various literary critics:June Michele Pulliam: "Life is scary and uncertain, and horror at least allows us to experience the emotion of fear in a controlled setting.William Patrick Day: People are simply repulsed and attracted to horror. Terry Heller: Horror gives people a safe adrenaline rushand, in a sense, to come face-to-face with mortality and walk away.

Carol J. Clover: In slasher films, audience members are at various times encouraged to view the world from the perspective of both the monster and the victim[thus giving] the horror fan the chance to experience fear vicariously from different points of view, and to emerge unscathed from the theater.

Others: It entertains and teaches.Definition of HorrorThe word monster stems from the Latin words monstrummeaning, a portent or omen, often a divine warning--and moneremeaning, to warn. Thus, on the most basic level, a horror text is one that contains a monster, whether it is supernatural, human, or a metaphor for the psychological torment of a guilt-ridden human. The monsters, of course, can take on various forms:snapshot: the walking dead, the living-impaired who stumble around aimlessly chanting, Brains! Brains, and snacking on anyone in heels who has the misfortune to trip on the terrain.

snapshot: the vengeful ghost of a child molester, horribly disfigured through the vigilante justice of outraged parents, and fully equipped with twelve-inch razors for fingernails and the ability to invade his victims dreams, cracking jokes as he slaughters the innocent.snapshot: the angry strippers, the once abused wives and mothers, who will now rid the world of men who would batter those they should protect.

snapshot: the hideous and therefore unlovable creations of mad scientists who fancied themselves greater than God, but are nothing more than deadbeat dads creating beautiful immortals who are physically, emotionally, and intellectually superior to the envious humans among whom they live, but who must nevertheless drink the blood of their admirers for survival.

In essence, horror fiction is difficult to define because it is not all of one type.Personal DefinitionsDouglas E. Winter: Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in the ghetto of libraries or bookstores[H]orror is an emotion.

June Michele Pulliam: Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down the sewer and die. Horror is when you return from the dead and haunt me for laughing at your nasty trip down that sewer.

History of Horror1764:The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is considered the first horror novel --about a family curse, a damsel in distress and a giant helmet that crushes humans1796:The Monk by Matthew Lewis --about a well-respected clergyman tempted by Satan; a chilling character study of the degeneration of a human being and his soulEarly 1800s:some American gothic authors:Charles Brockden BrownWashington Irving1817:Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mid 1800s: emergence of two American authors considered the literary ancestors of todays horror fiction:Edgar Allan Poe Nathaniel Hawthorne

1897:Dracula by Bram Stoker serves as the mother of all vampire texts

1930s:resurgence of horror fiction comes from pulp magazine publications. Two authors emerge:H.P. LovecraftArthur Machen

Subgenres of HorrorGhosts and Haunted HousesMost sightings, if not all, are the result of an overactive imagination

Haunted houses may be interpreted as symbols of the mind

Usually the ghost functions as a warning to the living

Haunted houses are usually victimsSomething happened in the houseSomething happened on the site on which the house is built

Golems, Mummies, Reanimated StalkersGolem:a being without a soul, made into human form from claya parallel to Gods creation of Adamoriginal golem is from medieval Jewish folkloremost famous golem is in Mary Shelleys Frankensteingolems often seek to destroy their makerthe creator is punished for trying to do what only God can

*The dead, in fiction, usually rise to take revenge upon the living *The dead come back (usually) in 2 ways1) They are purposefully reanimated 2) reanimated accidentally *When the dead rise, they are (usually) dangerous*Psychologically speaking, people raise the dead because they cant accept death

Vampires and WerewolvesWerewolves come from traditional vampire folklore (vampires could take the form of wolves)

The werewolf is the alter-ego of the suave, sophisticated vampire

Werewolves represent our bestial desires (food, sex, violence, etc)

VampiresVampires are probably the most popular of all monsters

Vampires range from bestial murderers to suave, sophisticated, intelligent superhumans

Most famous vampires:Nosferatu from Varney the VampireDracula from Dracula (by Bram Stoker)

Vampirism is often seen as a sort of dark godhood because of their potential immortality

Vampires often possess extraordinary powers:Hypnotize victimsControl the weatherShapeshift (bats and wolves usually)Super strength and speedFly

Vampires appeal to audiences in two ways:Strength and invulnerabilityWeakness and vulnerability

Vampires are almost always suggestive of the erotic

Vampires are unholyThey are repulsed by crosses and holy waterVampires use blood in a completely different way than JesusJesus gives his bloodThe vampire takes itHoliness = lightVampires cannot stand lightDracula

Dracula was inspired by a real-life prince- Vlad Tepes a Romanian known as Vlad the Impaler

The name Dracula comes from Dracul which means dragon (the dragon was Vlad the Impalers insignia)

Horror Writers are constantly rewriting the vampire mythDemonic Possession, Black Magic, and Witches and WarlocksArguably the oldest horror subgenre

Tales of demonic possession go as far back as the Bible

Most famous novels of demonic possession:The Monk, M.G. LewisThe Exorcist, William Peter Blatty

Most possession tales involve the possession of an innocent person (thats what makes them scary)

The possessed characters are forgivable because they were not responsible for their actions while possessed

Mythological Monsters and The Old OnesNearly every religion and mythology has its monsters or evil godsExamples: Kali the Destroyer (India), Medusa & Cyclops (Greece), Lucifer (Christianity)

Most cultures have in their belief systems a humanoid being that is monstrous and destructiveThese mythologies are essentially the basis for modern horror fictionThe monsters of the old stories are divine warnings about the consequences of human action

Monsters are symbols of what we all fear, whether it is the monster within us or some mystery of the outer worldMany authors write about mythological monsters from ancient religions and culturesH.P. Lovecraft (an American writer of the 20th century) created a mythology populated by horrifying cosmic godsCalled the Cthulhu mythos

In many horror stories, the old gods are ever present and can be summoned any time, even accidentally.

Maniacs and SociopathsSociopath a person whose criminal behavior is shaped by social forces and is the result of a dysfunctional environment

Psychopath a person suffering from mental disorders, especially one who perceives reality clearly except for his/her own social and moral obligations-generally not the result of upbringing or environmentCommon features of socio & psychopathic behavior:

-often charming-manipulative (con others)-pathological liars-lack of remorse, shame, or guilt-incapable of love-unable to feel for the victims-unable to control their behavior-create hopelessness in their victim-believe they are all-powerful and all knowing-dont accept blame-histories of sexual abuse-secretive-paranoid-tend to look normal-ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim Rampant Animals and Other Eco-MonstersHumans usually believe we have mastery over the animal kingdom.

From Genesis:

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

As a result of our belief that we master nature, we often destroy nature in the process

Mother Natures vengeance reminds us that we must face the consequences of our harming nature

Usually killer animals act (attack) out of revenge

Sometimes animals just attack because its in their nature to do so, such as in Jaws

Sometimes the animals are endowed with supernatural qualities, as in The Hound by H.P. Lovecraft

Horror authors like to remind readers that humans are perhaps NOT the ultimate, supreme hunters that we think we are

Most famous novels in this subgenre:Jaws by Peter BenchleyCujo by Stephen KingThe Birds by Daphne du MaurierPsychological HorrorPsychological horror stories usually deal with mental torment, emotional instability and mental illnessThese stories challenge the fictional reality that the writers create

In other words, the horror is often only in the characters head

The characters often suffer in hells of their own making

Sometimes characters are unable to break away from a harmful situation because they are unwilling to do so

Characters often have their deepest, darkest desires and fears come to life

Almost all horror tales contain some element of psychological horror

Small-Town HorrorThese tales scare the reader into the realization that there are places where normal civilization does not rule

There are isolated communities and individuals that are untouched by modern values, technology, and logic

The isolation of these places makes them a perfect setting for horrific events because no one can hear you scream

These stories remind us of our powerlessness within society and of our dependence upon the others who make up the community

Small-town horror reminds us that small towns sometimes (always?) have deep, dark secrets

TechnohorrorTechnohorror questions the worlds of science (including space travel), medicine, the government, and the military by exposing their dark sides

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is one of the first examples of the subgenre--Victor Frankenstein plays God by creating a man/golem--his experiment backfires, unleashing a horror into the worldSome popular Technohorror subtopics:--weird science--medical horror--military experimentation horror--technology-gone-destructive horrorTechnohorror taps into modern-age fearsPotentially positive discoveries can easily be transformed into means for destruction

(example: Einsteins theory of relativity, which eventually led to atomic bombs)

These tales often play on the modern fear of technology dehumanizing the world

Famous Technohorror novels:Farenheit 451, Ray BradburyJurassic Park, Michael CrichtonFirestarter, Stephen KingBoys From Brazil, Ira Levin

Telekinesis and HypnosisHypnotism is when someone can get others to do something through mind control

Hypnotism used to be called mesmerism because it was popularized by Dr. Anton Mesmer

Horror stories of hypnotism are often about evil people using their mental powers to control others

One of the 1st fictional examples of this is Count Dracula, who could hypnotize his victims

Through hypnosis, hypnotists have access to ones unconscious mind

this can be helpful in curing psychological problems, but it can also do great harm if the hypnotist has evil intentionsTelekinesis is another type of mental controlSomeone with telekinetic abilities can move objects with his or her mind

Stephen Kings Carrie is an excellent example. When her classmates play too many jokes on her, Carrie uses her telekinesis to destroy most of the town and its citizens

Horror tales about mental control remind us that the loss of our free will is always possible, sometimes with catastrophic results

SplatterpunkAlso known as extreme horror

Graphic sex and violence extremely commonNormally due to the indulgences of bored mortals and immortals, not excesses of monsters that must be stopped.Often use punk, alternative, and heavy metal music in the backgroundComic Horror Humor and horror often go hand in hand Laughing at our fears goes back to very early horror texts (example: the Old English epic Beowulf)

Even Poe, the father of modern horror, wrote several comic horror tales

Some horror writers choose parody (making fun of someone or something) as their mode of expression Often, authors (and especially film makers) use a funny character(s) for comic relief to break up the seriousness of the storys tone