Why We Crave Horror Movies – Questions

1. How does King capture the reader’s attention in the opening paragraph?
The phrase: “I think that we’re all mentally ill”, captures the reader’s attention as it is a statement that
would not commonly be said or written, and that can cause a lot of question and comments of: “Why
would you think that? What do you mean?” and then that wonder, interest, and curiosity would bring
readers to continue with reading the essay. After the first sentence in the first paragraph, a list of
examples are given to prove why “we’re all mentally ill”. Some readers might not even agree with that
statement, and possibly, would read on to see how this essay would prove them wrong or just to see
another perspective in the topic.

Class notes:
- Unique/alarming statement – points fingers at all of us
- Gets us thinking about our fears
- Last one – fear of death

2. Identify the intended audience and purpose of this essay.

The intended audience are people who enjoy horror movies but can reach out to anyone as the essay
talks about how fear, through things like horror movies, stimulates our bodies and how it takes over us.
It gives us an idea of why some people are huge fans of horror movies and others rather stay as far away
from them as possible.

Class notes:
- Teens or young adults – making jokes and being humourous, also mentioning how adults over
40 or 50 are not interested
- Baby boomers – references that are older: die monster die, diana ross, etc.

3. Describe the tone of the essay. Provide two examples to support your description.
The tone of the essay is somewhat humourous: in a way where talking about horror movies in the essay
slightly lightens the mood with the jokes (even though they are not really funny jokes, but there is the
one with the truckload of bowling balls and the truckload of dead babies), and compare and contrast
examples (Paragraph 10 - where action and consequence are mentioned: the one with hugging and
kissing the sister vs slamming the sister by the door, followed by the reactions of the adults).

Class notes:
- Creepy, serious
- Informal – “heh heh heh”
- It’s conversational
- Colloquialism

4. In you own words, express the author’s thesis.

The thesis would be why there are many people in the world who enjoy horror movies and books, and
how they get intrigued through the components of horror themed stories.
Class notes:
- We all have a side of us we need to suppress and horror movies keep it under control, to
function in the world
- “We are all insane to some degree, some people hide it better than others”

5. What does King mean by saying that horror movies are “reactionary”, “anarchistic” and
“revolutionary”?
King means that there is no hierarchy in horror movies, they are also very dramatic, and liberating.

Class notes:
- Reactionary – fear, reaction to something happening in the society
- Anarchistic – You don’t know what’s going to happen, being out of control
- Revolutionary – Doing something new and pushing the bar

6. Paraphrase the sentence: “…as lifting a trap door in the civilized forebrain and throwing a
basket of raw meat to the hungry alligators swimming around in that subterranean river
beneath”.
Feeding the part of our brains that crave horror movies to satisfy them.

Class notes:
- Satisfy the urge for the horror to get on with your life and keep yourself sane

7. Why do you think one’s “appetite for double twists or 360-degree loops” would be depleted
by the time one turns 40 or 50?
I feel that by the time someone is 40 or 50, they have experienced so many things in the many years
before that many don’t have the energy for the “appetite for double twists or 360-degree loops”.

Class notes:
- Lost its thrill
- Nothing new and exciting
- Inner ear balance gets messed up when you get older
- More worries as you get older
- More aware of risks

8. Find and explain one metaphor used by King in the essay.

“The potential lyncher is in almost all of us (excluding saints, past and present; but then, most saints
have been crazy in their own ways), and every now and then, he has to be let loose to scream and roll
around in the grass. Our emotions and our fears form their own body, and we recognize that it demands
its own exercise to maintain proper muscle tone.”
Sometimes our thoughts and emotions can be conflicted. We sometimes liberate our emotions and
fears and they kind of take over us and make us very different from how we usually are (“our emotions
and our fears form their own body”).

Class notes:
 - “as lifting a trap door in the civilized forebrain and throwing a basket of raw meat to the hungry
alligators swimming around in that subterranean river beneath”
- Develops lasts, decision making center of our brains
- Paragraph 3 – Compare: Horror movies and rollercoasters

Vocabulary:
9. Define each word and use it in your own sentence:
Voyeur: A person who enjoys seeing the pain and distress of others
Coveted: Greatly desired or envied
Anarchistic: Believing that laws and governments are not necessary
Innate: Inborn, natural, originating in the mind
Penchant: Strong habitual liking for something or tendency to do something
Remonstrance: a forcefully reproachful protest
Reactionary: opposing political or social liberalization or reform
Status quo: Existing state or affairs, especially regarding social or political issues

Tone: How the author presents the essay

Mood: the overall feel the piece gives