The Nature of Horror
By Jake White : 1806941.
The nature of horror
The genre of horror originates from the gothic genre dating back in the pre-romantic era, 1800’s. The first gothic piece to be birthed into the world was ‘Castle of Otranto’ by Walpole, bringing with it images of romance and tragic death[1]. It became one of the most popular pieces of literature, being favoured by authors such as Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker, inspiring them to create their own gothic pieces[2]. With the gothic genre in mind, with a few sadistic twists, the horror genre was birthed as a branch from its mother, gothic. Horror was designed with images created to torment the mind and soul with no romance in sight, instead in its place just pure fear. Staying true to its roots, horror doesn’t disappoint to captivate and terrify its audiences all at the same time.
Muriel Gray’s ‘Roundabout’, captures the attention of its readers as the monster, known as the ‘Dark Thing’, that lurks within the jungle of greenery that sits on a roundabout remains unseen. The main character, Danny, plans to move the ‘Dark Thing’, but slowly realises that its much harder than it looks. The begin to find bones, when suddenly one of his work colleagues is waist deep in sand and suspense is built, “ Danny knew then what was going to happen. The Dark Thing was just waiting.”[3]
Horror has become increasingly popular over the years, so as a result, it adapted throughout time becoming darker and more twisted. But why if it scares us so much do we continue to go back for more? Psychologist have explained that a reason why we enjoy fear is to do with the rush of adrenaline. Adrenaline is produced in the body when faced with fear, this causes it to pump full of adrenaline which can either be used towards defence or in some cases create a pleasurable feeling. Psychologists say that if we experience a fear in the comfortable place or we have a subconscious understanding that the horror stimuli aren’t real, the sudden rush of adrenaline can create a euphoric and pleasurable feeling, that is enough to make any us crave more[4].
However, no matter how blood curdling a piece may be, Horrors fundamental purpose is to entertain the masses. Horror has become a form of entertainment as crowds delve deeper into the storylines that keep us hooked. Tapping into our senses , most horrors focus on psychology, meddling with our heads, slowly drip feeding darkness and crude images into the pits of our minds, waiting for the slightest noise to keep us awake at night. Playing tricks on the brain and disrupting the senses, it creates an almost disorientated feeling. Whilst a few who have caught on to the storyline wait anxiously for the moment their theories are proven, the majority are caught off guard and scared beyond belief. In the end, no matter how scared we become, we view the horror genre as nothing more than a form of entertainment, so we feel assured that we will return to our homes and be completely safe from harm. But what we seem to forget is that we can never escape the darkness in our own minds.
Word count (excluding quotes): 517
Bibliography:
Morris, Mark, ed. NEW FEARS. London: Titans Books, 2017.
Psychology Today. “Christopher Dwyer Ph.D.” Last modified October 19, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/thoughts-thinking/201810/5-reasons-we-enjoy-being-scared
Wikipedia. “The Castle of Otranto.” Last modified April 2, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto
Wikipedia. “The Castle of Otranto.” Last modified April 2, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto
[1] “Castle of Otranto,” last modified April 2, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto
[2] “Castle of Otranto,” last modified April 2, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto
[3] Mark Morris ed., NEW FEARS (London: Titans Books, 2017), 291.
[4] “Christopher Dwyer Ph.D.,” last modified October 19, 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/thoughts-thinking/201810/5-reasons-we-enjoy-being-scared