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Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King - Analysis

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Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King - Analysis
Essay Analysis of
Why We Crave Horror Movies
Thesis:
Stephen King never clearly states the thesis of this essay however there is enough information provided that we can infer one. We need to keep our inner lyncher at bay by feeding ourselves with small portions of demonic, bloody, violence, found in horror movies. King writes “It deliberately appeals to all the worst in us. It is morbidity unchained, our most base instincts let free, our nastiest fantasies realized...” (Why We Crave Horror Movies, paragraph 12) and by doing so he’s implying that horror movies are like a temporary fix for our violent craves.
Type of essay:
Why We Crave Horror Movies is an informal Cause and Effect essay.
We know the essay is informal because the thesis is not presented early in the essay and isn’t clearly stated. Instead it is explained over the course of essay in bits and pieces until the reader finishes the last line. The essay is also organized in an unorthodox manner and doesn’t comfortably fit the standard essay format (present thesis plus three points of proof in first paragraph, support points with evidence, etc). Knowing these two facts it’s clear to see that this is not a formal essay and instead is an informal essay.

The essay isn’t trying to argue a point or compare/contrast two things. The essay is, however, proposing a cause and the effect it has. Stephen King explains to us that we need to escape into a fiction, and one of our ways of doing that is through horror movies. This is the cause of the essay and the effect is that by doing so we can keep our wolves at bay and maintain sanity throughout our normal day. He also goes on to say that by ignoring our sadistic urges and desires, we cause more trouble than good.

Tone & Strategies:
The tone of Why We Crave Horror Movies is an objective tone because the author is trying to sell the idea that we need horror movies to keep our demons away. Something to wean us off of total insanity. “Why? Some of the

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