"A horror text is one that contains a monster, whether it be supernatural, human, or a metaphor for psychological torment (Fonseca, Pulliam)." This essay will examine the degree to which Steven King's novel "Carrie" is formulaic, and will analyze how it adheres to the traditional, formulaic expectations of the horror genre.
Before examining the traditional components of the horror genre, one must examine what elements have cultivated the elements that have made it "traditional" ("a characteristic manner, method (www.m-v.com).") A genre can be defined as "a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content (www.m-v.com)."After analysis, one can identify a consistent formula that all horror pieces within the horror genre adhere to. A formula, defined as "a rule, recipe or prescriptive concept that is a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality (www.m-v.com)," dictates the necessary components that each piece (literary, cinematic etc.) must contain in order to be included in the horror genre. .
Typically, the horror genre "deals with terrifying, gruesome, and paranormal subjects (www.washington.edu), and is designed to both scare and thrill audiences. The novel Carrie possesses themes of; sexual crisis, supernatural talents (www.washington.edu), the victim status of women, family dysfunction (www.washington.edu), and the heroine defeating the monster, each an essential component of the horror genre. .
In the novel Carrie, Carrietta White can be identified as the novel's heroine, and her high school peers the monster. While Carrie's actions at the end of the novel are consistent with that of the traditional horror monster, the mistreatment she receives from her peers throughout, and more specifically at the prom was the true and almost justified motivation for their telekinetic slaughter at her hands. .
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Sexual crisis is a prevalent theme in the horror genre and is prevalent throughout Carrie.
Anger building up inside; a demonstrates to her fellow students her weapon of horror. ... The jokes are gone, screams have subsided, and no one is on the inside or outside, horror for all. ... I guess either way Carrie won. ... The use of modern horror has become commonplace. Horror and Science Fiction are widely available to the common population yet rarely, if ever, is it understood. ...
Carrie realizes that she has telekinetic power. ... In the meantime Susan Snell who was also involved in the shower-situation feels sorry for Carrie and asks her boyfriend Tommy to go out with Carrie. ... Everybody laughes at Carrie and she runs out of the hall. ... Susan is able to see Carrie in her mind and searches her. ... He asks Carrie if she would go to the Prom with him. ...
Stephen King's Carrie holds many themes in its context. ... Margaret White, Carrie's mother, is an extremely religious woman who forces Carrie to believe and trust things she does not necessarily want to. ... Also, when Carrie tells Momma that she is going to prom with Tommy Ross, she gets extremely upset and throws tea in Carrie's face. ... Carrie finds revenge for all the times her mother mistreated her. ... Carrie then stops Momma's heart using telekinesis. ...
In his book Carrie, Stephen King writes about a young teenage girl named Carrie White who has been teased and ridiculed throughout her life by her peers. ... Carrie screamed- (King 11). ... -Those are my breasts, Carrie." ... -You have to wait, Carrie. ... Carrie. ...
Ultimately these genres were linked to the stage, and the most popular genre of the 19th century melodrama was formed. ... From the beginning, cinema has employed the genre system, but the rise of the Studio System in the 1920's and 30's basically opened the door for movie genres. ... Film Genres are made up of many elements with the most dominant dimensions Conventions, Formulas, and Expectation, which are uses to identify certain genres and distinguish them from others. ... Giving a film a genre can be very daunting, as there are many different hybrid genres and subgenres, but the ...
Examples from other genres, such as westerns and horror, will help us to argue how the science fiction genre has helped to progress the now more equal role women play in cinema. ... Part of the success of the film the Matrix may also be due to the way in which it combines elements of science fiction, martial arts and action movie genres as well as featuring a strong female lead, Carrie Ann Moss as Trinity and the way in which it draws upon cyberpunk and style. ... "Feminism has given us women as a creditable and forceful avenger .The popularity of Horror as a genre .Only makes sense agains...
Horror is an ancient genre, it roots lodged in ancient myth and folklore. Since then the genre has evolved, even sometimes doing without elements of the supernatural on which the original horror stories where founded. Despite the emergence of natural horror, horror which incorporates elements of the supernatural still remains superior. ... What is it about the supernatural that lends itself so effectively to the horror genre? ... This is one of the primary roles that the supernatural fills in the horror genre, being a vehicle to allow the author to create images and events in which the rea...
First, Dreiser himself grew up much like Carrie. ... For Carrie though, prostitution was a way of life. ... Dreiser writes about Carrie's lifestyle in a matter-of-fact manner. ... Today, however, readers are not as shocked by Carrie's way of life. ... Dreiser wrote about Carrie from a sense of feeling. ...
She is full of excitement and shows lots of expression as well as emotion, breaking down in tears in several scenes. ... Jessie is very demanding of Ludie and Carrie, and acts as if she makes no errors, when Jessie accused Carrie of losing the pension check, Carrie proves her wrong by retrieving the check from Jessie's Bureau drawer. ... Seeing the town looking so vacant and dead made Carrie sad. ... Page 5 --THEME Carrie Walts wanted to see her hometown once more before she dies. ... Carrie begins her journey via bus with her new friend. ...