Rija Faisal
King (2010) describes Horror as being defined through three basic elements. Explain, using references, what these three elements are. Think of a horror story you’ve read/watched/heard that makes use of all three of these elements and show how King’s definition is at play in that narrative.
Three elements of Horror
- Revulsion
This refers to moments that make the audience recoil back in disgust. The feeling of disgust if often a staple in horror (visually, of course, it has a greater effect than it would in written form, and shocks audiences much more easily).
Horror stories often revolve around one particular element (a disease, a monster, etc) that carries repulsive traits. An example of this is the alien in the movie Alien. The creature is depicted as being gross and slimy with drool dripping down its mouth.
- Horror
The feeling of horror itself is an element of horror. Horror refers to the incomprehensible. When we see something we cannot even begin to comprehend, the natural human response is that of fear.
The “portrayal of the unbelievable” is almost always very graphic in horror. When faced with the unnatural and the implausible, we as the audience struggle to comprehend what we are seeing, and we react with fear.
- Terror
Terror is the feeling of dread and the anticipation that precedes the experience of horror. The feeling of terror induces fear through the imagination. A lot of the specifics of horror (the creepy, the heinous, etc) exist in the imagination of the viewer, and thus, when something unknown or incomprehensible is suggested, the imagination flies berserk with horrifying images and terrifying details.
The young adult Gothic horror novel “House of Furies” makes excellent use of all three of the horror elements.
House of “Furies” follows the story of seventeen year old Louisa Ditton. After she escapes from a harsh school, Louisa is offered employment as a maid in Colthistle boarding house. But soon after her arrival there, Louisa discovers that both the boarding house and its mysterious owner, Mr Morningside, hide secrets that she cannot even begin to imagine.
The revulsion element: The truth of Coldthistle house is revealed to Luisa. Whoever stays at this house as a guest is punished for a crime they might have committed. The house draws such people to it like moths drawn to a flame. The punishment is death itself. The realization of how completely “normal” this is to the rest of the staff at Coldthistle leaves Luisa feeling repulsed by them and their actual jobs: to clean up the mess after the guests have been “dealt” with.
The horror element: Luisa discovers the truth of who and what Mr Morningside really is. Mr Morningside tells her he is the Devil himself. Luisa’s reaction, naturally, is that of disbelief and denial. But when proof is given – Mr Morningide’s feet are completely turned the other way around, which is a sign associated with the Devil in some cultures- Luisa is horrified and cannot believe what she is seeing.
The terror element: Luisa discovers the “Residents” one night. They are ghost-like beings who reside permanently in Coldthistle house. When one Resident grabs her hand to try to stop her from touching a book she is not meant to touch, Louisa is certain the being will harm her. She freezes out of fear.
References
Dan Neilan (9/13/17) Stephen King breaks down the different levels of horror avclub.com Retrieved From: https://www.avclub.com/stephen-king-breaks-down-the-different-levels-of-horror-1806112160
(n.d.). Can disgust be a key component of horror? writing.stackexchange.com Retrieved From: https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/43911/can-disgust-be-a-key-component-of-horror
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