The exploration of horror through narrative dates back to the dawn of humanity, as stories of terror and violence have always existed, though their purpose hasn’t always been the same. In the context of modern horror, the genre is executed as an artform through movies and books with varying intentions and interpretations. If we examine the pre modern evolution of horror, the historical reasons for conjuring terrifying stories are quite different to the purpose they derive from today. The very first horror stories were crafted to be cautionary tales, warning humanity to be weary of the dark, unknown, and dangers that may lurk if they are not careful. Around the time of the Spanish inquisition, horror became closely tied to religion as the Catholic church strived to condemn heresy. Horror stories were created in order to shock and scare the people away from engaging with witchcraft and satanism, as well as being a conditioning tool to encourage obedience and submissiveness. The significant difference between these older forms of horror and modern horror is that the former had a real influence on people in a time when scientific discoveries had not yet been made in order to explain how the world works, while the latter exists purely for entertainment purposes.
It is important to discuss what horror actually is in artistic form, as it is not identical to the horror we feel arising from certain real life events. Caroll explains these to occurrences as “art horror” and natural horror. A horrifying tragedy which happened in real life is not equal to a form of horror which was for example created for the big screen. The differentiating factor is the artistic purpose. “Generally when the word “horror” is used in what follows, it should be understood as art-horror. This kind of horror is different from the sort that one expresses in saying “I am horrified by the prospect of ecological disaster,” Caroll, (p.12)
According to Stephen King horror is a form of conveying emotions and thoughts we would not usually share due to them being socially unaccepted. In a way horror allows us commit acts of violence and absurdity in our imaginations and face our fears as we are being brutally confronted by them. “Horror appeals to us because it says in a symbolic way things we are afraid to say right out straight with the bark still on ; it offers us a chance to exercise (that’s right not exorcize, but exercise) emotions which society demands we keep closely in hand.” King, (chapter 3)
When examining the structure of modern horror or art horror, it becomes apparent that there are three defining components. These components are revulsion, horror and terror. Revulsion is the first tier of creating something that will have an overall horrifying affect on audiences. This component showcases an occurrence which will cause the reader/viewer to be disgusted and repulsed. Moving to the next component, which is horror, allows for a graphic portrayal of something shocking and unbelievable. The purpose of the horror component is to generate fear, as it is a natural reaction for the human brain to have when faced with something they don’t understand and is out of their depth. The third component induces fear through imagination, and this is terror. Once confronted with something horrifying and incomprehensible, the brain will conjure up images to further fuel the unfolding terror.
If we were to use the theory of the three defining components while analysing a popular horror movie, it would look like this. In the movie adaptation of It, Stephen Kings novel, revulsion, horror and terror are demonstrated in the following ways. In the opening scene of the movie, Bills younger brother Georgie is attacked by an unknown entity resulting in him getting his arm bitten off in a gruesome and graphic way – the scene works as a form of revulsion, as it is a gory depiction of violence. When applying the horror component the scene with the disturbing painting is a great example. Stanley is confronted by the surrealist and absurd portrayal of a woman in a painting who comes alive. This is horrifying because of how surreal and unfathomable the occurrence of a frightening painting coming to life is. Finally the third component which is terror, is comprised by the character of Pennywise ; who the audience doesn’t know much about. It is left up to their imagination to ponder where he originates from and who he is exactly, which will leave the mind twisting and reeling from fear.
References
Carroll, N. (2003). The Nature of Horror. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
King, S. (2010) Danse Macabre.
Nellan, D. (2017) Stephen King Breaks Down the Different Levels of Horror https://www.avclub.com/stephen-king-breaks-down-the-different-levels-of-horror-1806112160
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