Identify the Hook and Thesis Statement of The Essay.
Stephen King’s hook and thesis statement is that everyone has monstrous desires or inclinations, and it is through watching horror movies that we allow for these desires to be fulfilled without consequences. Thus, horror movies functions as a form of therapy for these evil feelings that could not otherwise be acted upon.
How Does the Author Support His Thesis Statement Throughout the Essay? Do You Find These Arguments Effective?
King supports his thesis by arguing the necessity of watching horror movies as though this genre is required to release tensions and emotional stress that humans endure. First, King posits that all humans have a dark side, and that some people are better at hiding them than others. This builds into his thesis that watching horror films is a way of feeding into that hidden dark side, because it allows King to explain that watching horror is a way for them experience the “thrill” of doing things they could never do in real life. This is primarily achieved through the use of literary devices to attempt to persuade the readers and capture their attention, in lieu of relying on actual facts and evidence to support his thesis statement.
To that end, the effectiveness of King’s arguments is dubious at best. This is because his arguments rely heavily on trivial and subjective assumptions that the only purpose of watching horror movies are to release whatever tensions and stress people have. It seemingly discounts the notion that people watch horror movies for pure enjoyment of the genre, and that there are other safe outlets people can turn to if they want to relieve stress. Moreover, King also failed to present evidence for his claims (ethos), undercutting the effectiveness of his arguments.
Identify the Literary Devices Used Throughout the Essay. What Impact Do You Believe These Devices Had on The Reader’s Understanding of The Essay?
Analogies were used to show readers that people watch horror movies to experience fear in a safe context. An example of this occurred when he compared the experience of watching a horror movie to riding a rollercoaster. King also used antithesis, by using the opposing concepts of beauty and ugliness to apparently suggest people watch horror movies to feel normal. The opposing concepts were used to persuade the reader that they might not be as glamorous as movie stars but are not as ugly as horror movie villains. Imagery was used at the beginning of the essay, in the sentence “those final worms and grubs that are waiting so patiently underground.” Overall, the impact of the literary devices is an attempt to connect with the readers and make his arguments more persuasive by appealing to their emotions and senses (pathos).
