Human nature remains an understudied notion; sometimes, it is difficult to explain why an individual enjoys things or actions that cause fear and anxiety. One of such issues is that people are ready to spend money to watch horror movies, and consequently, experience fear. According to Stephen King, the most obvious reason is that people want to show that they are not afraid of generally frightening things. He compares watching a horror movie to riding a roller coaster and underlines that it helps us re-establish our perception of normal and abnormal. He ends by emphasizing that watching such movies is a way of entertainment.
These causes are followed by more detailed arguments based on the idea of entertainment mentioned above. King develops his thoughts by adding that fun caused by negative things or actions can be referred to as “public lynching” and reflects the insanity of every individual. King implies that even negative emotions demand freedom and reminds that from early childhood, we are encouraged for love, kindness, and other immortalized feelings. However, unwanted emotions remain in a person and need exercise, which may include dirty jokes or watching a horror movie. Finally, King presents a bright analogy of fed alligators, implying that by freeing the worst of our feelings in the movie hall, we preserve the civilized part of us.
Through close evaluation of King’s causal analysis, it is possible to see that the author starts with the general overview of the problem. Then, he enumerates the main causes and discusses one of them, namely, entertainment, in detail. The profound explanation of why people enjoy terrifying scenes leads King to his main argument: he states that watching horror movies keeps our suppressed negative feelings toned. It is fair to say that King’s causal analysis is an example of a logical and comprehensive discussion. Starting with shallow arguments, he moves to more profound causes and ends by mentioning their effects, expressed through the memorable metaphor of feeding the alligators.
Even though King presents a strong and reasonable opinion, he cannot be considered a fully credible authority. Creating scenarios that people crave became the work of his life, and he mostly looks at the issue from the author’s perspective. However, this question requires a different, more profound psychological approach. Since people often find it difficult to explain their feelings and desires, it would be more appropriate to study their fear and excitement experienced during movie performance. As a professional writer, Stephen King may be aware of what kinds of horror stories appeal to the audience most, but psychology would explain the causes of this craving better.
At the same time, I agree with all causes mentioned by King and would add that certain people occasionally experience the urge for adrenaline, which can be satisfied by watching horror movies. Even though the writer especially underlines the idea of deliberate appealing to our worst feelings, I think it is not the major cause of the issue. Every case is individual, and people’s need for adrenaline is caused by different factors. Some of them release tension and distract themselves from everyday problems through immersion into a scary, gripping story. For others, watching horror movies is how they challenge their fears. At the same time, King’s idea appears to be reasonable, and I agree that sometimes one needs to release suppressed negative emotions.
In conclusion, it is necessary to mention that King’s writing is a logical and skilful work of reasoning. Readers can easily follow the writer’s thoughts from the simplest to more profound arguments. Even though his opinion cannot be fully credible, his representation of ideas is vivid and interesting to read. Indeed, the audience’s craving for horror movies can be explained by many reasons, which once again proves the complexity of human nature.