Horror: the Supernatural Genre
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. While horror can be successful using only natural circumstances, horror that utilizes elements of the supernatural evokes a more effective response from the reader. "A Rose for Emily" is a good example of horror which contains no supernatural elements. While pieces of the story contain the unusual or violate societal taboos the story conforms very much to the way in which we think the world operates. The reader could easily imagine that this story might really have occurred at some time. While the realism of the story makes it more plausible to the reader, it also lessens its effectiveness. The idea of a woman lying down next to a dead body for decades is revolting, but not very horrific. No sense of dread is imposed upon the reader, and the only visceral response is one of disgust. While the piece in effective at entertaining the reader, it lacks the ability to truly inspire horror.
This element of the unknown increases the effectiveness of nearly any piece of horror. " The plot centers on the arrival of Nyarlathotep, a modern-day prophet who throws the world into madness. In conclusion, the use of the supernatural in horror can prove to be extremely successful. Another factor which makes the supernatural such a potent element in horror is that it allow for the creation of things to evil to exist in this world. Dahl's "A Man from the South" also lacks the ability to impress a sense of terror and dread on the reader. While short in length the story nevertheless manages to build a sense of dread before Lovecraft unleashes the terrible truth of Nyarlathotep's purpose upon the reader. "The Call of Cthulu" shows how effective the supernatural can be in horror. Cthulu is such an evil creation, one which is undoubtedly evil. Throughout the story pervades a sense of the unknown, of some ancient mystery which mortal man should never venture to know. The tale truly grabs the reader with a pervading sense of doom and predestined destruction, making it a highly effective piece of horror literature. Emily and her deceased love, it is easy for the reader to come to a definite conclusion about what went on. The entire basis for the story is the supernatural, the predestined end of man which comes bellowing out of the depths of antiquity. There is a slight sense in revulsion at the idea of collecting human fingers but there is no overall sense of doom in the story. An overriding element which makes the story so effective is the use of the supernatural, which allows Lovecraft to create beings to terrible to exist in the world we know.
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Acceptance Essays
