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The Fears of Children in Stephen King's Horror

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The Fears of Children in Stephen King's Horror Thesis | Dejan Omerbasic Dejan Omerbasic The Fears of Children in Stephen King’s Horror Thesis Student Number: 55201 Supervisor: Ida Klitgård Number of Characters: 127544 Total normal pages: 53,13 Roskilde University 1 Thesis | Dejan Omerbasic Abstract This aim of this thesis is to explore which fears are being depicted through the child protagonists in Stephen King’s Carrie (1974) and The Shining (1977). The thesis seeks to observe how these fears oppose the common understanding of the time period in which these novels were published. Through a literary analysis of both novels, it can be concluded that both novels feature the theme of child abuse. The fears of the child protagonists are caused by the verbal and physical abuse of their parents, namely Margaret White and Jack Torrance. By examining the past of these abusive parents, it is revealed that both parents suffered their own forms of abuse. This suggests that child abuse is intergenerational within families. This finding opposes the established belief in the 1970s, that child abuse could mostly be attributed to poor socio-economic status. Using the theory of the uncanny, it can be argued that King induces the feeling of uncanny by blending the familiar with the unfamiliar. King establishes the familiar with his writing style, characters and settings, before unleashed the horror in the form of physical and verbal abuse. King echoes the emerging research of the period, showcasing that child abuse can be found in any home in the country, regardless of social or economic status. 2 Thesis | Dejan Omerbasic Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Problem Area ................................................................................................................................................. 6 Problem Formulation..................................................................................................................................... 7 Method .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Historical Context .............................................................................................................................................. 7 A Changing United States .............................................................................................................................. 8 History of Child Abuse ................................................................................................................................... 9 History of Horror Fiction .............................................................................................................................. 10 Stephen - King of Horror .............................................................................................................................. 11 King’s Universe ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Theory .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 The Concept of Horror ................................................................................................................................. 15 King’s categories of horror ...................................................................................................................... 17 Why Horror? ................................................................................................................................................ 19 Children in Horror ........................................................................................................................................ 21 The Uncanny ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Summary of Carrie ........................................................................................................................................... 24 Summary of The Shining .................................................................................................................................. 25 Analysis: Carrie ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 26 Characterization .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Structure and Plot ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Narrator, point of view and tone ................................................................................................................ 30 Theme: Abuse .............................................................................................................................................. 31 Theme: Adolescence ................................................................................................................................... 33 Symbolism ................................................................................................................................................... 34 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 35 Analysis: The Shining ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Characterization .......................................................................................................................................... 37 Structure and Plot ........................................................................................................................................ 40 Narrator, point of view and tone ................................................................................................................ 42 3 Thesis | Dejan Omerbasic Theme: Abuse .............................................................................................................................................. 43 Theme: Time ................................................................................................................................................ 45 Symbolism ................................................................................................................................................... 46 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 47 Discussion ........................................................................................................................................................ 49 Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................ 50 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 51 Books: .......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Articles: ........................................................................................................................................................ 51 Online: ......................................................................................................................................................... 52 Online video ................................................................................................................................................. 55 4 Thesis | Dejan Omerbasic Introduction Fear is an emotional response to perceived danger, which can manifest itself in numerous ways. A perceived threat can stem from a discovery, impending threat, a confrontation and many more. It can occur in many different organisms, and its emotional effect can alter behavior through the body’s automatic response. Some psychologists categorize this response as the three F’s: fight, flight, and freeze (Seltzer, 2015). Despite being an unpleasant emotional state, fear serves as a survival mechanism, meant to safeguard organisms from danger. One must then wonder if fear is a natural survival response to a threat or danger, why would anyone search for that feeling? And why would anyone produce such material in the first place, which purpose is to cause emotional discomfort? According to a figure reported in 2014 by the Romance Writers of America Association, literary
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