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LITR 4370
TRAGEDY
Final Exam Samples 2017 (final exam assignment) Model Answers to Part 1. Finish Genre Definition |
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Part 1.
Finish genre
definition and example(s) from Midterms 1 & 2:
Kimberly Bronson
5 May
2017
Guts
and Gore Are Never a Bore
We live in a world with a nearly unlimited number of options for just
about everything, which can make it rather difficult when it comes to making
decisions. If I went to the movie theatre right now, I would have to choose
between about ten different films. When it comes to minor choices such as this,
I tend to have a hard time making decisions, so it helps to break it down by
genre. Do I want a good laugh, an adrenaline rush, or a nice plot with gruesome
visuals and a twisted dark side? The latter—widely known as horror, is usually
my choice.
Horror is a genre that is notorious for guts and gore, but it is also much more
than that. When referring to the subject or audience identification, there are
many different types of horror and they all are made to “create feelings of
fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the audience” (literaryterms.net). Shock
and fear is what the audience seeks in this genre, and it can be quite
satisfying to find a film or novel that succeeds in this. As stated on
literaryterms.net, “horror feeds on audience’s deepest terrors by putting life’s
most frightening and perplexing things…at the center of attention.” A wide range
of different types of horror stories have evolved from this fact. For example,
some have plots set up like a mystery, but include some element of fear or
danger. Some horror films are classified as “slasher films,” which are known for
a villain (often seemingly immortal) who endlessly chases victims before slaying
them. Examples of these types of films include
The Nightmare on Elm Street and
Scream. Over time, these films have
shown an increasing amount of blood and gore. The horror genre capitalizes on
the fear of the audience, as many people fear being chased by a murderer. Other
examples of this are using clowns, vampires, aliens, and ghosts as the subject
of the story.
Sometimes horror focuses on the supernatural or paranormal, such as in
Paranormal Activity. This is often
the most realistic form of horror, as these films typically contain realistic
settings and characters who are plagued by some type of haunting or invasion.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or a
Modern-Day Prometheus is an excellent example of a paranormal thriller, a
classic piece of literature in which a scientist wickedly gives life to a
creature. In 2015, Sarah Robin Roelse noted the significant horror speckling
within Oedipus the King. The scene
she refers to is where the priest speaks of a disease and as Roelse puts it, is
“a beautiful picture of horror…[in which] the image depicts a scene of
pestilence.” Another example of paranormal horror is Shakespeare’s
Hamlet. Although it is a tragedy with
mild hints of comedy, it has some inklings of horror as well. The ghost, which
is assumed to be that of the late King Hamlet, adds a spooky element to the
play, as well as the multiple graphic deaths. A play such as this is nice treat
for anyone who enjoys a nice side of horror with their tragedies.
When
analyzing the formal genre, the “types and number of voices” (course site: Intro
to Genres) as well as the relation to the audience are considered. Many of the
tragedies we have read in class have a narrator and dialogue setup, where the
chorus acts as the narrator and the characters within the play have dialogue
towards each other. Most modern horror productions typically have a setup that
includes dialogue between two or more characters. It is not common to have a
traditional narrator in horror, although there is often some type of replacement
of this. For example, many films will have two characters that give the
information that a narrator or chorus would typically give through a casual
conversation. This type of altered narration is necessary and effective because
it helps the audience understand what exactly is going on. In the movie
The Purge, for example, the
characters are often learning with the audience about details relating to the
event by watching the news. The news anchors in this case would serve as the
narrator since they are giving the audience (and characters) background
information that helps us understand what is currently happening in their world.
Despite what you may think when upon learning this, horror usually falls under
the narrative genre of romance. This is not referring to the stereotypically
attractive young woman canoodling with the handsome jock right before the killer
comes to kill everyone, such is the case in nearly all twelve
Friday the 13th movies.
Instead, it is referring to the narrative genre, which is the type of story
being told. Romance narratives are about a journey or quest, and often end with
a transcendence, or a feeling of “things will only get better from here” (course
site: Genres). Romance narratives also have characters that “tend
to be
starkly
good or bad”
(White). Further, the issue that begins the story in a romance narrative is
usually caused by the antagonist. As a result, the audience gets
the pleasure of casting all their negative emotions towards the villain and
often find themselves relating to and routing for the protagonist, often the
victim in the story.
There
are many horror movies that may fall into multiple categories of genres. The
term genre, per the course website, is not meant to be exclusive or confining.
The beauty of genres is that you are never confined to just one specific type of
movie or book. Whatever you are in the mood for, you will be able to find
something that will be just right in that moment. While it is not concrete,
genres help us narrow down and understand movies and books better. If you like
horror and action, many movies can be both such as
The Purge series and
Underworld. If you like comedy and
horror, you will likely enjoy a parody of popular horror films such as
Scary Movie, or even
Hamlet, as mentioned above for its
ability to encompass tragedy with a side of comedy and a touch of horror. Many
films and books can nicely fit into many different molds, which makes for a
uniquely diverse selection that nearly every person can be happy with. Horror is
a unique genre that ensures its survival and success by enticing the audience to
enjoy the excitement of a good scare.
Works Cited
Nietzsche, Friedrich W, et al.
The Birth of Tragedy: Out of the Spirit of Music. Penguin
Books, 2003.
"Horror: Definition and Examples"
Literary Terms, literaryterms.net/horror.
Roelse, Sarah R. "Oh! The Horror!" LITR 4370 Tragedy
UHCL 2015 Midterm Samples, Craig White, Apr. 2015,
coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/4533/models/2015/MT2/2015Mt2pt1Roelse.htm.
White, Craig. "Critical Sources: Introduction to Genres."
Coursesite.uhcl.edu - /,
coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/xcritsource/genre/genres.htm.
White, Craig. "Terms & Themes: Narrative Genre." Coursesite.uhcl.edu, coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/terms/N/narrativegenre.htm
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