You are on page 1of 5

Tumlin 1

Rachel Tumlin
English 1101/K. Redding
Composition 1: Summary
9 June 2016
Desires of the Unknown
Part one of the book Monsters is all about reasons as to why monsters are created. This
topic introduces us to the origin of monsters, why we create monsters, and what monsters say
about our cultural environment. Stephen Kings essay, Why We Crave Horror Movies, explains
how humans have inherent emotions that need to be released according to societys expectations
and modern laws. He tells how creating monsters is a moral and tame way to feed these emotions
within us. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogans essay, Why Vampires Never Die, explains the
human fascination with mythological creatures, how those creatures came about, and why these
monsters will always be around. I chose these two essays because Im particularly interested in the
relationship between the natural desires of humans and monsters. These particular essays help
people understand the origins of monsters and ones attraction to such mythological things.
In Kings essay, he enlightens readers by explaining why people crave horror movies. First
are the basic reasons as to why people crave horror movies, and secondly, there are the deeper,
more scrutinizing reasons. There are three reasons for craving horror movies: to show that we
can, that we arent afraid, that we can ride this roller coaster (King 16). King compares watching
horror films to riding a roller coaster in the fact that they both provide an adrenaline rush and leave
us curious about what is approaching (16). He also uses the term daring the nightmare which
illustrates how we push our own boundaries when watching horror movies; to show that pushing

Tumlin 2
ourselves further is what makes horror movies enjoyable (King 16). Daring the nightmare is like
watching more of a scary movie even though the movie is already way beyond the point of giving
you nightmares. It pushes the limits of how much scariness you can handle.
King then probes into the deeper, less recognizable reasons as to why we crave horror
movies. Horror films take away the shades of gray in our lives, and encourage our views to
return to a childlike manner (King 17). This return allows physiological relief by allowing the
viewer to have a mindset where simplicity, irrationality, and even outright madness is allowed
(King 17). King reminds readers that as kids we are showered with praise for good emotions but
are punished for bad emotions (17-18). He explains that anticivilization emotions dont go away
and that they need to be exercised (King 18). Comparisons are made about the need to watch
horror movies and the need for alligators to eat. Alligators crave meat while humans crave the thrill
of horror movies (King 18). He informs readers that we need to watch horror movies to keep the
bad emotions away and to keep the good emotions at the surface. The mythic horror movie,
like the sick joke, has a dirty job to do, it appeals to all the worst in us. It is morbidity unchained,
our most basic instincts let free, our nastiest fantasies realized, states King (18). (King 16-19)
In their essay, Why Vampires Never Die, del Toro and Hogan introduce readers to
background knowledge on vampires and how the original Vampyre story by John William Polidori
came about. The author explains that it wasnt just Polidori who started the whole myth of
vampires. Del Toro and Hogan tell about how even before the Vampyre many cultures and people
all around the world had their own version of the myth (37). They go on to relate to us the different
types of vampires that gave rise due to Polidoris story. The vampire is both the romantic hero and
the undead monster (del Toro and Hogan 36). The authors explain why we as humans are

Tumlin 3
attracted to the character of vampires. Later in the essay, it is suggested that, The vampire may
originate from a repressed memory we had as primates (del Toro and Hogan 37). This allows the
readers to see connections between ones early life form and who the character of the vampire truly
is.
In the essay, del Toro and Hogan relate why we are attracted to the vampire. They begin by
saying monsters are creations that represent our own personal needs to express fear, anger, and
other emotions that are frowned upon when normally committed. They give the example of how
we feel the need to seek their cold embrace (del Toro and Hogan). They continue by explaining
desires of youth, beauty, and eternal life. With only one bite you are transformed into a powerful,
everlasting creature from being our bland, normal selves (del Toro and Hogan 37). They say,
Whereas other monsters emphasize what is mortal in us, the vampire emphasizes the eternal in
us (del Toro and Hogan 37). We, as people who dont live eternally, desire to be like the vampire
who stays young and beautiful forever. They claim that, in our fast, up to date world we long for
something we can hold onto thats forever (del Toro and Hogan 37). (del Toro and Hogan 36-39)
These essays were written to help readers reflect on ones natural desires of the unknown.
They help people question where the desires originated and where the interests of the desires came
from. The essays are connected in that they both provide reasons as to why humans crave the
unknown, the mysterious. They relate ones feelings of anticivilization and inhumaneness to each
other. The essays the authors have provided are an important attribute to the book Monsters
because they expand knowledge on why monsters are created and what their purposes are. They
give entail on where monsters came from, how they first came about, and why humans are so
attracted to them.

Tumlin 4

Works Cited

Tumlin 5
Del Toro, Guillermo and Hogan, Chuck. Why Vampires Never Die. Monsters: A Bedford
Spotlight Reader. Ed. Andrew J. Hoffman. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2016. 16-19.
Print.
Hoffman, Andrew J., ed. Monsters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader. New York: Bedford/St. Martins,
2016. Print.
King, Stephen. Why We Crave Horror Movies. Monsters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader. Ed.
Andrew J. Hoffman. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2016. 16-19. Print.

You might also like