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 why we create monsters. 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 humanly desires and monsters. These particular essays help people
understand the origins of monsters and ones humanly attraction to such mythological things.
In Kings essay he enlightens readers by explaining why people crave horror movies. He
begins with basic reasons as to why people crave horror movies and then moves into the deeper,
more scrutinizing reasons. He lists 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 roller coaster in the fact that they both provide an adrenaline rush and leave
us curious of what is approaching (16). He also uses the term daring the nightmare to illustrate

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how we push our own boundaries when watching horror movies; to show that pushing ourselves
further is what makes horror movies enjoyable (King 16).
King then probes into the deeper, unannounced reasons as to why we crave horror movies.
He argues that horror films take away the shades of gray in our lives, and encourages the view to
return to a childlike manner (King 17). He argues 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 says anticivilization emotions dont go
away and that they need to be exercised (King 18). The need to exercise those bad emotions also
has the need to be fed. He compares the need to watch horror movies to the need of alligators
eating: of them craving that meat while we crave the thrill horror movies provide (King 18). He
informs readers that we need to watch horror movies to keep the bad emotions away and 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 del Toro and Hogans essay, Why Vampires Never Die, they 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. They speak about how the vampire is both
the romantic hero and the undead monster and why we as humans are attracted to the character

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(del Toro and Hogan 36). 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). They allow the reader to see
connections between ones early life form and who the character of the vampire is.
In the essay del Toro and Hogan relate to the readers why we are attracted to the vampire.
They begin with saying that monsters are created by our own personal needs. They give the
example of how we feel the need to seek their cold embrace (del Toro and Hogan). Then 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 to each other. The essays
are important to the book because they emphasize how an individual can connect on a cultural,
sexual, historical, and emotional level with the main theme of the book: monsters.

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Works Cited
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.

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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.