The Horror of Science
After reading "Was he dead?", I like everyone else was surprised to discover that it was meant to be read (and was read when first published) as a a horror story. Then I considered other such stories and what genre they were typically put in. Stories like "Dracula", "Frankenstein", "The Island of Dr. Moreau", etc. are all considered part of either the horror or science fiction/horror genre. After realizing that this story really was what is generally considered horror, I began to wonder what characteristics were the "scary" parts in "Was he Dead?" as well as in some of the other stories just mentioned, specifically Frankenstein.
I have not entirely come up with a full answer but I believe in these specific science fiction type narratives the horror aspect is induced from the unexplainable elements of the stories and the "normal" characters inabilities to deal with it. That is the central character cannot control something that has been unleashed and it is the fear of what might happen as a result that scares us. Furthermore, the creation of the "unnatural" in itself is frightening particularly as we discover the inner workings of this "terrible" creature and how closely it resembles either ourselves or some element of our lives. For instance, in "Frankenstein" the monster's use of reason to take revenge frightens as its actions seem so justifiable. Similarly, in "Was he Dead?" the drive of Purpel to prove that an innocent man had been accused of murder drives him to forget the lessons of "Frankenstein" and what person is not concerned if the innocent get punished?
These are some interpretations of what causes "horror" in relation to these types of stories but I'm sure there are more. I think that it is also interesting to consider why were these types of Gothic fear-based stories were so popular during the 19th century and what was it about the times that made people fearful of such possibilities. Also, how much has changed in relation to the draw of the horror genre today, specifically in relation to science fiction?
I have not entirely come up with a full answer but I believe in these specific science fiction type narratives the horror aspect is induced from the unexplainable elements of the stories and the "normal" characters inabilities to deal with it. That is the central character cannot control something that has been unleashed and it is the fear of what might happen as a result that scares us. Furthermore, the creation of the "unnatural" in itself is frightening particularly as we discover the inner workings of this "terrible" creature and how closely it resembles either ourselves or some element of our lives. For instance, in "Frankenstein" the monster's use of reason to take revenge frightens as its actions seem so justifiable. Similarly, in "Was he Dead?" the drive of Purpel to prove that an innocent man had been accused of murder drives him to forget the lessons of "Frankenstein" and what person is not concerned if the innocent get punished?
These are some interpretations of what causes "horror" in relation to these types of stories but I'm sure there are more. I think that it is also interesting to consider why were these types of Gothic fear-based stories were so popular during the 19th century and what was it about the times that made people fearful of such possibilities. Also, how much has changed in relation to the draw of the horror genre today, specifically in relation to science fiction?
posted by Zach at 11:33 PM
3 Comments:
I'd say that another important component of a "horror" is the setting. Like we were talking about in "Is he Dead?," there is something scary about the dark and certain objects. For example, it was mentioned that there were "poisoned weapons of savage tribes." Most creepy objects and the dark are associated with death. The idea of death ties back into fear of the unknown.
I feel that the genre of horror has changed for us because today we understand science better as a society. At that time, scientific knowledge was not as pervasive as today, and thus these events such as controlling nature were horror to them while to us they are more interesting and thought provoking.
There are various types of horror stories, from psychological twists to supernatural ghost stories, which can be seen any day on a trip to the movie theater. But in writing, horror stories are usually connected to science in some way. The stories we have been reading in class, like Frankenstein and “Was He Dead?” are horror stories dealing with science. As Amit said, at the times these stories were written, people didn’t really understand science and thus these stories invoked fear of the unknown. While it may seem like we have progressed and our society today understands science, this may not necessarily be true. If you look at recent novels, there are still a great deal of stories about the evils of science and the manipulation of nature. Isaac Asimov has written numerous stories about robots and the human takeover and stories like Orwell’s 1984 show that even in the 20th and 21st century, there is still a fear of future scientific advancement. Science will always be unknown to us, because at heart science truly is the discovery of the unknown.
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