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Why Supernatural Horror is the Most Effective Horror

In this essay on the horror literature genre, the student argues that inclusion of the supernatural produces the most effective response from readers. Comparing "A Rose for Emily" (William Faulkner) and "Man from the South" (Roald Dahl) to the works of Lovecraft ("The Call of Cthulhu" and "Nyarlathotep") and Poe ("The Fall of the House of Usher"), the student concludes that expanding the limits of what can happen in the story creates new spaces for the reader's imagination and fear.
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"I enjoyed reading this assessment of horror stories. You show good control over the texts you've chosen, both at the level of close-reading and in terms of responding to the horror canon. Your higher-order concerns are overall looking good, with purposeful organization, structure, and argumentation. I recommend finetuning your discussion at the level of sentence and diction to bring the essay to the next level. For example, you describe "A Rose for Emily" as a "good example of horror," but the paragraph then ends with "it lacks the ability to truly inspire horror." I recommend revising the opening to avoid overstating the case and contradicting your ultimate conclusion (e.g., "is a classic example of horror which contains..."). I'm also curious if you'd subcategorize the Faulkner and Dahl stories (Gothic, thriller?) as apart from supernatural horror, and if there is any mileage in further subcategorizing Lovecraft's work as cosmic horror of Lovecraftian horror. Another area to explore would be Lovecraft's own comments on horror ("Supernatural Horror in Literature") to help extend your observations into the wider conversation on the genre. Consider, as well, bringing the discussion full circle in the conclusion by referring once more to the ancient roots of the genre: because you note legend, myth, and folklore in the opening, invoking these supernatural stories can help show how the lineage defines the genre (and supports your thesis).

As a final comment, do proofread to catch occasional errors or typos that, if left in a final draft, can produce an impression of inattention, harming ethos. This includes correctly presenting and spelling the story titles."

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