Living Vicariously through Horror

Living Vicariously through Horror: Horror Fiction at the Individual and Cultural Levels

         To many individuals, horror fiction may seem repetitive and unnecessarily grotesque. How, then, can the genre’s massive popularity be explained? There must be both obvious and underlying reasons for the appeal of terror in literature. I use John G. Cawelti’s conceptualizations about formula to frame my discussion, from looking at cultural and individual needs to the use of conventions and inventions to the concept of formula and its elements, such as suspense and ego enhancement. Moreover, I look at a survey and written comments of horror fiction readers, who are primarily Stephen King fans, and compare how their impressions of horror texts compare to what I have come across in research. In examining the appeal and meaning of horror fiction, I propose that the use of the formula, as well as a functional balance of conventions and inventions, serve to address and explore current issues in response to changing times, as well as provide a sense of security in readers.

         First, it is imminent to define popular literature and understand why it is so important to culture. I apply Cawelti’s article on popular culture to frame my findings. Cawelti asserts that “[w]hen we are studying the fine arts, we are essentially interested in the unique achievement of the individual artist, while in the case of popular culture, we are dealing with a product that is in some sense collective” (730). The fact that popular culture, and thus popular literature, deals with a collective product means that this literature is written to meet the needs, interests, and desires of the majority of the population. It may be said, then, that popular culture meets a cultural need. Cawelti describes the two vital elements to be found in popular literature, both which serve important functions within a culture (732). Conventions are elements that are familiar and known to the audience, and serve both to “maintain a culture’s stability” as well as “assert an ongoing continuity of values” (Cawelti 732). On the other hand, inventions are the elements that provide new, unique ideas, and whose purpose is to “help [a culture] respond to changing circumstances and provide new information about the world,” as well as “confront us with a new perception or meaning which we have not realized before” (Cawelti 732). In addition to these cultural functions, Cawelti also suggests that conventions and inventions work at the individual level (732). He believes that an individual’s “sense of community and identity” largely depends on a need for conventions; on the other hand, an individual’s ability to cope with change is strengthened by the use of inventions, thus demonstrating the importance of these two elements (Cawelti 732). Cawelti notes that a balanced ratio of invention to convention in literature tends to yield cultures that are “relatively stable over long periods of time” (733), which demonstrates that popular fiction does satisfy cultural needs. But what cultural and individual needs does horror fiction meet?
         
         While looking at fans of Stephen King’s horror fiction, Kelly Chandler finds some of the benefits of reading his literature. She discovers that, out of a sample of twelve adolescent readers, the majority of them share the reading preferences of their parents, Stephen King and other horror writers in particular (Chandler 231). Popular fiction is also discussed in Chandler’s article in relation to canonical literature that is studied in the school context, which Cawelti would refer to as literature of “high culture” rather than “mass culture” ( Cawelti 730), or literature that relies more so on invention and is known as literature of the “intellectual elites” (Cawelti 733). Parents interviewed by Chandler comment that popular culture “can be a fine way to explore different worlds,” and also establish that “[i]f our goal is to engage today’s young adult readers, we need to give serious consideration to material that is relevant and meaningful to them” (233). These comments strengthen the idea that popular fiction is culturally and personally relevant, inasmuch that writers such as Stephen King should be studied in schools. As for why this material is relevant, Chandler points out that King addresses many controversial cultural issues in his texts. From spousal abuse in Gerald’s Game to bullying in Carrie to sexual maturity and coming-of-age in It, Chandler states that these novels “raise sensitive issues that adolescents would benefit from discussing with either their parent or another trusted adult” (237). Since King’s novels do address such issues, it seems that he is using invention as a means to respond to societal trends and current issues. By doing so, he can both inform and hold the interest of readers, as well as offer the comfortable conventions of his genre, which function as a security blanket for readers. King also utilizes formula, which Cawelti defines as “a cultural pattern [which] represents the way in which a culture has embodied both mythical archetypes and its own preoccupations in narrative form” (733). So, formula is a conventional way of storytelling which also addresses current cultural concerns. Through using a formula to write his horror fiction, King can be inventive by using current issues while still telling his stories in a way that is safe and comfortable to readers. In discussing his favourite horror writer, Stephen King, one of my survey respondents notes that:

A lot of the narrative of his stories is focused more on human issues which I think draws the reader in and helps them to identify with the characters. Placing the reader in a comfort zone, Mr. King is then allowed free reign to put us through any range of emotions, with terror being at the forefront.  Whether it's the horror of a demon or the anguish of losing a loved one to either the aforementioned demon or other events, the unsettling nature of the ideas he puts forth allows us to have experiences we might not ever know. (Appendix)

This fan mentions that not only does horror fiction address issues, but that readers are placed in a comfort zone through identifying with a character. As Cawelti mentions, it is the use of conventions that allows readers to feel a personal sense of identity (732). So, once the reader identifies with the protagonist, the author can, according to this respondent, take the readers through a variety of terrible events which in turn affects one’s emotions. Cawelti describes this effect as the game dimension of formula, which is “the patterned experience of excitement, suspense, and release which we associate with the functions of entertainment and recreation” (735).  The rollercoaster of emotions and visceral responses that a reader feels whilst reading horror fiction is part of the horror formula. Additionally, Cawelti explains a second part of the formula, which is “the aspect of play as ego enhancement through the temporary resolution of inescapable frustrations and tensions through fantasy” (735).  What this means is that readers feel a sense of accomplishment after reading or being able to put down a horror novel, because when they escape from the fantasy they realize that they have survived while the characters in the novel are often left in dire circumstances. The fan who I quoted above also comments that he is “glad to be able to close those books when [he] need[s] to and actually experience real life” (Appendix), thus demonstrating how ego enhancement works to make horror fiction readers feel better after having read it.
         
         Cawelti elaborates on the overarching importance of formulas, stating that they “represent syntheses of several important cultural functions which, in modern cultures, have been taken over by the popular arts” (734). The first of these cultural functions is the social or cultural ritual, which can work both to create “a sense of group solidarity and for personal enjoyment and recreation” (Cawelti 734). A sort of ritual that relates to group solidarity may be the religious undertones found within horror fiction. King himself states that “some of horror’s popularity has to do with the failure of religion . . . [because] horror fiction, supernatural fiction, suggests that we go on” (King 174-5). Thus, if religion is failing, then horror fiction offers the comfort of group solidarity through implication of an afterlife. Moreover, ego enhancement is provided by horror fiction if it allows for its readers to escape their fears, which is this case is death. King’s use of religious solidarity provides hope. Others, however, instil fear. Edward J. Ingebretson proposes that “the core of American cultic memory is a rhetoric shared by colonial theological text, civic ritual, and contemporary pulp horror formula” (xi). Moreover, he states that this rhetoric is mostly a “social strategy” (Ingebretson xi). Thus, Ingebretson seems to be saying that horror fiction is part of a collective identity, and that this identity serves the purpose of functioning as a social strategy. Likewise, Victor Sage declares that that horror fiction “is not a literary genre . . . [i]t is a cultural response, which implies a broad series of relationships with the whole of the culture in which it is produced” (qtd. in Ingebretson xv). Again, this point strengthens Cawelti’s idea of the use of conventions in popular literature as a collective, cultural need. Furthermore, Chandler’s thought on horror fiction addressing important issues is spoken to; in this case the issue is a loss of religion. In my survey of Stephen King fans, the majority of respondents note that they do believe there are messages to be found in horror fiction. Of those who thought so, most of them find that current societal issues are addressed (Appendix). The other options, religious undertones and messages of safety, were each chosen, but were not the majority. This feedback demonstrates that many fans notice issues being addressed in horror fiction.
         
         Lastly, I wanted to survey horror fiction readers to find out what scares them in horror stories and why they enjoy being terrified. The majority of the fans enjoy psychological thrillers, read horror fiction as an exciting alternative to everyday life, and are terrified mostly by the suspense presented in horror novels and secondly by the feelings of doom associated with reading horror fiction (Appendix). These thoughts seem to highlight the popular appeal of horror fiction. Moreover, many of these ideas relate back to Cawelti’s explanations of excitement through the patterns of suspense and release experienced by the reader, as well as ego enhancement, which is experienced by being able to put a frightening text down and continue on living everyday life, unlike the often unfortunate fate of the horror protagonist.
         
         While there are many aspects of horror fiction that may be analyzed, it seems to be the issues presented, the fears raised, and the comfort given to readers that can tell much about the genre. Cawelti explains how conventions and inventions are used to address cultural and individual needs, as well as how horror formula works to provide entertainment and offer ego enhancement as a form of comfort. The fans, however, can also be very telling of why they enjoy horror fiction so much. A Stephen King fan mentions in her survey that:

For me, reading a Stephen King novel transports me to a whole new world. The stories are so well written that as soon as you start reading, the characters come to life in your mind and take you with them on their journey. There is definitely excitement and suspense, and the stories are very entertaining . . . It’s also a good escape. It’s just awesome! (Appendix)

This quote is very telling as to why people enjoy horror fiction—it is an escape, it allows one to identify with the protagonist and vicariously experience the excitements and terrors of the character’s journey. And as times change and different societal issues arise to threaten a culture’s stability, horror readers can take solace in the fact that while issues change, the formula of popular horror literature remains the same, and will always work to bestow comfort on the reader when they are able to set down their book, take in a deep breath of relief, and continue living life in the real world.

Works Cited

Cawelti, John G. “The Concept of Formula in the Study of Popular Literature.” Popular Fiction: An Anthology. Ed. Gary Hoppenstand. New York: Longman, 1998. 730-736.

Chandler, Kelly. “Reading Relationships: Parents, Adolescents, and Popular Fiction by Stephen King.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 43 (1999): 228-38.

Ingebretson, Edward J. Preface. Maps of Heaven, Maps of Hell. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 1996. xi-xxxiii.

King, Stephen. “Extract from ‘An Evening at Billerica Public Library.’” Gothic Horror. Ed. Clive Bloom. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2007. 173-5.

Radway, Janice A. Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1984.