Analysis Of Transformation In Windigo By Louise Erddie

A transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. This can relate to the mind or the actual physical appearance of something. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. These two words can be closely related when it comes to being scared. In "Fall of the House of Usher," by Edgar Allen Poe, a reader becomes scared because the mind is transformed. In "House Taken Over," by Julio Cortázar, a simple house transforms into something mysterious. In "Where is Here?" by Joyce Carol Oates, the minds of family members transform and create a sense of terror. Transformation plays a role in stories meant to scare us by changing something in the story to create a suspenseful or mysterious outcome.

Have you ever read a story that has a significant change in the plot suddenly? A lot of thrillers/horror stories, will use the method of transformation to create fear. Transformation plays a huge role in stories meant to scare us. It causes sudden change of mood or how you feel about a certain character quickly which can create a fearful aspect in the story. Examples of writers that use this method include; Ishmeal Reed and Edgar Allen Poe.

In human nature there exists a morbid desire to explore the darker realms of life. As sensitive beings we make every effort to deny our curiosity in the things that frighten us, and will calmly reassure our children that there aren't any creatures under their beds each night, but deep down we secretly thrive on that cool rush of fear. Despite our efforts to maintain a balance of respectable emotions, we are a society of people who slow down to look at traffic accidents and find excitement in the macabre. We turn off the lights when watching scary movies, and when it's time to go to bed, we secretly make sure the closet doors are shut. Fear keeps our hearts pumping and endorphins rushing, for it is an emotion that reminds us of our

“Limits, like fear, is often an illusion”(Michael Jordan). As explained in this quote, your imagination is really what drives you to fear. Based on the texts, “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortázar, fear is a key concept that often gets mixed with your imagination and replaces reality. Through these stories, your mind is shown to control many things you do or possibly see which forces yourself to feel like you’re out of reality.

Transformation plays a role in stories meant to scare us by playing with our imagination safety and mood of a story. Imagination appears in both Edgar Allan Poe’s, gothic fiction story “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by Usher’s isolated environment and in Joyce Carol Oates gothic literature story “Where is Here?,” by foreseeing who people are. Transformation also plays a role by it assists knowing our own selves are safe in a scary situation. This is shown in, “ Why do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?,” by Allegra Ringo and in “ House Taken Over,” by Julio Cortazar. Transformation plays with our imagination and our safety it also plays a role in the mood and setting. This appears in , “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Dream Collector,”

Imagination can overcome fear even when there is no reason to be frightened. As shown in the

Asma states, "Monsters can stand as symbols of human vulnerability and crisis, and as such they play imaginative foils for thinking about our own responses to menace.” This means that human weaknesses and fears are represented through monstrous figures, and these fictional situations provide perspective into how we react in fearful environments. In our current society we fear many things, including but not limited to failed or corrupt governmental systems, the afterlife, the unknown, and captivity, which makes this claim valid. Although we may not realize it, these fears are embodied by the horror monsters we see in popular culture. Society shares common fears, and often times the most prevailing fear is reflected in the most popular characters at any given time. Monsters are the fictional representations of society’s dark subconscious, exploring not only why the author’s statement is accurate but what we actually fear.

Have you ever wondered why you enjoy being scared? In Allegra Ringo’s interview, “Why do some brains enjoy fear?”, with Dr. Kerr, a scare specialist, he states that many enjoy being scared because the brain triggers “a flood” of adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins. To enjoy the feeling of being terrified, our brains have to process that we are in a safe space. Scary movies, stories, roller coasters, and haunted houses all create a breathtaking response to fear. These experiences we have with fear are said to create self-confidence, relieve stress, and even bring us together. Americans spend over 7.5 billion dollars on Halloween activities and costumes. Dr. Kerr states in the interview, that people love Halloween so much because it constructs a strong emotional response and build stronger memories. Dr. Kerr also says that when we are happy, or afraid we release hormones that help those moments “stick” in our brain. We all love a good scare! “The Raven”, by Edgar Allen Poe, and “Beware: do not read this poem”, by Ishmael Reed both analyze the allure of fear through symbolism and descriptive imagery, which is a part of gothic literature. Both Poe and Reed signifies their themes differently but both themes allude to the fascination of fear.

Julio Cortazar’s “House Taken Over” transformation creates fear because a peaceful day of Irene and the brother cleaning their house goes from being peaceful to a demon taking over sides of their house. This is effective, because a perfect day went from being horrifying very few days later. One example is “It was pleasant to take lunch and commune with the great hollow, silent house, and it was enough for us just to keep it clean”

It seems a simple task to create the potential of fear. People have grown to fear mainly similar things and ultimately anything that endangers the innocent part of human kind. Sadly, there is only a slight hint of true innocence that exists in us as humans. How come fear intrueges us, it is not the knowing of its unrealness, because for a moment there, it seems real. Therefore it is an art, how can one be freigthened and fascinated in its most beautiful way. How is it conjured, not just the fear of actual danger, but the art of darkness.

Fear is defined as an “unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat”. The effects of fear can cause us to become a totally different person. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, many of the characters went from innocent young child to a brutal savage. “This was a savage whose image refused to blend with the innocent pictures of a boy in shorts and shirt” (Golding 183). The boys arrived on the island looking like proper British boys from a civilized place, and left the island

Fear brings forth a certain atmosphere which compels us to act upon it. The era in which the book was published allows us to see how common these fears were. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is an excellent portrayal of how fear controls the human mind by using the characters as examples. In the book Eleanor, Theodora, Luke, and Dr. Montague have all been influenced by fear in the story, whether it be the fear of love, the unknown, family, rejection, expression, or loneliness. These different types of fear plagued their minds, causing their actions to reflect upon them. Jackson explores the theme of fear in The Haunting of Hill House by creating a cast of characters that in turn are manipulated by the inner workings of their minds and the malevolent manifestations of Hill House.

There are two components for fear, they are biochemical response and emotional reaction. Even when we prepare ourselves for what is coming, there are still moments when we can hear our heart beating out of our chest, we start to sweat, and feel the adrenaline pumping through our bodies. Biochemical fear, which is an automatic response is likely to be an evolutionary trait. Say you hear the leaves crackling against the cool Fall pavement and the hiss of something unknown in the darkness. This image creates a fight or flight response within and we have to make a choice quickly to stay or to go. While biochemical responses to fear are universal, emotional reactions to fear more individualized and physical. Emotional fear has little place when discussing the Boogeyman because children do not go out looking for their monster in the night. Their fear is rational to them and leads to stress when they think they are dealing with this creature of the night. (MacDonald). Just read this child’s rhyme about the Boogeyman if you need to see the effects this fear

Horror movies. The type of genre that gives a thrill of adrenaline, yet also gives nightmares late at night. Everyone has watched a horror movie at least once in their lives. And during the movie there is also a time in which the viewer just wants to punch the TV screen and call it quits. Whether it is because their favorite character just did something dumb, or because the ending was horrible, there is always a moment in which one thinks: I would have chosen a better option. I could have survived. In literature, it is often the same thing. Believe it or not, fear is a huge contributor to how the story goes; how it ends, and who dies. Fear either motivates the character to take action or, defeats them. But fear doesn’t act alone. Fear influences people, but what influences the fear? The answer is quite simple, no matter how shocking it can be. Just as love brings happiness, it also brings forth the poison of fear. Whether it is the fear of losing the person they love, or fear that they are no longer loved, both of them are huge contributors on how a character’s actions or decisions are influenced.

When I was six years old, I was outside with my friends playing football. It was about three in the afternoon when we saw a coyote walk down the street. We were so scared that we ran inside of my house. I had told my dad about this and he called animal control. After this happened, I was afraid to go outside by myself for a couple of weeks. All of a sudden, the day I was having with my friends was no longer fun and transformed into a terrifying experience.Transformation obviously creates fear. This can be seen in the following three stories as well. Oate’s “Where is Here,” “Dream Collector” and Julio Cortazar’s “House Taken Over” uses transformation of an ordinary person and an ordinary setting to show us how easily circumstances can can change.