Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva, Questions and Answers

Many writers explore the notion that cultural differences may inflict feelings of disconnection for their central characters. This is shown in the two texts ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram’, as both protagonists struggle to cope with their newly exposed environment. Despite this, we learn that it can be resolved through the acceptance of one another, yet others may remain to dissociate themselves from society.

Belonging is a complex, multi-faceted concept encompassing a wide range of different aspects. The need to belong to family and culture is a universal human need which provides a sense of value and emotional stability, and in many respects forges one’s identity. Alienation and disconnection often creates feelings of isolation, depression and loss of identity. A struggle with cultural identity is evident in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’, where he examines a division between his pre-war Polish heritage and his newfound Australian way of life. The movement away from his European cultural heritage towards a more Australian identity created disorientation for Skrzynecki, and these feelings of disconnection

Similarly, to “Feliks Skrzynecki”, it is shown here in “Migrant Hostel” how one’s identity can influence another, only that the identity referred to here is

Complete success isolates a person from his fellows, but suffering makes kinsmen of us all. In a way, people who are exotic develop faster than those who share the same attitudes towards each other and the sense of belonging can either benefit or corrupt an individual in alienation. But, those who do not agree with the social norms have greater impacts in the world’s growth and development. Thus, people do not need to belong in order to be successful, fulfilled members of society because outsiders see things from a different and valuable perspective, learn to be more independent and progress farther than others.

Every individual, no matter who they are, will all face challenges that result from their backgrounds and cultures. Born in Calcutta, India and later moving to the United States, Amin Ahmad was an individual who discovered this harsh truth first-hand. In his essay, “I Belong Here,” Ahmad reflects on his experience of being treated differently from those around him based off his cultural background. He analyzes the emotional barrier that forms between the journey of immigration and the continuous feeling of inferiority based solely on the desire to belong. The article is written to provide a different point of view; one focused on introducing to the world the challenges and emotions immigrants face after starting the journey towards a new life.

One’s understanding of belonging can broaden their understanding and acceptance of themselves and the world around them. The statement that we all strive to belong is true, however it may take time to belong to a certain person, place, group, community or even the larger world. This issue is explored in Raimond Gaita’s biographical memoir Romulus, My Father and Khaled Hosseini’s confronting novel The Kite Runner. Throughout these texts, the themes of personal relationships, migrant experience and morals and values arise from the concept of

Wes Craven’s horror movie “Scream”, inspired the gruesome murder of Gina Castillo. Castillo’s sixteen year old son and his fifteen year old cousin killed Gina Castillo. Why would anyone wish to watch the petrifying film, “Scream”? What would trigger a person to take inspiration from the horror movie, “Scream”. Stephen King describes horror as a piece of the human condition. Author of several horror novels, Stephen King wrote an essay titled “Why We Crave Horror.” In this paper he thoroughly explains why the human species craves horror and how it makes humans feel. In this essay, Stephen King precisely claims that humans desire, horror because horror pushes them to face their fears, renew their feelings of normality, and to expose

Through the essay “Dyaspora” by Joanne Hyppolite, the struggles of being part of a minority are revealed. “Dyaspora” is about a girl who is struggling to fit in with the American lifestyle and having a Haitian background impeding on her ability to adapt and grow. She is tied to her roots, living in two different worlds, which forces her to look within herself and find a way to survive while discovering her cultural identity. In this specific scene, the words, “Outside of your house, you are forced to sink or swim in American Waters.” are focusing on the theme of survival. Using the lens of New Criticism this text can be dissected based on internal conflict and the reoccurring theme.

In the chapter titled “Reflections on Exile,” Edward Said discusses the different aspects of being an exile. His discussion of exile includes what it means to be an exile, the feelings that being an exile produces in individuals, exile in relation to nationalism, and the role of exile in the modern world.  Said first defines being an exile as a state of terminal loss. He states, “the achievements of exile are permanently undermined by the loss of something left behind forever” (173).  He then contrasts this terminal loss with the cultural impact that exile has had on the modern West.  He states that, “modern Western culture is in large part the work of exiles,” (173) and, “our age[...] is indeed the age of the refugee, the displaced

Such meanings often bring the images of pain, grief, torture, political, social and psychological pressure on the population undergoing this process of forced migration. But with time, the life experiences and work of people for whom diaspora is no longer as tragic as it was for the earlier generations, the word now seems to be in the process of redefinition. This paper gives an optimistic approach to the redefinition of the word ‘diaspora’. It will discuss what are the common viewpoints shared in the world about Diaspora, what can be the possible other side of the situation(the positive approach), how is twenty-first century diaspora different and finally it will also highlight how a twenty-first century migrant can make diaspora a successful life changing experience by accepting the dual

In the article “Diasporas”, historian and anthropologist James Clifford explores the issues that can arise when trying to concretely define diaspora, a “traveling term, in changing global conditions”. Clifford explains, the concept of diaspora was used in the study of Jewish and later Greek and Armenian displaced groups. However, since the 1950s it has been commonly evoked in reference to African forced migration and is now used to describe a variety of peoples and relocation experiences. In addition to ‘diaspora’, other terms are also being used quite heavily in discussions of the movement of people, including “border”, and Clifford explores the differences and similarities between people living in a state of “border” versus a state of diaspora while both suggest connections and “multilocalities” of people “borders” implies a politically and geographically defined line, where as a diaspora connotates a further distance of separation, and possibly a sense of exile. Clifford discuses these connections and

Horror stories focus on creating a feeling of fear and shock using many sources. There are many sources of horror besides monsters and there are more factors involved in making stories part of the horror genre, including supernatural elements, hubris, and setting. Stories including the “Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Outsider” by H.P. Lovecraft, and “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs include these elements.

As our world becomes that much more globalized with each passing day, the way we chose to interpret and define ourselves and others also becomes much more elaborate, as well. During this week’s readings we focus on defining who is who within the contexts of refugees, internally displaced people (IDP), stateless persons, asylum seekers and diasporas. In Rogers Brubaker’s “The ‘diaspora’ diaspora,” we focus specifically on how the meaning and categorization of persons as diaspora has in itself changed.

In the book “Horror in Architecture” horror is defined in various ways, from horror being the truth about abstraction, to horror reorienting the notion that what exists is not necessarily all that might be. Eight different typologies of horror are identified which includes Doubles and Clones, Exquisite Corpse, Partially and Mostly Dead, Reiteration and Reflexivity, Incontinent Object, Trojan Horse, Homunculism and Gigantism, Solidity, Mass, Stereotomy, Distortion and Disproportion. THESIS: The architect Zaha Hadid has produced a number of works that fit into the Trojan Horse typology of horror which includes the Vitra Fire station in Weil am Rhein, the MAXXI museum in Rome and the 1st floor interior design she did for the Hotel Puerta America.

The poem “They’ll say she must be from another country,” by Imtiaz Dharker explores the challenges of a woman in her everyday life. She feels that she doesn’t belong in the country she is living in, because people can notice how different she is from everyone else. She makes it easy for people to understand why she feels alienated but, at the same time feels proud of who she is. Dharker conveys her message through the many examples of alienation given throughout her poem.