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Supernatural Elements Of Horror

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Analysis of Horror Genre
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. In “The Tell Tale Heart”, three characteristics of horror stand out: suspense, hubris, and an unreliable narrator. The first big element in the story is hubris. The narrator states, “But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work!” (Poe 89,90). The narrator was proud of how well he was able to commit the murder and hide it from the outside world. But then when the police came, he got extremely paranoid and started hearing the heartbeat of the man and somehow confessed the murder. "Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!" (Poe 94). Another important element in this story is suspense. He said that he was going to kill the man, but he had to wait for the perfect moment to do so. He wanted to see the eye to get him mad so he could actually commit the murder but it took him eight suspenseful days to actually find the eye open. The whole

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