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What Happened To Richard Matheson's Hell House?

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The hallway was dark and musty, with a faint smell of smoke. Two friends were turning the corner when a man covered in blood, wielding a rusty chainsaw, jumped out at them. The friends both screamed in surprise, and then burst into laughter. They were in the middle of a haunted house, enjoying the fear they felt at the sound of every loud noise and sight of each creepy figure. Many people pay to go to haunted houses, watch horror movies, and read frightening novels because they love to feel fear. There is actually a chemical reason as to why people find it enjoyable. Richard Matheson, an American author and screenwriter, mastered the ability of scaring his readers. In his haunting novel Hell House, Matheson creates a story that readers …show more content…

The first birth control pill was invented in the 1960’s, which led to more sexual freedom for women and the sexual norms were challenged (Kohn). The 70’s became a time of social changes and personal empowerment. The first television movie featuring a gay couple was aired, and many large corporations started to make policies that prohibited discrimination due to sexual orientation (Rosen). In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders (Rosen). These small steps towards liberation were challenged by a religious alternative to haunted houses known as hell houses. They often included scenes of abortion, homosexual relations, and other common acts condemned by the church (Lum). There is always a scene of hell containing all of the people that participated in the sinful acts, and a scene of heaven where the customers are told about repentance (Lum). Hell houses are an attempt to spread the word of God and inform others of the sins that will send them to hell. Some people consider this their duty, something they must accomplish if they themselves hope to one day go to heaven (Lum). “The hell houses are just one manifestation of the impulse to save one’s self by ‘saving’ others” (Lum). Despite the condemnation of homosexuality and certain women’s rights, …show more content…

This type of writing is what influenced many other horror and science fiction writers. His book dealt with the questioning of one’s sexuality and the fear of societal opinion, something that started to be more prevalent at the time in which this novel was written, and continues to be a struggle for many people. Matheson also alludes to the fear of being wrong and of that which is unknown. Hell House’s raving reviews prove that fear can be entertaining and fun. When wanting to strengthen a relationship, people should try risky and thrilling activities, because at the end of the day, those are the memories they will think about, and the stories they will want to

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