Date of Award

9-30-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Rhetoric and Writing

First Advisor

Charles Anderson

Abstract

Many film genres have experienced their periods of popularity and eventual fallout, some to their demise. The horror genre, on the other hand, has never lost its audience. Many times, critics have declared horror "dead" and yet have been amazed to see its resurgence again. What makes terror so much fun for America? This project seeks to understand the continual popularity of the often maligned genre known as "horror" and asks if there are rhetorical implications in these films that reach far beyond exploitation. Does horror tap into certain religious paradigms that have spiritual resonance within our American culture? Do they have a decidedly "Christian" flair to them? I think so, and through the use of rhetorical theory, this project will demonstrate how.

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