Abstract Using historical evidence of cannibalism existence, this paper identifies different forms and practices, and explains the motives for such behaviors.
From the Paper "For millions of years, the majority of humans and their ancestors around the world have eaten meat, derived from a countless number of animals. However, the majority of these people have avoided one particular kind of meat: human flesh. For a human to knowingly eat the flesh of his own kind has been taboo to the most extreme definition of the term. Even the thought of it provokes a deep-rooted, enculturated repulsiveness that is so powerful it has actually prevented modern humans from eating remains of dead people for the sole purpose of survival (Barker, Hulme, and Iversen 1998:37). In other words, they would rather die than eat the meat of another person. The general practice of eating human flesh, anthropophagy, commonly referred to as cannibalism, has always been a subject full of controversy and debate. Hundreds of scientific studies have been published on the subject, but few have focused on the anthropological reasons for its supposed occurrence. In order to understand the true nature of cannibalism, it is necessary to examine it from a number of different perspectives. First, the historical evidence indicating that it took place must be carefully analyzed and interpreted. Second, the different forms of cannibalism must be identified and defined, and examples of their historical presence must be cited. Lastly, the motives of each type need to be explained, detailing the various tendencies of cannibalistic peoples and their practices. Only then will the appropriate significance of cannibalism and its existence become clear."
Abstract This paper discusses the evidence for cannibalism among homo erectus and other Late Pleistocene hominids. The paper reviews Chinese and Spanish sites in detail in order to weigh the evidence for cannibalism. The author concludes that they do in fact prove that it happened.
From the Paper "Everything we know about ourselves ends in mystery. Of course we are intimately familiar with the circumstances of our daily lives as individual human beings. We know our faces, bodies, activities, friends and family ..."
This paper examines the horror film genre, also known as realist horror, while focusing on two specific films, "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer."
Abstract This paper analyzes the realist horror genre in film. The realist horror genre was spearheaded by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1960 film "Psycho." Horror films proliferated throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in Hollywood. Most of these films used comedy to portray killings, veering away from realism. The writer of this paper contends that the realist aspect of actual human killers is enough to leave lingering fears long after the viewing has ended. This paper focuses on this particular style of filmmaking, in which the approach is to focus on the killer rather than victim, resulting in terrifying the viewing audience. This well-researched paper notes the similarities and differences in "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer." This paper describes how both films leave the viewer with a lingering thought and fear of the real world. Specifically, fear of the horrific possibilities. "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" is based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. The movie follows the daily life of Henry, beginning with aftermath shots of freshly murdered victims juxtaposed with images of Henry. This illustrates to the audience that Henry is indeed a bona-fide serial killer. "The Blair Witch Project" is a far cry from the typical slasher film. It uses an entirely different approach to realist horror. The film is shown as a documentary and the actors are not actors at all, but real victims captured on video.
From the Paper "The presentation style changes only during the murder scenes. The pictures are graphic and almost too gory to be real. One woman is seen with a bottle shoved into her throat and the electronics salesman's head goes through a television picture tube - just before the television is plugged in - electrocuting him. Background electric guitar is also present mostly during the build up to a murder. It is not overdone and avoids appearing out of place. Rather, it helps the viewer realize something important in happening. Overall the film does achieve a realism most slasher films cannot approach. This purposeful use of a home-movie style subtly reminds the viewer that the onscreen events are based in truth. Blair Witch takes the realist style one step further by using the camera as a prop in the film. The viewer is constantly reminded that an off-screen character is behind the lens."
Abstract Many horror movies musical techniques are discussed in this paper. The writer shows how this music effects the audience's viewing experience and builds up hype and expectations. Different styles are discussed - creepy, tense, supernatural, fear etc.
From the Paper "To fully utilize sound in a film it must be more than just neat sound effects added in as an after thought. The first crews to utilize this new mind set was the ever famous team of Ben Burtt and Walter Murch in Star Wars and then again in Apocalypse Now. They realized that the sound shaped the picture as much as the picture shaped the sound. The result was a powerful effect that forever changed the way sound is used in a film (Thom, 1999). It takes more than loud, high fidelity, and well executed sound effects to make a great movie. The soundtrack must be integrated into the entire film as a whole. It should enhance and change as the mood changes. In this way the soundtrack becomes a valuable part of the team (Thom, 1999). Many directors overlook the potential that sound has in storytelling and often do not consider it in relation to the other elements of the film. This philosophy embraces the idea that good sound embraces and is considered by the other crafts, as well. It is not just a product of the other crafts."
Abstract This paper examines Lovecraft's writings and compares them to Poe's. The writer shows how Poe was the first true writer of horror stories but how Lovecraft based his genre on Poe and adapted it in a way he thought his readers would respond. The paper mentions several of their works and compares and contrasts them.
From the Paper "Horror writers use several tactics to prey on the human psyche and produce what the readers want, fear. Readers of horror writing want to feel their skin crawl and feel a building sense of tension. Horror writing has undergone several steps in evolution from its beginnings. The first true horror writer to prey on the depths of the human unconscious was Edgar Allen Poe. H.P Lovecraft used the style of Poe, however added another step to scare his readers. Modern writers have built further on Lovecraft to produce the modern horror genre. It is the use the element of the unknown, introduced by Lovecraft that has led to the development of the modern horror genre."
Abstract This three-page undergraduate-level paper discusses cannibalism in 1846 along the Oregon Trail. The experience of the Donner Party is examined in order to resolve the issue of whether or not cannibalism is ever justified.
Abstract The essay "Of Cannibals" is a narrative prose by 16th Century French writer, Michel de Montaigne, describing the culture of a South American tribe (Native Americans). In it, Montaigne compares the Native American tribe's society and culture with that of Western society. This paper discusses and enumerates these comparisons between the two societies, as well as describes in detail the different social customs and lifestyles of the cannibalistic group. A comparison and analysis of the differences between the two societies in Montaigne's point of view is made for further understanding of the author's objective, that is, to criticize Western society of its conservative and strict compliance to dogmatic beliefs that continually plague the people from Western societies. Thus, Montaigne analyzes "barbarism" and "civilization" in context of the two societies.
From the Paper "The act of war and cannibalism in this tribe is one important comparison of Montaigne to the Europeans. The author justifies the tribe's barbarism and cannibalism through several explanations. According to him, barbarism, or the act of war popular among tribes people, is one of the two important articles taught in their society, that is, valor towards their enemies or "resolution in war." Cannibalism is said to be done not "for nourishment", because cannibalism for the tribes people is an "extreme form of vengeance." Montaigne justifies this "barbarous horror of so cruel an action" by comparing the tribe's cannibalism with that of "cannibalism" in Western society. For him, the tribe's cannibalism is much more honorable and just, since the prisoner is killed first and only eaten when he was already dead. The Western society, on the other hand, practices a more "barbarous" act of cannibalism because, as Montaigne had described, "[I] conceive there is more barbarity in eating a man alive, than when he is dead... in tearing a body limb from limb by racks and torments... among neighbors and fellow-citizens... under color of piety and religion...""
Tags: skepticism, humanist, movement, Antarctic, France, Polygamy
An examination of how William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest" is a direct criticism of the perspectives of Michal de Montaigne in his essay, "Of Cannibals."
Abstract This paper compares William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest" and Michal de Montaigne's essay, "Of Cannibals," in which they explore the barbaric man in his natural environment and the detrimental effects the moral man's artificially civilized society has upon it. The paper shows how Shakespeare's play is a direct criticism of the perspectives of Montaigne in his essay.
From the Paper "The contrast between the priorities of the natural world and civilization brings out the weak characteristics of nature. Caliban's actions are guided by his innate practicality to emphasize on necessity, whereas the moral man is theoretically driven more so by moral concerns. This notion is apparent when Caliban attempts to "rape" Miranda. Prospero accuses Caliban when he says: "...Thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child." Caliban rebuts Prospero's accusation by stating: "O ho, O ho! Would't have been done!/ Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else/ This isle with Calibans. (I.ii. 347-349) Caliban justifies his actions with the imperative need to proliferate his race, which is part of his nature. However, Prospero and Miranda perceive this brutish act as savage and immoral. And in doing so, validate their superiority and exploitation of Caliban."
Abstract This paper provides an insight into horror films, from the classics such as "Psycho" to the psychological thrill of "The Silence of the Lambs". It examines the history of the horror film from the first film directed by Georges Melies in 1896 and its development through the period of silent and black-and-white movies to the technological effects of the 21st century. It also attempts to analyze their attraction for people and how the fear and loathing, as well as the almost guilty enjoyment experienced in a movie theater filled with gore lovers, are human psychological needs.
Outline
The Classics
The Psychological Need
The History of the Horror Film
Conclusion
From the Paper ""Psycho" is seen by many horror fans as the ultimate horror film. Hitchcock plays with the idea of identity and involvement. The viewer is expected to feel drawn into the world of Norman Bates. The suggestion is also that the viewer's identity is not as important as his or her emotional involvement in the plot. The film universalizes the idea of monstrosity in each individual. It mirrors the audience's wickedness and guilt back at the audience by means of the ordinary and unassuming Norman. The implication is that everybody has a dark side. The monster therefore appears to have moved closer and closer with the development of the horror film. And now it is inside. Or now its existence is recognized. The monster is no longer something that looks hideous. Instead he or she is as human-looking as everyone else."
Tags: psych, vampires, dracula, frankenstein, stephen, king
Abstract How protagonists face death & horror in three stories. Examines Edgar Allan Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, H. P. Lovecroft's THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE, Stephen King's THE RAFT. Poe's use of atmosphere to creat a sense of horror. Lovecroft's use of color as a character to build the tone of horror. King's use of gore in telling his story.
From the Paper "All fiction is fantasy and takes place in the realm of the imagination. Fantasy and Science Fiction, however, as genres of fiction, contain themes about quests that take the reader farther abroad in the realm of imagination as the protagonist travels through fear and impending death to the goal of his/her quest. In Dark Fantasy (also known as Horror), a sub-genre of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the quest is about the confrontation of the protagonist with fear and death (Roberts, 2001, p. 31). The protagonist does not always survive this crisis. This paper will explore how Edgar Allan Poe, Howard Phillips (H. P.) Lovecraft and Stephen King describe the quest of the protagonist through death and horror in their short stories "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Colour Out of Space," and "The Raft."
Poe uses atmosphere, rather than gore, to create a visceral..."
Abstract This paper reviews the book 'Hearths of Darkness: The Family in the American Horror Film' by Tony Williams.
According to the paper, Williams opens the book with "For most people, 'family' is a code word that expresses their hopes for a long-term loving and committed relationship. It is this that people yearn for, and this yearning represents a positive and hopeful fact" (Williams 14-15). The paper discusses how the primary theme of Williams' book is that it is precisely this idealization of the family that the American horror film genre deliberately subverts through its representation of the family as being at least complicit, if not directly the ultimate source, of much of the violence and horror within our culture.
Abstract This paper examines the genre of horror movies with focus on the movie "The Exorcist". The author provides detailed analysis o the film, its events and characters and explains how and why this film falls into the category of horror genre films arousing images and superstitions and reflecting thoughts from our psyches and our personal and social world.
From the Paper "Horror is genre that can be defined under certain character types and story elements. The horror movies can be supernatural, biological or psychological. It can take place almost anywhere. The horror film becomes a reflection of the fears of the audience who cannot face the reality or fears that they have in their life. In the horror films they see a method to face their fears. It is a function by which reality is transformed into fantasy and faced with bravado. The horror genre projects images of our superstitions as the points of focus: our own psyches, science and technology, pain, death, the dead and all forms of hostile forces which may at any moment intrude upon our patched up social and personal worlds. Thus, they are most feared and most appreciated. The Exorcist was one such movie."
Abstract Examines the reasons why horror and vampire stories and films are popular and the visual artistry necessary for outstanding horror films, such as "Dead of the Night" and "Nosferatu."
From the Paper "In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad's protagonist's final words are "Oh, the horror! The horror!" This sums up the public's fascination with horror movies. However, "horror was . . .an established literary genre long before Edison turned..."
This paper examines plot and character development as well as the creative process involved in various horror films and focuses on how 'slasher' films have changed from the 1970s to the present.
Abstract The writer of this paper evaluates the horror film industry and discusses how story plots and characters are created. This paper alludes to the constantly advancing and improving computer generated visual effects that are practically a requirement in these types of films. This paper also examines how issues of sexuality and morality are incorporated into these types of movies and how the horror film genre has drastically changed from the 1970s to the present. Several films discussed in this paper include: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Leatherface" and "Friday the 13th."
From the Paper "The horror films of the past were simpler, had a single-minded direction and probably did not have today's pressure to make a lot of money. Many of these films were original in thought, contained a creative element lost in much of today's horror. Today, the pressure is to show a lot of blood and gore, the more explicit, the better. There often appear the same themes and character roles over and over again.
In the past the "monster" is seen in numerous scenes by the film's characters without it being at that point a threat to the character."
Abstract This paper explains that traditional Christian morals play a large part in the modern horror film genre with religious iconography almost equally represented as a righteous force. The unspoken rule of horror films, the paper points out, is that the most morally virtuous character usually survives in the film the longest. Slasher films, such as "The Exorcist", "Dracula" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street", the paper states, grew out of stories from the Bible and classics, such as Dante's Inferno.
From the Paper "What really is the vampire but a representation of our societies repressed sexual desires, what are zombies but the upper class fear of the scourge of the underclass? When questions of morality are boxed into a context as black and white as evil vs. good, a very dangerous delineation can occur. The power of moral ideology being dispensed on the big screen to audiences across the globe cannot be ignored. Such simplicity in story content acts as an excellent vehicle for the proliferation of these messages to the middle class, non-cultured Americans."
