Carroll's Persuasive Essay: The Nature Of Horror

Noël Carroll wrote the persuasive argument named “The Nature of Horror” and was included in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. The argument is trying to persuade people that Carroll’s definition of what horror really is and that horror is a major source of aesthetic stimulation. I agree with what Carroll is trying to argument. It is a well organized and structured essay with its strength being the examples that are used and its weakness being how it is not persuasive. “The Nature of Horror” describes the concept of art-horror and why people are into the genre of horror. Carroll explains what he thinks makes horror, horror. Carroll does this by explaining misconceptions and vague terms like when he explains how we can make horror without monsters (52) or when he explains the meaning of impure (55). Carroll brings popular horror icons to prove his point

The essay starts out with a good thesis, which shown in the first paragraph when Carroll says “ horror has flourished as a major source of mass aesthetic stimulation” (Carroll 51). The essay has is clearly going for a specific audience. The essay’s audience is supposed to be for art-horror professionals as the essay is from The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism and constantly mentions art-horror. The essay uses a lot of evidence to support his thesis. Carroll brings up the opposition to his point of view when he brings up the multiple theories on why horror effect us; he brings up Pretend Theory and Illusion Theory before bringing up the theory he agrees with it, the Thought Theory (56). Carroll brings up common ground by mentioning the films that many people know, like when he mentions Dracula and “Ancient Sorceries” (51). Carroll was able to organize his essay so that everything connects and is clear. Lastly, Carroll uses a informative tone to spread the information that he