Essay on Literary Styles

In the book Why we crave horror movies Stephen King uses metaphors to support this thesis (King). The metaphors in this text are used to create a deeper understanding of how horror movies have an effect on people and the author explains the logic behind it. In an example, he states, we are all mentally ill, implying that it is irrational for one to pay money just to watch exaggerated and grotesque scenes in a movie theatre. He tries to make the reader understand that watching horror movies is similar to daring nightmares.

Using metaphors, the author creates a vivid image of his description of the effects of horror movies. He says, a really good horror movie may not surprise a scream out of us at some point the way we may scream when the roller coaster twists through a complete 360." With metaphors, Stephen King is able to personify emotions. For instance, he comments that "our emotions and our fears form their own body, and we recognize that it demands its exercise to maintain proper muscle tone." This metaphor personifies feelings in a way with which the reader can identify.

A single word is a style that is used in literature to develop a theme and support a thesis. This style has been used in On the importance of reading (Gioia). The word read is the centre of the author's essay. According to Dana, the reduction in reading has led to a decrease in good reading skills and consequently poor academic performance.

The repetition of the word read in this essay emphasizes the importance of the subject. The author mentions that the inability to read proficiently increases the probability of an individual not being employed and a downward spiral that leads to the criminal justice system. The author also gives statistics supporting this thesis.

Authors may use popular cultural trends to support their literature. The opinion on the culture can either be supportive or not and hence becomes the backbone of the essay. An example is the essay Can video games make you smarter (Or at least more flexible). Video games are popular, despite the fact that they have several negative associations in the media. Among these adverse effects include displays of aggressive tendencies and poor performance in school among gamers. The author contradicts this popular belief by stating, Not all effects of video games are bad, though (Markman). Hence, he builds the foundation of his thesis on the apparent positive contributions of the games.

To support his thesis, the author includes evidence from a paper that supports his thesis. The result of the experiment validates his claim. Being that one of the hallmarks of being smart is a display of flexibility, the author argues that video games boost one's ability to visualize an object in different perspectives and have many plausible possibilities at the same time.

Connotative words and terminologies are used in texts to emphasize the intensity of what is being addressed. In the essay How Facts Backfire, the author uses many connotative words to address the thesis. Curing misinformation has been used to mean that facts cannot correct an individuals misinformation (Keohane). Misinformation, in this case, is being perceived as a plague or a disease.

The author uses the terms twist facts and mankind may be crooked timber, introducing imagery in his work (Keohane). These descriptions give the reader a picture of that which the author references. The imagery also gives the essay a good flow while at the same time passing the intended message.

Works Cited

Gioia, Dana. "Why literature matters." 10 April 2005. The NewYork Times. 8 November 2017.

Keohane, Joe. "How Facts Backfire." 10 July 2010. boston.com. 8 November 2017.

King, Stephen. Why we crave horror movies. New York: Playboy, 1982.

Markman, Art. "Can Video Games Make You Smart( Or At Least More Flexible)." 9 August 2013. Psychology Today. 8 November 2017.