To what extent can mad and scary works have moral meanings ?

Enseignement de spécialité LLCER anglais ou espagnol – classe de terminale [pic 1]

Texte de référence : Note de service du 23-7-2020, BO spécial n° 7 du 30 juillet

Problématique : To what extent can mad and scary works have moral meanings in imaginary worlds ?

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« The horror genre has historically been the focus of several moral panics, most recently revolving around films in the “torture porn” subgenre, and before that around “video nasties,” rape-revenge films, and splatter movies. However, there is no research to support a concern that horror fans are immoral or that horror films make people unempathetic or sadistic. Horror films are more morally complex than many critics have assumed, and the relationship between horror films and moral psychology is also more complex than critics have assumed. Studies have also shown that horror films may actually be associated with a decrease in real-world violence. Moreover, horror films (with their roots in cautionary tales) are often moralizing, but their effects on viewers’ moral compasses may be limited. » Mathias Clasen, Oxford academic,August 2021

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Intro :

It was while studying works on the theme of the scary imagination that I had the idea of linking them to the moral aspect they can bring. As we shall see, these works, in spite of their appearance, in fact hide many morals that are more or less hidden. We can then ask ourselves to what extent can mad and scary works have moral meanings?

I. They can reveal human vices

a) consciousness

First, these works can reveal human vices ,as consciousness. For example, there are many elements to The Tell-Tale Heart that make it a story of moral teaching. The narrator in this short story is nameless, as well as the old man, the police officers, and neighbor. The intentional ambiguity here creates a lack of ownership of the story, thus allowing anybody to take on the role of the “madman”. The lesson of morality can be applied to everyone. Additionally, the many confusing and unreliable remarks made by the narrator force the reader to have their own point of view about what kind of morality Poe is trying to communicate. If you have any kind of conscience at all, the evil that you've done is going to bother you. You may successfully be able to hide it from everybody else , but it'll always be there in your head. You will know what you've done. You can't really run away from yourself. The truth will be there, whether you deal with it or not.

An other example in the picture of Dorian Grey : Dorian Gray, a handsome young man, decides to pose for his painter friend to paint his portrait. Very vain, and obsessed with his own image, Gray is then fascinated by the result of the painting: so much so, that he feels an irrational jealousy for the representation of himself. He hopes that he will retain his eternal youth while the painting ages at his place. His wish comes true. But Gray commits many crimes and sins and causes the suicide of his future wife, murders his painter friend, and lives in fear that his secret will be discovered. His picture then gradually changes, depicting monstrous being. After several years of living in turmoil, Dorian Gray finally turns against the painting and sticks a knife into it... He then dies as a hideous old man, while the painting has regained its original appearance...

The question that Oscar Wilde asks is whether a man can live without reason or conscience, do evil and indulge in vices without remorse, in the pursuit of pleasure, disconnected from reality and the knowledge of living in society.

-And finally, The Handmaid's Tale is also about consciousness, but more in the sense that we need to be aware of the progress that still needs to achieve a fully egalitarian society, but also about the fundamental freedoms that are sometimes not respected for women in some countries.

b) Cruelty

- Moreover, cruelty is very present in the scary fantasy world and it allows to show the human vice in all its splendour. This is obviously the case in the tell-tale heart. The assassin shows severe cruelty. From the preparation of his evil plan to the execution, the reader easily perceives his strong desire for murder. His act is barbaric and cruel. Thus, cruelty is demonstrated here through the murder of the old man.

- In The Fall of the House of Usher, the cruelty is less visible, you have to dig deep into your brain to perceive it. One of the theories about this Poe novella is that Roderick and Madeline had an incestuous relationship. It seems to be implied by the strange attachment between them. The brother is sick, depressed and just horrible. The sister is dying. In my head, the two of them were dying because they were a product of incest. The reason why the brother was so beside himself is because he didn’t want that life anymore. Here, then, cruelty is demonstrated by the incest that eventually eats away at the characters and makes them die.