A Well-Presented Subject: Reframing the Subject for Readers

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 Analyze 
Use the basic features.

Writers try to present their subjects in an intriguing way that makes readers wonder about it. To do so, they typically frame or reframe their subjects, emphasizing new ways of looking at and understanding them. How does King make room for his less predictable causes and convince readers to go along for the ride?

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a couple of paragraphs analyzing and evaluating how King reframes his subject:

  1. The title suggests that the subject of this essay is horror movies, but the key term in the title is the word “crave.” Look up the verb crave and the related noun craving to see what they mean. Also highlight some of the other words and phrases King associates with the appeal of horror movies, such as “mentally ill” and “hysterical fear” (par. 1). How do the words you highlighted relate to the word crave?
  2. Given these key terms, how would you describe the way King reframes the subject for readers? How do these key terms enable him to plant the seed of his main idea at the very beginning of the essay?

    Question