A Well-Supported Causal Analysis: Using Examples and Comparisons

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 Analyze 
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In writing about horror movies, you might expect King to provide a lot of examples of the genre or to go into detail about one or two particularly memorable films. But, interestingly, King names only two films, neither of which is that memorable. By limiting the number and only referring to them briefly, King leaves a lot of space for readers to fill with their own favorite horror movies.

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a couple of paragraphs analyzing and evaluating the examples and comparisons King uses to support his argument and the films that come to mind for you:

  1. In addition to horror movies, King gives several other examples. Find one or two of them, and consider how well they confirm his thesis that we all harbor anticivilization emotions.
  2. King also compares horror movies to various other things, such as roller coasters (par. 2). Skim the essay, highlighting the comparisons King makes. Then, consider how they help support his causal argument.
  3. Taken together, how effective are the examples and comparisons as support for King’s analysis? What examples did you think of as you read? How would the reading have been different had King supplied more examples of horror films?

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