Vizcarra 1

Andrew Vizcarra
Professor Malvin
English 114A
30 November 2015
Final Essay III
The natural instinct of the human brain is to react to scary movies as in the event that they
were real, with their extensive use of blood and creepy, scary, dark, colors that lead into a
sketchy hallway. Riggs depicts the idea with reference to horror through his novel with
gruesomely vivid and descriptive text that stimulate the mind both through literature and visuals.
This has allowed the reader to connect with the text in a more relatable way through its linkage
in use of descriptions of nasty, horrible figures that can only be pictured in that of a modern day
horror or gore film. Simultaneously, with the select few pictures that have been provided in
Riggs novel, Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children , it shows how the shapes and color
tones in each picture can have the ability to deeply affect the readers mind emotionally.
In Riggs novel, Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, we follow a young man by
the name of Jacob, who deeply admires his grandfather Abe. Abe was a man with an interesting
background starting by fighting wars with monsters, living in an orphanage, and even
performing in a circus. Jacobs grandfather at all times, had always grabbed his full attention with
these unreal, and fantasy-like stories that came with jaw dropping photos. All of the interesting
stories Abe would tell Jacob were in regards to these peculiar children. These children were
invisible with mouths in the wrong parts of their face, and could do things that only can be done
through the supernatural. Throughout the novel Jacob is on a journey in order to finding the

Vizcarra 2
home his grandfather talked about before his passing in Jacobs arms due to a tentacle armed
monster. After this event he ventures off with his father and finds himself in Miss Peregrines
home where he meets these peculiar children and learns to understand the life they live in called
"the time loop". While Jacob continues this adventure of time warp and mysterious creatures, he
grows in order to find himself as a person while being able to help the lives of others in a time
that he can never return from.
It is easy to say that the majority of scary movies can grab ones attention, and pull them
into a fantasy world of being chased by their favorite axe-wielding murderer, while screaming as
if it was real. In the event it's not real, then why do our bodies respond as if it is? "Along the
lines of bungee jumping or riding roller coasters, the films can give you a physical charge. On
the occasion of one watching a thriller, the body releases a surge of adrenaline, followed by a
blast of endorphins; the heart races, blood pressure rises and pupils dilate" (Sentinel). This
reaction to horror in movies/literature seeks the attention of thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies
due to the fact that it makes their body feel good. Relatable in the Riggs novel, its use of scary
descriptive writing can still induce mind boggling images that create the same effect horror
movies do. The image of the character Miss Peregrine is unknown until such time as the reader is
exposed to word such as, "She was dressed head to toe in black, her hair pinned in a perfectly
round knot atop her head, with lace gloves and a high-collared blouse fastened tightly at her
throat-as fastidiously neat as the house itself" (146). Readers can easily be influenced with the
use of vivid imagery and dark style literacy in order to create a horror movie like tone.
According to Molly Bang's, Picture This; How Pictures Work, "Shapes and colors affect
us emotionally" (Bang). This statement is one to truly believe in simply because of the fact that
it makes sense. For example, would a man with nasty teeth scare someone? It might gross

Vizcarra 3
someone out if they were to add dark red blood to his teeth. This addition of color can
simultaneously add words such as death, killer, or monster. Very much everything that people
have been scared of since they were children. Also such simple things such as depth, which has
been provided in a several few photos in the novel can depict power between objects. The, "sense
of depth is accomplished simply by means of arranging the pieces so that the thinner they are, the
higher up on the page their bases are placed"(Bang). Depth allows smaller objects to stand out
and possess a scarier tone. For example, when I was a kid I at all times would dread the sight of
walking through the woods and seeing an unknown figure or "monster" standing still in the
distance trying to compete with me in a stare off. In spite of the fact that, that had always given
me goose bumps. An example stated in Riggs novel states, "It was time before I realized that
these tentacle-mawed abominations were in fact our wayward brothers, crawled for the smoking
crater left behind by their experiment" (260). It can be seen how the proper use of wording and
terminology has created a horror like visual with objects as well to show a sense of environment
within this scene.
It can continuously be seen in Riggs novel the use of words in to promote the feeling of
depth and shape in order to effect the readers emotions and thoughts. One scene begins by
describing, "The trees parted like a curtain and suddenly there it was, cloaked in fog, looming
atop a weed-choked hill" (82). The vivid imagery in this sentence develop a great sense of depth
between these objects of nature and help the reader understand the scene that trying to be
depicted by means of the writer. A sentence said by Jacob that catches readers attention says,
"Then I came around back and saw my opportunity: a door less doorway, bearded with vines,
gaping and black; an open mouth just waiting to swallow me" (84). Also along with the idea of
depth, the use of "diagonal lines gives a feeling of movement or tension to the picture" (Bang).

Vizcarra 4
Such simple things such as shapes or position can greatly affect how the mind absorbs emotions
to a picture. Even such a simple idea of shapes ends being pointed convey a more frightening
tone than the calming rounded edges of a shape
When people watch horror films or read creepy novels such as Miss Peregrines Home for
Peculiar Children, what continues this constant craving of wanting to watch or read more? The
human brain has been noted to want to watch horror movies so that It can adapt and be more
easily acceptable to the fact of dangerous situations and even death. Horror movies market fear
and suspense of the unknown to ignite fear in the viewers mind and mind. The most affected task
in the body by these toe curling murder films is the heart rate. Blood will tend to pump and flow
quicker as if someone is chasing you to your death. Increased heart rate will always be a side
effect of fear, while "increased heart rate, with fear, also goes hand in hand with increased
respiration rate - to get as much oxygen into the body as possible in preparation for either fleeing
or fighting whatever's scaring you" (Thorpe). Along with increased blood flow, muscles also tend
to become very tense. As said in Thorpe's article, What Happens To Your Body Watching A
Horror Film, "Muscle tension, is as anybody who's ever had panic attacks attest, one of the
body's most easily noticeable signs of significant fear" (Thorpe). It can be agreed with how going
to a horror film does actually put the human body under a lot of physical and psychological
stress, simply because one is putting themselves into what feels like a life-threatening situation.
Likewise with muscle tension, it is linked to hormones such a cortisol to sky rocket when
viewing or reading a horror film or novel. Release of cortisol can tend to be bad because it is
linked to, "the rise of bad memories from the past and even depression" (Thorpe).
Other symptoms that can be linked to the viewing of gruesome horror movies and creepy
tales is the movement of the eyes. This is seems to be more specific in the situation of watching

Vizcarra 5
movies. "Horror films are often calibrated to keep your eyes moving, with lots of cut frames and
frantic editing, to enhance the feeling of panic and claustrophobia" (Thorpe). This seems to make
sense simply because the reaction of quick eye movement evidently is a beneficial trait to be able
to help us track the "enemy" or threat. Additionally, the most noticeable reaction to fear and
stress is adrenalin. Adrenaline is, "the trigger for the fight-or flight response, the enormous rush
that leaves you panicky and, supposedly, ready for anything" (Thorpe). Some people tend to find
pleasure from the release of adrenaline, while others don't. For some, a release or burst of
adrenaline can result in a short feeling of pleasure and even energy or alertness. Lastly, but a
interesting idea behind the effects people can feel when watching or reading anything scary is
everyone's actual genetics. Yes, genetics link perfectly to how much one has a tolerance to scary
thoughts and images. Research has even been done in 2008," University of Bonn researchers
found something distinct in the genetics, and therefore brain chemistry, of people who scare very
easily" (Thorpe). It is said that if one has two copies of a specific gene they are more likely and
susceptible to being upset or disturbed to scary movies, images, and readings. It is amazing how
the human body responds in many different ways in reaction to feeling scared and thrilled
through movies perfect use of colors and editing, and literatures use of descriptive words or tone.
Some watch horror movies for the thrill and adrenaline rush, while some read literature
for the thrill and adrenaline rush. It is most compelling to understand the true influence how that
proper shapes and colors can set a tone that can cause someone to be scared or have goosebumps.
Riggs, Bang, Sentinel, and Thorpe all have connected in various ways in that they depict and
explain horror that perfectly draw the viewer and reader with methods that only the human brain
can have the ability to process.

Vizcarra 6
Works Cited
Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. New York: SeaStar Books, 2000.
Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk, 2011.
Print.
Thorpe, JR. "Bustle." Bustle. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
"WHY WE LOVE SCARY MOVIES." Orlando Sentinel: F2. Aug 27 2000. ProQuest. Web. 23
Nov. 2015 .

Vizcarra 7
Evaluation Letter
My writing process started off the with idea of filling up my five pages with meaningful
paragraphs that all relate and link back to the thesis. This step can sometimes be overlooked or
misunderstood in essays, so I focused on making sure all the details, quotes, and ideas link back
to the main idea and thesis of this essay. My strength I believe in this essay was linking all the
ideas back to thesis with proper and meaningful quotes from the book. My weakness at first was
getting length to the essay, but after visiting the LRC and meeting with an amazing tutor who
was actually apart of Malvin's English course at one point helped me so much and I could not be
more thankful! This essay was fun to write and was very beneficial to helping me fine tune my
writing and reading skills.