Stephen King is a man who knows his horror. He is a prolific author in the field, and is very well known and respected. A good reason for his masterful writing is that he powerfully employs his rhetoric to work for him. In most cases, his rhetoric emphasizes his points on his arguments and helps get them further across. He is also is fully aware of his audience and the situation for which he is writing. In his piece “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, Stephen King illustrates the modes by which horror movies are entertaining through his use of metaphors, repetition, and tone.

            King’s metaphors compare abstract ideas in order to make his arguments more relatable. King states that “[The] horror film has become the modern version of public lynching.” Most people do not have a very hard opinion on horror films. However, when King compares them to a public lynching (because we are paying to go watch someone die), it is very easy to have a hard opinion on the topic. Public lynching is widely seen as cruel and unusual, so many people have the same hard opinion. In using these metaphors, King rallies everyone to his side and helps people better understand his argument that we are all insane, especially for wanting to go to a public lynching.

            King’s repetition emphasizes his arguments. King repeatedly said words that were similar to insane, or have the same connotation. When King keeps on saying these words, he builds up a state of mind in the reader that might go something like “some of these words relate to me.” In doing so, King causes the reader to better relate to his argument that we are all a little insane, because we all can relate to one of his words that mean insane that he has repeatedly said.

            King’s tone also helps him emphasize his argument that we all have a dark side. His words, overall, tend to have a little bit of a sinister bite to them. When he says things like “we must keep the gators fed” when referencing people, it is a little disturbing. So, by calling people gators, he makes himself seem like he has a dark side. It is always easier to agree with an author when you can relate with them. So, by bringing his own dark side out into the light, he makes it easier to relate to him and agree with his arguments.

            Rhetoric is a wonderful tool when put in the proper hands. King has the proper hands to utilize such a powerful force so effectively. He is able to speak his mind and say his opinions and arguments, and at the same time he can support his arguments and opinions just by how he presents his work. In this case, King supported his arguments with his tone, his repetition of “crazy” words, and his metaphors. By presenting his arguments in such a way, King better asserts his thesis that we like to watch horror movies because we are a little insane, we are a little dark, and the movies are a little fun (in a certain way).