Metacognitive Monsters

Students will write a comparative essay critiquing the literary styles of two authors and their use of fear as a thematic focus. They will support their central claim with evidence from at least one film from class, one story from class and one film of their own choosing. Through the study of film and literature students will explore varying aspects of fear in order to better understand how artists create a sense of fear in their audience. By the end of the unit, students will recognize differences between irrational and rational fear, identify insidious and didactic uses of fear in society, film, and literature, evaluate creativity and the “horror” genre, understand the cultural and social limits of acceptability in modern film (in terms of viscera and theme), question gratuitous gore and its desensitizing function in society, identify common metaphors, appreciate complex metaphors, and employ metaphorical language in expository writing.  Students will also participate in a graded oral discussion and produce an original film.