When I say "scary kids", I do not mean the students within your classroom! I am referring to the main characters in horror movies or stories being children. Last week, I viewed the 1980s film version of The Changeling. Though Joseph - the child doing the haunting for those of you who have not seen the movie - was only shown through flashbacks, his presence was still utterly terrifying. Now that is a scary kid: one who can perturb you without actually even being seen. After viewing this movie, I went on to read "The Wind in the Rose Bush" and "The Lost Ghost" by Mary Wilkins Freeman. I would definitely suggest tying all three of these together in the classroom to make comparisons of a haunting through child characters. Now here comes another thing that will make you squirm: making sure each of your students actually views the movie and reads the stories!
Finding the time and the means to view movies and use sources outside of a standard curriculum can be difficult for a teacher in a high school classroom. This can become even more complicated due to standardized testing (another scary presence in the classroom!) and being on the brink of springtime and warm weather. Both students and teachers begin to get a bit stir-crazy from the winter's cabin fever and are ready to let loose. Though this may seem like quite the task, I am here to let you know that it CAN be done!
For those of you who are reading as future teachers or are new to the profession, it is imperative for you to remember that not all students in your class will have access to a computer or the Internet. Though it may seem that in this day and age that every teenager and pre-teen on the planet is completely obsessed and able to obtain some form of social media, this is not always the case. Using this sort of aesthetic awareness is critical for utilizing movies or any sort of media successfully in a classroom. My suggestion would be to allot a day for everyone to watch the movie during class time. If this cannot be done all in one day, have the students jot down some notes during the movie to remind themselves of the plot line over the course of time that the movie is being watched. A plot refresher is always helpful. Though this may sound a little corny, having the students bring snacks or even bringing popcorn yourself never fails to entice students to watch a movie in class.
Setting up the frame for what you want your students to look for will also be helpful in assisting their thought process about Gothic literature. Tell them that you want them make note of each child character, because every reader can skip over important comparisons such as these without even knowing otherwise.
As for my experience with The Changeling, I am feeling more horror stricken than I have thus far in my studies of Gothic literature and film. I immediately pinpointed what petrified me the most - a child in the form a ghost is the main focus of all three plot lines. Why is this so common amongst those who read and view horror stories?
My first thought is that when viewing something that disturbs the routine of our everyday normalcy, we start to feel uncomfortable and intimidated by what we cannot explain. If one were to describe a child, the words "innocence", "playful", and "naive" may come to mind. People expect children to misbehave, but they expect this to come purely from innocence and naivety, rather than out of spite and revenge. People expect adults to to wretched things because we regularly hear stories of how adults have committed some horrendous crime. It is the unexpected deviousness of a child that gets under our skin. Can anyone think of any other films where children are featured that completely scares you out of your wits?
My second thought is that in both of these stories by Mary Wilkins Freeman and The Changeling all feature children who were neglected by their parents, which adds to an already unsettling feeling. Rather than feeling suspense during the plot, it fills the reader with curiosity, and even a little sadness. Children are helpless without their parents, and it is unfathomable to many that people can abuse or neglect their spawn.
I would think that I, personally, would be more fearful when an adult is featured in a horror story such as these because we know that adults are capable of these types of atrocities. Would you agree? Is it more frightening to watch movies with suspense featuring adults? Or is it more uncomfortable when a small, creepy child seems to be tugging at your heart strings?
Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteYou do ask a very thought provoking question that may unnerve a few people. It's probably a harder question for people who have kids to ask themselves. Having kids is something that can be an unbelievable thing at times is also a gateway for untold fears.
What is it about seeing kids doing these hauntings that's so "scary" ? Perhaps it's because we have this idea of innocence that accompanies every child and that they haven't been "corrupted" or exposed to the good by also harsher realities of existence ? Maybe seeing children killed before their time to fully experience life comes ?
Children are in many senses, the future of the human race. I wonder if it's us actually seeing our future destroyed in the form of children dying that's so disheartening and why it's creepy to see children in horror movies. In the titles where children are neglected or scorned because of some feature that wasn't their fault, like you said potentially fill the viewer/reader with sadness. It's sad to see a child who was loved die, it's tragic to see a child die who wasn't loved.
I like what you've done with the ideas here, Samantha. There's stronger potential for people to ask themselves some hard questions with the tone of the voice you use. That's a nice sign. Keep at it !
Hi Aust!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to gather what I was trying to convey to the audience in regards to why ghosts that take the form of children are much more disturbing than adults in the grand scheme of Gothic literature.
I wholeheartedly agree with your point that it is equally sad to see an unloved or a loved child die. This definitely ties in with the innocence children are associated with. Seeing a life taken before it was fully-lived is definitely hard to wrap your head around as an adult. This gives adults a grim outlook for the future when they see the future of the human race taken from them in the blink of an eye.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hey Samantha,
ReplyDeleteJust to answer your question: it is definitely far more unsettling when a child is doing the haunting, just my opinion however. I feel like adults are expected to be awful sometimes. And, like you said, with the innocence ND naivety of children, they are never expected to act in such ways. I'm sure you know this, but a big part of the classroom is having the students relating to whatever book, poem, short story, or, in this case, movie that you are currently teaching. As a future teacher, I was curious, how would you be able to have students relate to such a disturbing thing such as child hauntings? Would you use certain activities or assignments? Another fantastic post. Keep it up!
-Sean
Hi Sean!
DeleteI am VERY glad you asked about what I would use for the class to relate to child hauntings. I got so wrapped up in explaining how to obtain materials and talking about the pieces themselves I completely forgot to add that in! I will edit this and let you know where I put the classroom activity in this blog post.