Blog Post #4 – Theory

The very word 'theory' may sound abstract and intimidating, but it needn’t be. At its simplest, applying theory in your critical analyses means that you are taking a concept from one of the readings and demonstrating how it works in a particular film or scene. As you know, this is what we’ve already been doing to a limited degree in our blog posts. Spectatorship, the gaze, identification, gender, the Other, the abject, the uncanny, sadism and masochism, the monstrous-feminine, the Oedipal complex, castration anxiety, patriarchy, genrification, reflexive narration – all of these are theoretical concepts that the readings have argued are keys to how various horror films work.

By now you’ve probably got some idea of the subject of your final paper. For your last blog I want you to take one of these concepts and explain its relevance to your topic in your own words. This is the chance for you to really think about what’s working beneath the surface of your scene/film/films that creates the intended effect, and apply the best theory for the occasion. You might not agree entirely with the theory or the author’s argument, or you might want to expand on certain of the author’s ideas and revise the theory to accommodate your insights. Of course, you can simply apply the theoretical concept to your topic, too, but you must do this with respect to something the author hasn’t already said. In other words, you can use Sobchack to write about The Brood or Deep Red, but if you use Sobchack to write about The Shining, don’t just reiterate her arguments – you need to use her ideas to help explore new territory and formulate your own ideas.

As always this entry can potentially work together with your earlier entries to compose part of a rough draft for your final essay. This assignment may or may not be an extension of your earlier analyses. In any case, explaining the theoretical component should take up at least half of your blog post. For the rest, you may write about the same scene, film, or topic from earlier posts, or you can change your focus to something else entirely. Your blog entry must be at least 500 words and posted by 6pm Nov. 13th. If you experience any technical difficulty, email the text to your T.A. (nicole.gartner@stonybrook.edu) by the deadline. Late assignments will not be accepted.