| As the most popular and prolific writer in today's America, Stephen King has always been the subject of considerable comment and controversy ever since his first novel Carrie was published in 1974. Some critics see him as a writer of"penny dreadful"whose book do"little more for humanity than keep the publishing industry afloat", while others regard him as the"king of horror fiction"whose writing is securely rooted in the great American tradition and contains profound moral truths---some beautiful, some harrowing---about our inner lives, which open up a new trend of the modern horror fiction. In November 2003, Stephen King received a life-time achievement medal from the National Book Foundation for his"distinguished contribution to American letters."This award put him in the rank of great authors of America, such as Saul Bellow, Arthur Miller and Toni Morrison and at the very least, gave the lie to the former claim.This essay aims to explore the specific artistic charm of Stephen King's horror fiction from the thematic perspective. Chapter one analyzes the reason why Stephen King chooses the horror genre as his own branch of artistic expression, namely, his particular life experience and the influence from gothic tradition. Chapter two focus on the horror revealed in King's fiction. He brings horror to our modern society, to our daily life. He portrays people's fear ---the unrepressed emotion which survives the Age of Reason---towards the death, the unknown and the uncertainty. He demonstrates to the reader that the horror originates not only from reality but, most of all, from our heart. Whether he is writing about illusion, vampire or evil spirit, Stephen King never stops emphasizing his essential liking for people. Humanity and hope are like the sparks twinkling in the darkness which lightens the road for us. This primary theme will be discussed in chapter three. Chapter four explores the everlasting charm of Stephen King's horror fiction in the aesthetic and psychological field. Finally comes the conclusion of this thesis.Through the exploration of the themes of King's fiction, this essay reveals the specific artistic charm in his work, provides the reader with a new view to interpret Stephen King's work and, and in some degree, helps to explain the prodigious popularity of Stephen King's fiction. |
