Instructions:Essay Structure Questions
Introduction: Setting an Existential Tone
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- What existential theme or question does this horror piece address (e.g., isolation, loss of identity, or fear of mortality)?
- How does a specific quote or scene from the work set the tone for this theme?
- What personal experience, fear, or memory relates to the themes in this work?
- How does your thesis statement connect this personal experience to a broader existential question explored in the horror piece?
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Personal Narrative: Connecting Experience with Existential Horror
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- Can you describe a specific experience or fear from your life that relates to the horror work’s themes of identity, mortality, or the unknown?
- How did this experience make you feel, and how do those feelings relate to the horror work?
- What specific emotions or insights can you connect between your experience and the themes in this horror work?
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Analytical Argument: Exploring Existential Themes
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- What existential themes does the horror piece explore, such as fear of death, questions of identity, or isolation?
- How do the characters, plot, and symbols reflect these themes?
- For instance, does a character’s transformation or isolation illustrate themes of self-doubt or fear of the unknown?
- How does your personal experience enhance your understanding of these themes in the horror work?
- What argument can you make about how this horror work challenges or deepens your own understanding of existential fears?
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Synthesis of Scholarly Sources
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- What scholarly perspectives can you find on existential themes in horror?
- Do any philosophers (e.g., Sartre, Camus) or psychological studies on fear and identity relate to your analysis?
- How do these scholarly sources help you interpret the existential questions in the horror work?
- Can you identify connections or contrasts between your personal experience, the horror piece, and the scholarly sources?
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Counterargument and Self-Reflection
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- Is there an alternative view that sees the horror work as entertainment rather than existential reflection? How would you respond to this perspective?
- How has analyzing this horror work changed or deepened your understanding of existential themes, such as identity, mortality, or isolation?
- What insights have you gained about yourself through this exploration of horror?
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Conclusion: Reflecting on the Power of Existential Horror
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- What are the main points that you would summarize to support your thesis?
- How can horror help us confront and process existential questions or fears?
- How has this analysis impacted your personal understanding of existential themes and the horror genre’s role in exploring the human experience?
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APA 7th Edition Formatting: Ensure that your essay is formatted in APA style, including a title page, in-text citations, and a reference page for a minimum of seven scholarly sources.
I want you to build on this essay and theme:The Unraveled Mask of Racism Kris Patel Professor Winchester April 20, 2025 Eyes are wide open; mouths are unmovable; body froze; identity lost in silence and falling into pitch darkness—this is the most unsettling visual of “Suken Place” in Get Out(2017). Representing a symbol that seems so quiet but yet so terrifying, it captures the visual of one’s inner self fear, trauma, and emotional weakness. A place where only consciousness can exist, where identity is stripped away by the world above, disguised in politeness, control, and false progressiveness. Jordan Peele uses “Sunken Place” as a metaphor to tap into how liberal racism silences Black individuals, depicting them in a powerless state beneath a surface of politeness. This essay explores how Get Out uses visuals and psychological horror —through sound, camera angles, and silence—to depict the existential fear of being unheard, unseen, and ignored in a society that claims to be diverse while quietly having authority.Chris, a Black Individual, visits his girlfriend’s family, the Armitage family, to seek acceptance for marrying their daughter, Rose. He is met with excessive politeness and performative allyship. So much that Dean Armitage, the father, says, “By the way, I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could. Best president in my lifetime, hands down” (Get Out 2017). This moment makes me wonder if racism can be different by staying beneath the surface or if people willingly choose to do it. Reminding me of how my black friend was treated during elementary school with fake smiles and was sarcastically praised for his athletic abilities. It occurred often, mannered racism disguised as compliments, reminding him why he was separate from others. Resulting in him remaining silenced for most of the time or not being able to express himself because he feared being judged and being called racial slurs behind his back. Diangelo(2018) calls this “nice racism,” where white figures cause harm while maintaining a positive image of themselves(p.64). Ross(2013) also adds that politeness exists “to suppress confrontation and maintain social hierarchies” (p.147). Jordan Peele demonstrates this in Get Out throughout the film by using tension-filled conversations that mask power and manipulation behind friendliness. From Dean’s awkward jokes to Missy’s warm smile before hypnosis, the Armitages, especially Rose, weaponize her feminism and politeness to trap Chris in the “Sunken Place.” Peele shows how racism has grown, not as loud or violent anymore, but silent, simply how its hands can strangle another individual without them knowing it.
My Sources: DiAngelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it’s so hard for White people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.
Harris, C. I. (1993). Whiteness as property. Harvard Law Review, 106(8), 1707–1791. https://doi.org/10.2307/1341787
Jackson, J. P., Jr., & Weidman, N. M. (2005/2006). The origins of scientific racism. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 50, 66–79. http://www.jstor.com/stable/25073379
Ross, S. N. (2013). The politics of politeness: Theorizing race, gender, and education in white southern space. Counterpoints, 412, 143–159. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42981822
Peele, J. (Director). (2017). Get out [Film]. Universal Pictures.