The Timeless Allure and Educational Value of Horror Stories

Abstract

Causing feelings of fear -sometimes horror and disgust- has been a constant goal of horror stories, a literary genre that took many forms over time (e.g. stories with ghosts, with vampires, English Gothic novels, etc.), it has maintained, however, its popularity to this day, offering enjoyment to readers of all ages, especially children and teenagers. Therefore, the use of "horror stories" in modern classroom can cultivate the students' love of reading and at the same time bring them into contact with dangerous or gloomy aspects of our world, dealing with which requires the development of an emotionally mature and rational attitude. Τhrough fiction children study terrible events from a distance, with critical thinking, and all this acts as a "test" for real life. The analysis of the novel The Ghost (1914) of Grigorios Xenopoulos, quoted at the end, emphatically demonstrates the dynamic and pedagogical value of a horror narrative.