The horror genre is synonymous with images of terror, violence, and human carnage; the mere mention of horror films evokes physical and psychological torture. As famous author Stephen King noted, “the legendary horror film…has a dirty job to do.” It deliberately appeals to all the worst in us. It is morbidity unleashed, our baser instincts unleashed, our nastiest fantasies realized. (King, 786). At reasonable intervals, we choose to experience these horrific events vicariously through the characters of horror films and books in order to safely experience the “what if.” The horror genre allows us to explore our fears, whether they be spiders, vampires, losing our identity, or the death of a loved one, in the most fantastical circumstances and most horrible imaginable. King also points out that by watching horror films, we “can let our emotions run free…”. . . or no control at all. (King, 784). According to psychiatrist James Schaller, by “experiencing artificial fears, a person develops a sense of competence in dealing with similar types of fears.” (Schaller). Horror films give the viewer the opportunity to examine their fears safely and to the depth and extent they wish to do so. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 offers the viewer the opportunity to consider a wide range of fears, with a little humor to balance, from the safety of a dark room, a comfortable seat, and in less than 120 minutes. The psychoanalyst Carl Jung suggested all humanity is innately programmed with a set of primordial images as a collective unconscious. These primordial images, which he calls archetypes, are buried deep in the subconscious until a triggering event brings them to the forefront. Artists, writers, musicians and p...... middle of paper ......Angela. “The Company of Wolves”. Writing and Reading in the 801 – 7.Fordham, Frieda. An introduction to Jung's psychology. London: Penguin Books, 1966. King, Stephen. “Why we want horror movies.” Writing and Reading in the Curriculum784 - 6.Solomon, Stanley. “The world of nightmares”. Writing and Reading in Program793 – 800.Troyka, Lynn Quitman. Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2002 Schaller, James “Why Do People Like Horror Movies?” », The Jacksonville Observer, October 24, 2009, accessed June 27, 2010, www.jaxobserver.com. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Part 2. Director Tobe Hooper. Perf. Denis Hopper. CannonFilms, 1986. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003.