“On the Pleasure Derived from Objects of Terror” by Anna Laetitia Larkin Barbauld, she shares that the frightening images and thoughts of horror cause the same reaction in our brain as curiosity. The random things seen in horror films or stories come straight from the imagination. This is why some unsettling things spark interest rather than fright. We enjoy the sight of something new even if it is scary. Anna also brings up another interesting point on why we might decide to accept terrifying imagery. Barbauld states, “We rather choose to suffer the smart pang of a violent emotion than the uneasy craving of an unsatisfied desire.” Being unsatisfied is the worst thing imaginable to Barbauld. Our brains can’t handle the idea of not getting satisfied when doing an activity that is supposed to stimulate us. This is why we can sit through a horror film with terrible acting. We will make something up in our head in order to feel a sense of accomplishment.
The photo from "In Sickness and Beauty" by Evelyn Bencicova is a perfect representation of how a disturbing image can also be beautiful. The smoothness of the woman's face and the garment that is eerily similar to a wedding dress allows us to sympathize with the lady pictured. Another reason we are drawn to this, is because it is something new. We are always eager to view something for the first time; and that's what Evelyn does here. Barbould writes, “This solution, however, does not satisfy me with respect to the well-wrought scenes of artificial terror which are formed by a sublime and vigorous imagination. Here, though we know before-hand what to expect, we enter into them with eagerness, in quest of a pleasure already experienced. This is the pleasure constantly attached to the excitement of surprise from new and wonderful objects.” You may have seen a drawing where someone has more than two arms, but you have never seen a real image where someone does. That is what Evelyn is able to do throughout all of her work. She is constantly finding ways to make the impossible possible.