Question

The beach teemed with tourists from boardwalk to shore. A canopy of colorful umbrellas covered the sand. Each was preoccupied with his own happy task, and none noticed the figure as it emerged from the surf. Its skin was blistered and raw, and it lumbered awkwardly in the foam. Its hideous eyes hungrily appraised the masses.

How does the excerpt exemplify the ideas King describes in "Danse Macabre"?
a. It allows readers to approach a “forbidden door.”
b. It provides a “single powerful spectacle” for the imagination’s eye.
c. It forces readers to “grapple” with their own mortality.
d. It introduces an unlikely “dancing partner.”

Answer 1

The excerpt translates Stephen King's ideas from 'Danse Macabre' into a scene where an unlikely 'dancing partner' emerges unnoticed among happy tourists, creating a contrast that's essential to the horror genre.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt exemplifies the ideas Stephen King describes in "Danse Macabre" by introducing an unlikely “dancing partner”. This is characterized by the presence of a figure with 'blistered and raw' skin and 'hideous eyes' emerging from the surf, unnoticed by the happily preoccupied tourists. The juxtaposition between the ordinary, joyful scene on the beach and the sudden appearance of a grotesque figure embodies the incongruity and the juxtaposition King discusses, which is a common element in horror. The figure represents the dance with the macabre or the horrific that catches characters and readers by surprise, creating that potent emotional reaction King considers essential to the horror genre.

Answer 2

It provides a "single powerful spectacle" for the imagination's eye.

Step-by-step explanation:

King describes it almost as if a camera is floating around showing each thing that seems natural until he shows what is not. It is a way to create a good imagery for the reader and make it a spectacle with a shocking twist on a paragraph that starts with tourists at the shore and ends with hideous eyes.