Sound Effects in American Horror Story and Essay

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Sound Effects in American Horror Story and the Tell-Tale Heart

Sound has been an important aspect of the performing arts even when films were still silent. Often the music played during a screening of these works formed an important component of how audiences experienced the film. Indeed, this is still so today. Music and sound effects in film and television today contribute far more to what an audience gains from the art form than we may realize. While sound effects are less immediate in books, it is nevertheless also important. To consider these ideas, sound in the television series "American Horror Story: Asylum" is discussed, followed by a brief overview of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

American Horror Story: Asylum

American Horror Story: Asylum has madness as its theme. This is set against a religious dropback of a church-owned asylum for the mentally disturbed. Music plays a significant role in the questions the series poses about the nature of sanity and insanity, as well as the role of religion in both. According to Dakic (n.d., p. 3), music can play a story-telling or story-supporting role.

Perhaps most symbolic of the madness theme is the song "Dominique," played on repeat in the daily living quarters of the Briarcliff inmates.

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This particular song is story-supporting in its symbolism of the often repetitive nature of madness. As such, rather than soothe the inmates, as was probably Sister Jude's intention, it reinforces the rampant conditions already suffered by most of the inmates. One sad creature is shown repetitively bumping his head against the wall.

The song is also symbolic of control and its loss. Every inmate knows that attempting to stop the recording would result in severe punishment. In his way, Sister Jude establishes and maintains her iron control of Briarcliff and those within its walls. When the devil possesses Sister Mary Eunice, however, she establishes her own brand of control over Briarcliff by breaking Sister Jude's record of the song and installing a jukebox instead. In this way, the secular replaces the religious; "Dominique" is sung by a former nun about a religious saint. Interestingly, it is….....

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