Johnna Iannibelli

April 10, 2015

WRT 104/ Price
Project 3: Critical Analysis
Word Count: 1306
American Horror Story: Science vs. Religion
In the trailer for American Horror Story: Asylum, a lot of sensory details are used
in order to direct the audience into a sense of anxiety, and to give them the idea that the
show is meant to be scary. The main purpose of the trailer is to draw people in, and make
them want to watch the show. The trailer itself paints a very interesting picture, in which
it gives the audience hints as to what the show is about, without revealing too much about
it. A main point that is noticeable in this trailer is the usage of sensory details to imply a
theme of science vs. religion in the show, as well as a hint that there is an underlying evil
force.
One of the most obvious sensory details that are used in the trailer is the music.
The music that is heard is the theme for all seasons of American Horror Story. It gives
the viewer a sense of anxiety, which is the desired effect. Also, the music does not begin
until about five seconds into the trailer, where the nun completely in white is sitting in the
room. The build up to the music creates a sense that something is about to happen, and it
puts the viewer on edge; they are expecting something shocking to occur. The music is
significant because in addition to being the typical theme, it builds up to the rest of the
trailer.
Throughout the trailer, there is the repeating character of the white nun. In the
opening scene, she is sitting in an all white room, with a blue shirt hanging on the wall in
the shape of a cross. There is also a dark figure seen in the corner, which contrasts the

appearance of the nun in all white. This scene introduces the reoccurring theme of the
involvement of the church/religion that is seen throughout the trailer. The fact that the
nun is dressed in all white could be meant to symbolize purity, while the contrasting
reflection of the all black in the far corner could indicate the presence of some sort of
underlying evil. This suggests that the theme of religion will be significant in the series,
but it also alludes to an evil that will play a considerable role throughout the show.
The nun is seen again on the stairs, and as she is walking up, there is a woman
climbing the opposite side of the stairs in a fashion that is reminiscent of what the viewer
may associate with an exorcism; she is bent over backwards and is using her hands and
feet to crawl. In addition to causing the viewer to experience a feeling of anxiety and fear,
this association reinforces the point that there is a struggle between religion and evil,
because it contrasts a nun and a person who appears to be under control of the devil. One
would notice that the nun is on the topside of the stairs, and is walking up. The possessed
woman is on the underside of the stairs, and is walking in a downward direction. This
implies a contrast between religion and evil once again, because the nun is walking up,
signifying what could be a path of righteousness, while the woman is crawling down.
This could signify her going down to hell, and serves as an effective visual to contrast a
religious figure and the woman under the control of something evil.
Another repetition that is seen is when the actors are being introduced. They are
shown lying on hospital beds, which are single file in a straight line. They are also all
positioned in similar fashions, with their arms by their sides. The only exception to this is
the nun, who has her hands folded over her stomach. They all have similar expressions on
their faces; it is clear to the viewer that they are in some sort of distressed state but cannot

do anything about it. Their positioning is also reminiscent of how a person would be
placed in a casket. This is intentional, because the viewer is meant to view them in a
vulnerable state and see that they have no control over what may be happening to them.
The fact that they are laying on a gurney also begins to allude to the role of science in the
show.
Another detail that is notable in the trailer is that as the actors are being
introduced, the last three shown appear in a completely different way than the rest of the
actors. Two men and a woman are located at the end of the line of the beds, forming a
triangle. It is representative of the holy trinity, which fits in with the rest of the church
theme. The two men are seated, while the woman stands behind them, which could
indicate that she has some sort of power over both of them, despite the fact that she seems
to hold the lowest position amongst the three of them. This could be significant because it
may suggest that there is an underlying story between the three of them, and that she
somehow ended up holding the power.
Continuing to look at the trinity shown at the end of the credits offers more
insight as to what the show may be about. The woman is clearly a nun, because she is
wearing habit and has a cross around her neck. One of the men is holding a bible and can
be inferred to be a priest. The other man is wearing a white lab coat, which gives the
viewer the impression that he is a doctor. Looking at their appearances, the viewer notices
that the nun and priest are both wearing mainly black, with a little bit of white. The
doctor is wearing the exact opposite; mainly white with a few touches of black. This
detail could signify a contrast between science and religion, because the church figures
are matching, while the doctor is the odd one out in a sense.

In the scene that shows the trinity of the nun, priest, and doctor, it is also
noticeable that the scene surrounding them is perfectly symmetrical. There are windows
behind them that are reminiscent of stained glass that would normally be found in a
church. However, they are sitting on a hospital bed, and the rest of the scene reminds the
viewer of a hospital setting, which once again shows a connection between science and
religion. The scene overall indicates the roles of both the church and scientific practice
that will be shown, and suggests that these forces may be at odds in the series.
At the end of the trailer, there is an anomaly. The woman in all red does not fit
with any other part of it, and it leaves the viewer questioning what the show will really be
about. The fact that she is in red while the rest of the scene is dark causes the viewer to
focus on her, and then she is abruptly pulled away by what appears to be a ribbon. This
scene serves the purpose of intriguing the viewer, while also leaving them with the
question as to what has pulled her away in such a hasty manner. Because this does not fit
with anything else that is shown in the trailer, the viewer is left with a slight sense of
confusion and curiosity.
Part of what makes the trailer so effective in communicating that the show is
going to be scary is the fact that it highlights science and religion so much, but also
causes the viewer to think of them in a darker way. These institutions are part of the
society in which we live, and the fact that they are cast in a way that provokes fear gives
the audience reason to be interested in the show. The Church and practice of science are
ideally supposed to be viewed as good institutions that are centered around helping
people, however the trailer casts a doubt upon that belief. Because the trailer takes these
things that are typically viewed as good and makes the viewer feel that there is something

evil about them, there is a sense of fear provoked and the audience understands that the
show is going to be scary.
It is not until the end of the trailer that it is confirmed that the show is taking place
in an asylum, which is done in order to cast a sense of mystery over the trailer as a whole.
Because the audience is not entirely sure what they are looking at, the sense of anxiety
that the trailer works to create is increased. Once it is confirmed that the series will be
taking place in an asylum, the audience is able to get a general idea about what type of
show it is going to be. By hinting, but not confirming that the setting will be in an asylum
until the very end, the trailer is creating a sense of mystery about the show.
The trailer is meant to entice the viewer into watching the series. The details that
are shown throughout indicate an underlying theme of church and science, and they also
serve the purpose of hinting to the viewer that there is some sort of evil force underlying
in the show that must be dealt with. When analyzing the trailer, the viewer is able to tell
that the show is going to delve into a conflict that will be involving all of these things. It
becomes clear that underneath the connection between religion and science, there will be
an evil that comes to play throughout the series.

Post-Write Questions
1) What was the subject of your analysis and why did you choose it?
The subject of my analysis was the trailer for the second season of American Horror
Story. I chose to use this because I am a fan of the show, and after watching this
season I thought that the trailer was really interesting. I was able to detect some
details in the trailer that made sense after having watched the season, and I could see
how the producers of it were hinting to the audience what the show was going to be
about.
2) Who is the audience you were targeting in this essay, and what rhetorical choices
did you make in directing the essay to this audience? (For example, how did this
choice of audience influence what you included in terms of background
information, language, examples, etc.?)
The audience that I was targeting in this essay was anyone who is interested in
American Horror Story, and anyone who has ever seen the trailer. This choice of
audience caused me to take into consideration that people may have not seen the
season, so I did not use any names of the characters when analyzing the trailer.
3) How did you use logos, ethos, and pathos in the analysis to appeal to your
audience? Give an example from your paper of each.
I used logos by pointing out specific details from the trailer. I used ethos by doing this
as well; I gained credibility by indicating that I watched the trailer as well. I used
pathos by relating my thesis to a conflict between science and religion, as well as
pointing out that the series is meant to cause a feeling of anxiety and curiosity from
the audience.
4) What is the most successful part of your essay? What is the least successful?
What parts do you think need the most feedback?
The most successful part of my essay was when I used specific details from the trailer
to support my thesis. The least successful was probably the conclusion; I had a hard
time ending this paper. I think that my conclusion is the part of the essay that needs
the most feedback.
5) Identify three specific changes you made after the peer review workshop. How
did these changes improve your draft?
After the peer review workshop, I added to my introduction, finished my conclusion,
and added to my thesis to include the theme of underlying evil in the trailer. This
improved my draft because it gave me more to write about, and it allowed me to get
my point across more effectively.