MEANS OF VERBALIZING THE BASIC EMOTION OF “FEAR” IN THE AMERICAN TV SERIES “STRANGER THINGS“

Abstract

The emotion of fear is one of the fundamental psycho-emotional states inherent to human nature, which accompany humanity throughout its history.Researchers have persistently explored this phenomenon since the appearance of ancient philosophical theories. The relevance of studying fear in today’s media context underpins the necessity of the analysis of language means by which it is expressed, particularly in English-language television discourse.The purpose of this article is to identify the linguistic mechanisms of fear verbalization in the TV series “Stranger Things”, based on the speech of American teenagers and their families. The study employs a continuous sampling of linguistic material from the scripts of all four seasons of the series, amounting to a total duration of 33 hours. The methodology combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis of fear-related verbal markers within psycholinguistic and cognitive frameworks. The research focuses on phonetic and lexical features of fear expression, as well as stylistic means that intensify emotional impact. The findings demonstrate that fear is verbalized by means of raised tone, shouts, accelerated speech, and set phrases. Linguistic instruments include interjections, exclamations, direct forms of address, emotionally coloured vocabulary, obscenities, references to religious symbols, and repeated negations. Stylistic devices encompass comparisons, metaphors, hyperboles, and euphemisms, all of which contribute to a elevated emotional background and immerse the audience in a tense atmosphere. The analysis confirms that language functions as a powerful tool of conveying fear within the series.Characters convey fear through highly emotive language, where changes in speech pace, frequent outbursts, and imperative forms reflect strategies of either confronting or avoiding perceived threats. Thus, the linguistic representation of fear in “Stranger Things” has shown to be an interdisciplinary phenomenon, integrating both social and affective dimensions. The study concludes that the verbalization of fear in the series is implemented in a complex interplay of phonetic, lexical, and stylistic means, all of which serve as integral components of the overall narrative and emotional effect on the viewer. Future research could explore fear expression in the context of intercultural communication, as well as conduct comparative analyses of emotional representation in both fictional and cinematic discourse.