Structure
The story ““Scary Movies” by Stephen Amidon is structured around a very important event in 1968: the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the consequent race riots that took place in the US. This event is rendered from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy who finds out what racism truly means. The short story follows a traditional plot line, with an exposition, a rising action, a climax, a falling action, and a resolution.
Title
The title of the short story refers to the scary movies that the narrator and his friend, Kevin, watch in the Roxy Theatre. However, the title is about more than that; it refers to the way in which scary movies proved to be entertaining because people knew that what they were watching was fiction.
...
Beginning
The exposition of the story introduces readers to the main characters and the setting:
I was nine years old when I discovered the Roxy Theatre and learned something about fear. It was 1968, a banner year for fear,with bad news appearing on television almost as regularly as weather bulletins. ...
...
Middle
The rising action presents the boys’ first encounter with the Roxy Theatre. They are fascinated by the theatre’s appearance and they expect wonderful things from it:
The moment we entered the Roxy’s lobby, with its thick pillars, oceanic carpet and chandelier the size of a pickup truck, we could tell this was like no movie house we’d ever seen. After a few moments of wonderment we approached the vast counter, which was attended by an aged, chocolate-coloured man dressed in a brocaded vest and crisply seamed pants. (ll. 20-25)
Here, several tension points take place. First of all, the boys realize that they are the “only white people at the Roxy” (l. 34). Then, they become scared because they remember the horror stories about the danger of approaching African-Americans. Thirdly, a tension point is marked when the two white boys witness the African-Americans openly expressing their fear upon watching a horror movie:
In an instant, five hundred kids were on their feet, screaming warnings to the oblivious victim or encouragement to her attacker. Groups of young girls clutched one another in terror; little kids made for the safety of the lobby; some older boys moved fearlessly toward the screen, ready to...
...
Ending
In the falling action, about a week after the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, the narrator becomes curious about the fate of the Roxy Theatre, as he found out that several buildings have been burned down downtown. Kevin refuses to accompany the narrator to the theatre, so he goes alone.
...
