Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “The Fly-Paper” by Elizabeth Taylor could be considered a horror story. Horror fiction is a vast genre with various characteristics. Its aim is to produce a sense of fear and unease in the reader. Through its unexpected plot twist and the implications of what is likely to happen to the main character, “The Fly-Paper” manages to inspire fear and surprise in the reader. While horror often uses supernatural elements, there are examples of non-supernatural horror as well, which deal with events that could happen in everyday life. "The Fly-Paper" is an example of non-supernatural horror, as it deals with likely events, such as child kidnappings.

Historical perspectives

Since “The Fly-Paper” was published in 1969, it is possible that it was influenced by a series of cr...