Term Papers on The Devil

Term Paper Title	The Devil
# of Words	904
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.62

The Devil

In the present-day popular culture, the devil is a commonplace image that conveys different implications to every individual. There is no single definition to the term, or physical description to identify, because his existence has never been confirmed. On the other hand, some descriptions are universal to the majority of civilization. In this semiotic analysis, I will examine the devil and interpret the connotations relative to the popular sign. Since the devil did not come into being before mankind, it must be a cultural construction created by society. After all, the devil originates from religion and each religion is a built environment of its own.
I cannot recall exactly when or where it was that I first learned of the devil. As the creator is the “god of all that is good”, I understood the devil to be the “god of all that is evil” throughout my childhood. Due to the nature of my upbringing in a religious family, the devil was the king of monsters and my reason to the fear of darkness. To complement the Catholic influence in my family, I watched William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist and discovered a disturbing new image of the devil that would sit in the back of my mind from that point on in my life. Walking alone in the darkness as a child, I had to turn around every three seconds because I felt a paranormal presence breathing down my neck. Perhaps it was the prince of darkness or maybe just my consciousness. Either way, the devil was an icon that I questioned and feared at the same time.
Why did I fear the devil? If I were not religious, perhaps the devil would be nothing more than a myth and nothing to fear in reality. The basis of the devil is interrelated to religion and cultural mythology, allowing the icon of the devil to influence human behavior and social experience. It is in our human nature to fear the unknown.
Nowadays, the devil is depicted in movies, cartoons, books, television shows, and every other aspect of media and pop-culture and every depiction is unique in its own way. Our cultural myth of the devil mainly arises from religion and multimedia.
Since I am a bit more educated, mature, and rational than when I was an adolescent, I can reflect on my personal experiences and question my ideologies. After watching re-release of The Exorcist again in the theaters as a college student, I realized that the devil is more of a social construct than a religious figure. In The Exorcist, the devil is never physically depicted but his satanic nature and supernatural force is represented in many ways including human possession. Beds fly and heads spin, ...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: