66 pages • 2 hours read
Nick CutterThe Troop
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Literary Context: Horror Fiction
As Nick Cutter states in the Acknowledgements section of The Troop, parts of his novel were inspired by other contemporary horror novels, as well as by tropes from the longstanding horror genre. Specifically, Cutter acknowledges Stephen King for two notable works: It (1986) and Carrie (1974). Although the “monsters,” villains, and plots of It and Carrie bear little resemblance to those in Cutter’s novel, he borrows structural strategies as well as character development strategies from the “master” of contemporary horror, Stephen King. Cutter intersplices the main narration of The Troop with (fictional) newspaper articles, scientific lab notes, witness testimonies from the Canadian Federal Investigatory Board (FIB), and other documents. In Carrie, Stephen King also intersplices the narration with other documents in order to grant the reader access to information that the characters aren’t aware of. This intersplicing creates dramatic irony, which in horror novels, usually has the effect of heightening suspense and terror.
Cutter also explains that the inspiration for Shelley Longpre’s character came from several “sociopathic” children in various novels, including Patrick Hockstetter from It. Neither Shelley nor Patrick are the “main” villains or “monsters” that other characters are concerned about in their respective horror novels. In It, the characters believe the main danger is the evil clown, Pennywise, whereas in The Troop, the main danger appears to be the bioengineered parasitic worms (as well as the people who created and released those worms). However, the usage of a secondary danger or antagonist who the other characters aren’t fully aware of at first is another way for horror authors to amplify terror.
In addition to these borrowed techniques that Cutter explicitly outlines in his Acknowledgements, he also draws on various tropes of the horror genre in general, including an isolated setting, lack of communication, spread of misinformation, the disintegration of familiar structures, and the questioning of the characters’ prior knowledge. He also investigates topics that are typical of the genre, such as loss and grief, loneliness, the true nature and limits of friendship, the difference between perception and reality, and how fear is related to other human emotions such as anger and confusion.
Cultural Context: Representations of Bioengineering and Genetic Manipulation in Literature and Popular Culture
Bioengineering and genetic manipulation are common tropes in horror novels and films, as well as in science fiction. Horror typically includes some type of villain or monster; bioengineered creatures are one popular type of monster. For centuries, humans have been continuously advancing science and technology. Given that science has already produced such things as vaccines, airplanes, the internet, in-vitro fertilization, atomic bombs, artificial intelligence, and cloning, all of which would have seemed impossible in the past, it is easy for authors to imagine scenarios where scientists could also create or discover other impossible-seeming things, some of which might be dangerous or unethical. Some people believe it’s unethical for scientists to “play God” by altering genetics because this is not humans’ place in the universe. Others believe that bioengineering goes hand in hand with eugenics, racism, ableism, sexism, and other problematic phenomena, and is therefore also inherently problematic. Still others are simply worried that scientists will, either inadvertently or purposefully, create something that is harmful to the human population or the planet in general; as such events have already happened, this concern is fruitful ground for horror.
Many novels and films warn about the various potential dangers and ethical problems of bioengineering and genetic manipulation. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin’s work on evolution raised anxieties about the difference between humans and animals. Works such as H. G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) echo these anxieties by depicting scientifically created hybrid species that are a violent combination of humans and other animals. Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World (1932) explores the sexist and racist implications of eugenics and government control of reproduction. More recent works such as the Jurassic Park franchise imagine that humans might bring ancient, non-human “monsters” back to life using genetics, to the detriment of their own species. Even comedy films like Multiplicity (1996) suggest that cloning humans will not increase productivity but will only lead to dishonesty, crumbling relationships, and ineffective or even dangerous clones. The Troop adds to this list of concerns the issue of medical ethics and unchecked authority figures such as scientists and the military, who, because of confidentiality, could potentially get away with testing dangerous bioengineered “products” on human or animal subjects.
