Miranda Alexander

The human race is undeniably allured by stories of crime and captivity. Something stirs deep within us when we tune into the news and are bombarded with the words “kidnapping” or “war prisoner”. These are the words that have our eyes glued to the screen, eager for more details. Who is the hostage? Who took them? Will they escape or will they die?

Our curiosity refuses to be appeased until these questions are answered.  This perhaps unsettling desire to know the circumstances of such tragic events is practically wired into our brain.  However, this curiosity does not only apply to the world we live in today. People have taken an interest in captive narratives for centuries.

Throughout the decades, the media has thrived on covering abduction cases. Most of us would recognize the names Patty Hearst, Jaycee Dugard, or Elizabeth Smart. Their faces were all over the news, we know their faces and we know their stories. For ages, the public has willingly invested interest in the traumatic accounts of these victims plus that of several others. When we hear a captive’s story and the horror they endured, we are overcome with emotion, and we sympathize with them. They are often considered as symbols of courage and strength in the eyes of society.

Though we appear to be more drawn to true crime stories, we are more than eager to settle for fictional stories of captivity. Avid bookworms take delight in getting sucked into thrilling novels such as Kiss the Girls by James Patterson or Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams. Our minds instantly take the plunge into the imaginary world of the main character from the very first chapter. We find ourselves becoming attached to the unfortunate captive as they are faced with terrifying circumstances and a demented captor. With every page we read, our reality melts away as we become tied to the unraveling events that create the story.

Of course, tales of abduction do not only exist in the news and books, they plague the silver screen as well. Popular flicks such as Misery, Taken, and The Call hypnotize us with violence and action, leaving us on the edge of our seat. We cannot find the will to look away from the screen, so we sit and allow the captivating story hold us hostage for a few hours.

Why is it that we are so attracted to the tragic and oftentimes fatal tales of captured individuals? Is it the sense of excitement and anticipation we get from such stories that feeds our interest? Or could it be that we are simply intrigued with decoding the mindset of the victim and their kidnapper? Perhaps there is a dark part within the human mind that morbidly enjoys the idea of being ripped away from home and taken to some frightening place by a deranged stranger. Regardless of whatever ever our reason may be, one thing is certain: our minds have the potential in developing a case of Stockholm Syndrome for captive narratives.