hey did you know that uhh
- i. the monster’s body is a cultural body
- ii. the monster always escapes
- iii. the monster is the harbinger of category crisis
- iv. the monster dwells at the gates of difference
- v. the monster polices the borders of the possible
- vi. fear of the monster is really a kind of desire
- vii. the monster stands at the threshold… of becoming
oh shit i didn’t expect this to actually get notes lmao
these are all direct quotes from jeffrey jerome cohen’s “monster culture (seven theses)” (full pdf linked)
i highly encourage you to read it yourself!that said, while i think cohen’s writing is evocative, it can be a little dense, so while i’m here, here’s my capsule summary (you can also hear me talk about this in the first episode of my podcast) (listen to @ghostswerepeopletoo)
- i. the monster’s body is a cultural body - The monster is a work of fiction to be analyzed through tools of literary and sociological theory.
- ii. the monster always escapes - As long as the cultural fear from which the monster stems persists, the monster will reappear in retellings, reimaginings, and sequels.
- iii. the monster is the harbinger of category crisis - Monsters defy binaries and challenge easy comprehension or categorization.
- iv. the monster dwells at the gates of difference - The monster represents the Other.
- v. the monster polices the borders of the possible - Tales of the monster exist to discourage unacceptable or taboo behaviors.
- vi. fear of the monster is really a kind of desire - Subjects can vicariously participate in the disruption of the social order through the monster.
- vii. the monster stands at the threshold… of becoming - Within the monster we find information about the self.