Monsters Lurk Research Paper

When people hear the word monster, they usually picture in their minds images of vampires, zombies, demons, ghouls, or other physical supernatural beings. However, today's society contains its own modern monsters contained in minds of people or in systems in society, as opposed to some type of physical entity. Examples for modern monsters of today can be pressure and apathy, but caring too much has more effect and negative results rather than apathy’s effect of caring too little.

What defines a monster? Is it their grotesque, unnatural appearance that separates them from the rest of mankind, or is it their lack of remorse and compassion that makes them different? The word monster conjures up figures from gothic horror of exotic peoples with horrifyingly exaggerated features, and the kinds of impossible delusive beasts inhabiting the pages of medieval bestiaries. Well at first I thought exactly that. When I used to hear the word “monster”, my mind immediately pictured the petrifying beast that took residence under my bed for a substantial portion of my childhood. It had demonic beating red eyes, razor sharp teeth that glistened with fresh blood and amphibian like scales covering every inch of its enormous body. However, as I got older, I started to realize that there was no such thing as monsters and that it was all just a figment of my imagination. Accordingly, the fear of the monster under my bed slowly dissipated. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until after reading a quote by my favorite author, Steven King, that I was finally able to fully comprehend what the true definition of the word “monster” really was. “Monsters are real, ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes they win”. It had taken me awhile to truly grasp what King had meant, but then it clicked. Everyone has a monster inside them, dormant or not. That monster is the voice we hear in the back of our heads, urging us to cheat or to steal, and in some instances, worse. That monster

In the book "A Babysitters Guide to Monster Hunting" there were two main characters, Kelly Ferguson and Liz Lerue. This book started off with Kelly's mom offering her a job babysitting for her boss. Kelly accepted the job and was responsible for babysitting a boy named Jacob. In the beginning, Kelly found a list of things that Jacob wasn't allowed to have. Those things included; no candy, no ice cream out of the freezer, never ever go into the jar on the fridge. Kelly planned on following the rules on the list, but Jacob stole her phone and the only way to get it back was to give him candy. Jacob fell asleep shortly after eating his candy. Kelly put him in bed, but Jacob stated there were monsters in his room Kelly looked everywhere in his

The more we begin to understand a monstrosity, the less we fear the monster itself, however, we fear the actions of the creature itself. Perhaps it is this fear that draws us closer to the unknown and the monsters thrive upon this fear we have. Asma discusses how this fear allows for individuals to play out scenarios in their minds; we then use the events to ultimately ask ourselves, “what will I do in a situation like that (Asma)?” Dating back to the early days of Christ in a biblical era, we see monsters have always been on the rise.

Monster exists long time ago and they are everywhere. However, there are different types of monster, some that are good and some that are bad. Many people that watched monster films get the desire of being one of the monsters that appears in the film. This essay will argue the different aspects and effects that monsters have in a person. I will use two article that will help explain the differences aspects and actions of the monster. One of the articles is “Here Be Monsters” by Ted Genoways, second article is “Fear of the Monster is Really a Kind of Desired” by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. “Monster can function as an alter ego, as an alluring projection of (an Other) self” (Cohen, 190). Furthermore, this essay will show some fallacies that the author

“Fear and euphoria are dominant forces, and fear is many multiples the size of euphoria” - Alan Greenspan. New York author, Alan Greenspan, here is explaining that the threat fear presents is really no different than the state of intensity caused by euphoria. In Andrew J. Hoffman’s anthology, Monsters, there is substantial evidence that both fear and euphoria are inflicted upon men, by female monsters. The two threats men typically face against women are temptation and emasculation. Thus, in mythology and folklore, female monsters exemplify the impulse of desire (sexually) for men, and male weakness. These are creature that are lusted after and yet, still feared because of their power. Men find female monsters both fearsome and euphoric and will always threaten their dominance and control.

Asma states, "Monsters can stand as symbols of human vulnerability and crisis, and as such they play imaginative foils for thinking about our own responses to menace.” This means that human weaknesses and fears are represented through monstrous figures, and these fictional situations provide perspective into how we react in fearful environments. In our current society we fear many things, including but not limited to failed or corrupt governmental systems, the afterlife, the unknown, and captivity, which makes this claim valid. Although we may not realize it, these fears are embodied by the horror monsters we see in popular culture. Society shares common fears, and often times the most prevailing fear is reflected in the most popular characters at any given time. Monsters are the fictional representations of society’s dark subconscious, exploring not only why the author’s statement is accurate but what we actually fear.

The Monster Inside Throughout our lifetime, we are constantly exposed to many films and illustrations that depict images in our minds that represent what a “monster” appears as. What these illustrations lack is how an actual monster acts and what characteristics make one up. In many instances, monsters are used in analogies to be compared to a dictator of a country or an evil person we may know. What separates these monsters from each other is our own view on what a monster is.

From our earliest memories, we have all shared a common fear of darkness under our beds. This fear, a collective experience of our society, is a testament to our shared humanity. Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend challenges the traditional notion of monsters with its overwhelming number of vampires and their behaviors. Similarly, Jeffery Jerome Cohen's essay on monster theory dives into cultural beliefs, desires, and crises, challenging our ideas of what a monster truly is. Throughout different cultures, monsters are perceived differently.

Ah Monsters! The creaking of the floorboards underneath your feet as you rush into the safety of your bed. The adrenaline coursing through your veins as you see the shadows behind you even though in reality nothings there. Monsters still lurk in the dark corners of everyone’s mind even after all those years since being introduced in the media.

A little girl screams in fear for her parents as she envisions a green, three-eyed monster lurking under her bed, waiting to get her until she finally closes her eyes. A little boy scares fellow trick-or-treaters as he’s dressed as a vampire for Halloween brandishing his pointy teeth with blood dripping out of his mouth. Both of these examples of monsters focus on the physicality of a creature and undermine the weight which the word ‘monster’ actually carries. In Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, and in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, there are characters that perfectly fit the description of a tangible monster. However, monsters are more than their somatic features. Monsters are created within based on circumstances, decisions that are

Monsters have proven to be more than just the fiendish appearance or the evil within such creatures – their monstrosity symbolizes, more or less, the characteristics that define mankind and/or our innermost fears. Prior to this Exploration of the Humanities course, I have interpreted monsters for what they are: heartless and destructive creatures that generate fear. However, I never bothered what the true cause of such fear is – only associating the gruesome presence with a psychological reaction of horror. But taking this class allowed me to broaden my perspective on monsters and monstrosity: humans fear the “Other” because we as individuals have an “Other” within us (subconsciously) that we are not willing to show to those in our

What we can(not) see insidiously sneaks itself into the darkest crevices of our minds. And, in place of reality, we weave frightening fantasies to fill in the gaps. Ultimately, what frightens us the most is not the monster itself, but rather the infinitely

“The monsters within us are far worse than the monsters of the world.”This quote struck me greatly when I first read it, and upon completing the Monsters lesson’s I still agree with it as I did in the beginning of the section. When you ask your average person for an example of a monster they may list off a few fictional exaggerations of monsters. But what many fail to acknowledge is that these monsters are just stories, and the real monsters of the world can be found festering inside the mind of anyone. Sometimes monsters can come out within the most unexpected people. An example of this can be found in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where someone seemingly chivalrous succumbs to his own personal monsters.There are also those who carry monsters

When I say "monsters", I don't mean the ones that only come out at night and hide in the darkness, I'm talking about the monsters that reside in our minds. The monsters that we deal with on a daily basis, and overwhelm us if we don't control them. We all have these monsters, no matter if they are huge or minuscule, and how much they affect our lives. The monsters that I deal with are constantly driving me towards procrastination and anxiety, and I must learn to overcome, or I will be consumed.