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WRIT 1003 (Miller) - Argument Paper Research: Monster Theory

Books & eBooks

Defining Monster Theory

Monster theory examines the cultural significance of monsters in literature, film, and folklore, exploring their symbolic representations of societal fears, anxieties, and taboos.

Monster Culture: Cohen’s Seven Theses

These theses collectively offer a framework for understanding the cultural significance of monsters and their role in shaping human societies and identities.

  1. Thesis I: The Monster's Body Is a Cultural Body: Monsters represent cultural anxieties and fears, reflecting societal values and beliefs through their physical appearance and behavior.

  2. Thesis II: The Monster Always Escapes: Despite attempts to control or suppress them, monsters persist in cultural imagination and often resurface in new forms or contexts.

  3. Thesis III: The Monster Is the Harbinger of Category Crisis: Monsters challenge established norms and categories, blurring boundaries between the known and the unknown, the human and the non-human.

  4. Thesis IV: The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference: Monsters symbolize the Other, embodying marginalized identities or experiences that disrupt the status quo and provoke societal reflection.

  5. Thesis V: The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible: Monsters delineate the limits of cultural acceptability, enforcing social norms by embodying and embodying consequences for transgression.

  6. Thesis VI: Fear of the Monster Is Really a Kind of Desire: The fascination with monsters stems from a desire to confront and explore taboo subjects or forbidden desires in a safe, controlled manner.

  7. Thesis VII: The Monster Stands at the Threshold...of Becoming: Monsters offer the potential for transformation and growth, challenging individuals and societies to confront and overcome their fears in order to evolve.