Monster Vs Monster

Monsters and “Monster Stories” have functioned as symbolic sites for the “abjection” of struggles within stages of culture between conflicting beliefs for centuries. No cultural group exists by itself, nor is any one completely unified within itself, and no culture is ever completely settled at any one time, each one is always moving between one condition and another and thus between older and newer ideologies or systems of belief. Monsters “abject” the most terrified, unconscious, and unresolved struggles of different cultures. Fear, however, is the only constant in these cultures. Throughout history, monsters have been considered to be anything or anyone that does not fit the physical, social, or mental quo. Society’s lack of acceptance towards those who do not fit the specific mold of that period of time, either turn into monsters or thus prove that society itself is the monster. The concept of the “monster” has evolved over time, but the fear of the unknown has remained the same. William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Micheal Foucault’s Madness and Civilization, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis describe how fear and the concept of the “monster” has evolved over time.

In The Tempest, one of the main characters in the play, Caliban, is identified as a “monster.” This role shows the audience the relationship between Prospero’s power and his status as “master” over Caliban and the other characters in the story. This acted out within the cultural quandaries of Shakespeare and his era, given the conflicted state of christianity and increasing class fluidity. Throughout the play the audience sees signs of social ramifications focusing...

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...n The Metamorphosis. The novel shows that Gregor is unable to adapt and be accepted by people due to his grotesque physique, no matter the relationship. This suggests that our culture bases acceptance on social worth and physical appearance rather than the internal self

Monsters throughout history have been used explain the unknown. They did not fit the culture norms set by their society. They provide the present with an understanding of the mistreating and mistakes of the past, however, monster continue to exist and strike fear to people in our society. Throughout each novel, the audience sees the different attributes of the different monster but the meaning behind them remain the same. The fear of change is societies biggest mistake that continues to occur centuries after centuries. This proves that change isn't the monster, but society itself is.