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Nietzsche philosophy
Characteristics of monsters in literature
Nietzsche philosophy essay
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The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. Monsters have been portrayed in many different ways in many different works of fiction. The inhumane, evil, dark, and scary attributes they are given bring out a sense of wonder and fear into the readers and watchers. The best monsters, however are the ones that make the world think about themselves or the world around them just a bit differently. Leaving them wondering who or what the real monsters are in their world. The physical attributes of a perfect monster are extremely important to the success of that monster. The monster …show more content…
The inhumane actions or atrocities that the monster commits truly distinguishes them from just a being making a bad decision. The perfect monster should be homicidal and spare no life. This act of taking a life is one the most famous and notable action of a monster. This is because we as humans see this as wrong and as a heinous crime. However the monster shouldn’t just kill one class or group of people because that will allow the audience that is not in this class or group to disconnect from the story due to the fact that they would be safe from this monster. Another crucial attribute of a perfect beast is to be slow or deliberate in their actions. This builds up the suspense and the scare from the audience because they are just waiting for the monster to act and waiting gives more time for images and ideas to plant themselves into the head of the audience driving them insane and making them anxious. Maybe the most important action of a monster is that it should always be right around the corner or right in the place where the characters think they are safest. Taking away the idea of a safe place like in a bed under the covers makes the monster completely in control and on a psychological level above the characters. Also this will forever implant a picture of the monster in the head of the audience when they go to this place. On top of always being there the monster should only
The Monster is a short story that was written by Toby Litt in 1968. From beginning to end, from a third person point of view, we learn bits and pieces of information about a ‘monster’ of sorts, living in a world full of questions. This monster does not know, or understand what, or who, he is, and neither does the reader. The audience is often left wondering just as much as the main character is, resulting in a story that keeps readers hooked. The monster is simply called a monster, and never told if it is, or is not so. The Monster is a short story in which Toby Litt uses experimental story structure, a unique voice, and an unusual theme to challenge conventional story telling.
Monsters and Men (Unit Paper). For ages, we have wondered what is the difference between monsters and men that make them who they are. What are the characteristics that define a monster? Typically it’s the bad guy, the person or thing that comes into the story just to cause a massacre or stand in the protagonist’s way.
Monsters are the physical embodiment of fear. Monsters are the physical embodiment due to a wide variety of reasons. The most important being: Monsters’ apparent invulnerability/incredible strength, represent the bad part of society, most often look ugly, represent evil/nightmares itself, are intelligent, and some deviate from the norms are the reasons why monsters are the physical embodiment of fear. Monsters’ incredible characteristics are what strike fear into the hearts of others. In many myths, monsters are a weakness to societies. For instance, the heroes of Rome fight these monsters in order to overcome them which is the symbolic overcoming of weakness by the community. The fear monsters represent is primarily human fear as monsters are generally on good terms with animals and human fear is far deeper than animal fear.
Common sense seems to dictate that people seem to hide from reality in their own monsters that they make. People prefer to watch made up monsters. In their imagination, they find a way to defeat their made-up personality, they to get overwhelm on life problems and monster that they can’t fight.
Monsters and the Moral Imagination, written by Stephen Asma, presents many possible outcomes as to why monsters are the rise. Mr. Asma discusses why monster portrayals could be on the rise in movies, books, and stories throughout his subsection Monsters are on the Rise. Perhaps the rise is due to traumatic events in recent history such as the holocaust or the terroristic attacks of 9/11 in
Jeffery Cohen's first thesis states “the monster's body is a cultural body”. Monsters give meaning to culture. A monsters characteristics come from a culture's most deep-seated fears and fantasies. Monsters are metaphors and pure representative allegories. What a society chooses to make monstrous says a lot about that society’s people. Monsters help us express and find our darkest places, deepest fears, or creepiest thoughts. Monsters that scare us,vampires, zombies, witches, help us cope with what we dread most in life. Fear of the monstrous has brought communities and cultures together. Society is made up of different beliefs, ideas, and cultural actions. Within society there are always outcasts, people that do not fit into the norm or do not follow the status quo. Those people that do not fit in become monsters that are feared almost unanimously by the people who stick to the status quo.
"Beware that, when fighting monsters," These first few lines made me wonder what Fredrich Nietzche meant. What reminded me of was Joe Simpson'sfight with his own monsters. When Joe fell into the crevasse after Simon Yates cut his rope, he was fighting the monster within him. It made me recall how helpless Joe felt, and how he thought someone was going to be there for him but no one showed up. He was down there alone; fighting himself thinking death was at his doorstep. He had a broken leg and was unstable; he was suffering until the end. Another monster he fought down there was the mountain itself. Siula Grande was a beast
In most novel and movies monsters are known to be evil, committing numerous crimes against humanity and are normally the ones that we don’t sympathize with. However, this novel carefully shows the reader that monsters can be good creatures, with a decent heart and act based on the actions of others. The novel shows how the monster should be pitied, rather than criticised. Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” manages to create sympathy for the creature through speech, actions and mistreatment the creature suffers.
Merriam-Webster defines monster as a threatening force, and a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty. Currently in pop culture monsters are dangerous and fatal creatures. For example, the 80s classic of the small-feisty gremlins, and 2017 renewal of the menacing clown named “It.” Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus sparks a revolutionary vision of the illustration of what monsters are today. While Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus is initially thought to follow the melancholy nature of the creature, Victor himself develops a maniacal insanity. Victor’s internal pressure and pursuit to possess the ability of being “God-like”
Monsters can come in various physical forms, but all monsters share the same evil mentality. A Monster is a being that harms and puts fear within people. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a prime example of how appearance does not determine whether a creature is a monster or not. In the story, Victor Frankenstein tries to change nature by creating a super human being. The being appears to be a monster. Victor becomes so obsessed with his creation and then rejects it. Victor is the real monster because of his desire for power, lack of respect for nature, and his stubbornness.
A monster according to the online dictionary is many things; it can be a creature so ugly or monstrous that it scares people, an animal that is not of a normal shape behaviour or character, an animal or human that is huge in size, or a person who excites horror by wickedness or cruelty. I would describe a monster as someone who commits evil deeds and whose general mindset is to cause suffering on other living creatures. By my definition of a monster this makes victors creation a monster but not Victor.
Peter Brooks' essay "What Is a Monster" tackles many complex ideas within Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the main concept that is the title of the essay itself. What is the definition of a monster, or to be monstrous? Is a monster the classic representation we know, green skin, neck bolts, grunting and groaning? A cartoon wishing to deliver sugary cereal? or someone we dislike so greatly their qualities invade our language and affect our interpretation of their image and physical being? Brooks' essay approaches this question by using Shelley's narrative structure to examine how language, not nature, is mainly accountable for creating the idea of the monstrous body.
Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous. Shelley presents two characteristics of mankind in order to prove her case. The first example is Frankenstein’s creation. Upon first being introduced to his creation, the reader initially labels him as a monster because of his physical appearance. He is portrayed as a man with “…yellow skin scarcely cover[ing] the work of muscles and arteries beneath…watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set…shrivelled complexion and straight black lips” (Shelley 58). Not only does the reader view him as...
A common way to describe a modern day monster can be described within the soul and mind. Many people have a complex and confused mind. Stephen King states, “ I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside asylums only hide it a little better- and maybe not all that much better, after all.” Monsters can overpower the mind. Many people struggle to listen to themselves, and they let their monstrous conscience take over their actions which will cause harm to them or people around them. It is common for people to battle monsters within their souls. Many people feel too weak to stand up and be free from
Frankenstein shows that what looks like a monster in appearance my not be and what looks normal on appearance may be a monster. While a scary ugly creature may look like a monster a true monster is formed from within and is scene through actions. Along with this knowledge is power and power has the ability to make monsters. The pursuit to know more is a never ending road that leads to lies, secretes, and monstrosity. “How much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow,” while knowledge is boundless and beautiful an excess of anything can create a monster.