According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, monstrosity is something deviating from the normal. But according to Vocabulary.com Dictionary, monstrosity is something so hideous that you can hardly stand to look at it, like a zombie or an ugly modern building. There is also the word monster which according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure, a threatening force, or a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty. But to me personally, I describe monstrosity as something that is violent, brutal, and does inhumane acts. Monstrosity is an adjective which comes from the Latin word for monster, or monstrum, with a root, monere, that means “warn,” from the tradition of interpreting monstrous, deformed animals as omens -- or warnings -- of bad luck. Now let me break down monstrosity into just monster, and explain the history behind monster. The word monster came from the English language between the 12th and 14th centuries from the Old French term monstre, which appears to be used in Middle English as either and evil omen, as stated above, or a frightening physical …show more content…
Well today in society, the line between hero and monster is blurred. It isn’t as clear as we would think it should be or that it ever was. Throughout history is has always been filled with Monsters disguised as heroes and Heroes that look like monsters. There are monsters that are flawed, but in some ways redeemable, and there are heroes who are flawed and broken. Well to me, what separates a hero from a monster would have to be their intentions. Intentions means an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. So for something to be a hero, then it would have to have good intentions that benefit the safety of society. And for something to be a monster, then it would have bad intentions that are meant to hurt someone or
Monsters are born in literature through their words, origins, thoughts, and actions. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer, as well as Burton Raffel’s Beowulf, contain such monsters that are large impediments to the hero’s quest. Also the expeditions or quests are affected in terms of intimidation by the monsters who are always overwhelming at first to the pessimistic eye such as how the Israelites viewed Goliath, the Philistine, when David went to fight him. A monster’s thoughts, origins, and words are often used to construct the description of monstrosity in literature and are very critical.
In Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Monster Culture (Seven Thesis), Cohen analyzes the psychology behind monsters and how, rather than being a monstrous beast for the protagonist of the story to play against, “the monster signifies something other than itself”. Cohen makes the claim that by analyzing monsters in mythology and stories, you can learn much about the culture that gave rise to them. In Thesis 1 of Monster Culture, Cohen proposes that “the monster’s body literally incorporates fear, desire, anxiety, and fantasy”, specifically the fear, desire and anxiety of the cultures that gave rise to it; for example, vampires, undead, represent a fear of death. Monsters are born of an intense fear, desire, or internal conflict, “at this metaphorical
Comparing society in Beowulf and society in Frankenstein is like comparing a simple farm to the processing plant; futuristic and totally dissimilar. Although, the core ‘monsters’ are unchanged; grotesque, horrifyingly pagan-esque beings of the dark that strike terror in to the hearts of even the stoutest of fighters and the sanest of men. In the Christian and Medieval world, monsters were human beings with an unnatural birth or a birth deformity (Stitt, 2003). The term ‘monster’ derives from the Latin term ‘monere’ which means ‘To warn’ or ‘to advise’ and ‘monstrum’ which is ‘a sign or portent that disrupts the natural order as evidence of divine displeasure’. The aspect of ‘Divine Displeasure’ is attributed almost perfectly to Grendel, the monster of Beowulf and the terror of Hrothgar.
In Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the creature 's acquisition of knowledge leads to his diversion from benevolence to pure hatred towards mankind. The works of Victor Frankenstein, the monster was created by old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a spark making him come to life. The Creature enters life as an eight-foot giant only to have been created with the intellect of a newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, the Creature attempts to integrate himself into society only to be shunned away in disgust by humanity. The Creature then makes his way and lives next to a human family which is essentially the start for the creatures detestation towards humanity.
Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines a monster as "a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty. " The being is unnatural right from the very beginning; his "birth." He was not carried in his mother's womb and delivered as normal babies are. The being is solely a construction of random corpses' bodily parts sewn together and brought to life. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, society continually regards Victor's creation as a monster, both physically and psychologically.
Monsters are often classified based upon their appearance and inhumane characteristics. In the book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein tears apart graveyards for the formation of a new being, which is brought to life with electricity. Frankenstein was fascinated with life itself and wanted to create this being through the dead with the use of science. After multiple years of suturing this new being together Victor succeeded in bringing this creature to life. Although realizing what he had just created Victor is repulsed by this new being and calls him a Monster.
These creatures can have their origin in the supernatural realm or come about through ominous scientific experiments, often times the two are very hard to differentiate(cf. Hurley 192). A popular reading of this trope is the notion of repressed anxieties and desires manifesting themselves in the form of monsters (cf. Dryden 20, cf. Halberstam 9).
The fear felt for monsters and ultimately connected to desire. Jeffery Cohen has a clear opinion of this. “We distrust and loathe the monster at the same time we envy its freedom, and perhaps its sublime despair.” They are both terrifying and the heart of fantasies. This accounts for the monster’s popularity.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein brings his creation to life and has to endure the repercussions of his actions. While Victor is in fact human, the question of whether the creature or Victor is more human still stands. Humanity is demonstrated as compassionate in the book and monstrosity is the opposite. The creature is more human because of his developed personality and desire to be human. Victor, although born into a humane family, evolved into everything bad about humanity; he developed obsession, resentment, and manipulated life to conform to his idealities.
Do you know what defines a hero? Fictional heroes are characters who go through a long process called the Hero's Journey. Real life heroes can be similar to the fictional ones. Heroes are the people who help and inspire others. Anyone in the world can be a hero if they inspire other people.
The monster archetype has been one of the most riveting archetypes that surrounds the concept of ‘evil’. It has been portrayed as a supernatural creature with grotesque features that normally brings disruption to the city and needs to be tamed or controlled to bring once again peace to the story. Due to this, it is most commonly depicted with a negative connotation, and with the idea of horror and fear. The monster has been present since the bible, which was written approximately 3,400 years ago, with the anecdote of Goliath. It has remained with its primary role of converting the protagonist into a hero and providing fear to the storyline.
The definition of Prejudice is, “An unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason”(Dictionary.com) The majority of humans tend to judge others by appearance rather than personality. Examples derive from culture and treatment of African American people and how others perceive them to be. Prejudice and appearance are prevalent in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein as well as today’s culture which has consequences regarding race, age, religion, etc. In Frankenstein, the monster is a hideous, vicious being of large stature who has the potential to cause injury, so he is perceived to be malicious due to these characteristics.
Is Frankenstein a Hero? (An Analysis of the Story Frankenstein) The story Frankenstein can be interpreted differently by many people. Some people may view Frankenstein as a hero.
The Creature in Frankenstein Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” is an inspirational work of horror and science fiction; it is the narrative of an unorthodox act of creation, of a monster which torments his miserable creator. The author puts forth ideas, and reinforces it through the development of the plot, that mankind is capable of both good and evil. Shelly demonstrates the ‘humanity’ of the creature; his actions and his inclination are like those of mankind. Indeed, even the negative aspect of his character, demonstrated through his quest for revenge, has a parallel in the actions of his human creator. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” the creature is represented as being vicious and murderous but he is not inherently evil or malicious.
With more broadcasting of evil each day, the question; “what makes a monster” is often asked. Monstrosity is the state or fact of being monstrous. Monstrous by definition can mean having a frightening opinion, extremely large, or a person who is outrageously evil. Many artists and journalist have tried to tackle the question, though two authors in particular stand out. In Frankenstein Mary Shelley uses the hideous looks of the monster along with the average looks of Victor to show her readers that monstrosity comes from within.