Humanities - Monstrosity Essay free essay sample

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 â€Å"Other† because we as individuals have an â€Å"Other† within us (subconsciously) that we are not willing to show to those in our surroundings. Or, for some, there is a fear of becoming like the â€Å"Other† – the terror or becoming so monstrous and uncontrollable. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, people saw Victor’s creature as a monster. We will write a custom essay sample on Humanities Monstrosity Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So what defines a monster? A standard definition from would be â€Å"any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people† (Dictionary. com). However, even though the creature may seem ugly or monstrous due to its form (different body parts put together), it possesses genuine feelings – a humanlike quality that was overlooked by everyone including its creator, Victor Frankenstein. For instance, whenever the creature approaches people, their immediate reaction would be to scream and run. After many attempts to befriend a human being, the creature becomes angered and saddened through isolation: â€Å"I have good dispositions; my life has been hitherto harmless, and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend, they behold only a detestable monster† (136). Here, I as the reader was able to learn how prejudice can cloud a fair judgment – what could have been a friend is received as a fiend by the first impression (or vice versa, depending on the situation). Without realizing it, we are monstrous since we are the ones who have a bad premonition, which is ironic and hypocritical – judging someone as â€Å"a monster† while, in fact, we are the monster for judging that particular being. Similarly, Grendel in Beowulf was also a creature that was horrific in nature – full of destruction. The contempt towards festivities and joyous music may have derived from the isolation Grendel experiences. After all, he was described as one who is part of â€Å"Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts† (9). There was the same reaction of bitterness present in Grendel as in Frankenstein’s creature: both were castaways which led them to be emotionally-driven in anger. Because of his resentment, â€Å"the God-cursed brute was creating havoc: greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men from their resting places and rushed to his lair†¦blundering back with the butchered corpses† (11). Grendel is nothing more than a misunderstood creature. Having hurt feelings, he too resembles a human being; any person who faces seclusion from his or her friends, family, or society as a whole would be full of frustration, sorrow, anger, and loneliness. This negative response towards emptiness brings out the inner monster in us. In contrast, there is a fear of becoming the â€Å"Other. † In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the charismatic figure seems benevolent; however, his deceiving appearance turns out to be a creature that corrupts mankind – his attractiveness acts as a lure to display vice in people. Dracula targets virgins to become his lamias – so that innocent women can express their inner sexual desires. In the novel, Lucy was killed instead of being transformed as Dracula’s bride because she expresses her feelings of wanting to marry all of her three suitors. Mina, on the other hand, was about to become a lamia because she was innocent and was portrayed as a motherly figure: a matron. Here, corruption is seen to be more amusing if done to someone naive – what fun could there be in corrupting someone already evil? Society can learn the danger of becoming the â€Å"Other† – being pretentious only to bring harm unto others. Moreover, in the 1931 movie of Dracula, the concept of becoming the â€Å"Other† is prevalent when Van Helsing was transfixed for a moment in Dracula’s power – taking several steps towards the nosferatu. Nevertheless, Van Helsing proved that his goodwill was greater than the evil within Dracula by stepping away from the devious creature; proving that although temptation may seem inevitable, with enough willpower, it can be conquered. Comparatively, in the 1941 film The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot becomes a werewolf after surviving an attack made by a wolf man. There was a fear of either becoming a werewolf or being killed by one after the town’s myth became reality – highlighting the culture clash present between the gypsies and the townspeople. For instance, Maleva warned Larry to keep the charm she gave to him as protection; however, like Jonathan in Dracula when given the crucifix, Larry considered the pendant as mere superstition. This shows how people are, more often than not, reluctant to accept cultural differences because of unfamiliarity. They are used to their own customs and beliefs, so when a different idea arises, people tend to reject it – a fear of the unknown. Overall, this course enabled me to understand humanities at a deeper level. I have been taught to dig beyond the literal and how monsters prove to be more human than they appear. In the group project, for example, we have chosen zombies as our main focus and I was one of the three group members that volunteered to research zombie literature. Though originally I thought zombies were simply mindless creatures known for their hunger to feed, I was exposed to a different light: they are mindless and emotionless because they are partially decomposed corpses. This relationship between emotion and rationality can only be possible for living human beings. Even so, an infant (or a child) cannot have the potential for legitimate emotion and rationality, but rather, only mature adults that have reached the full capacity of understanding and reasoning that can possess these qualities. In conclusion, I have enjoyed this class – discovering new ideas and concepts regarding monstrosity and how it relates to human nature and behavior.