O’Hara 2QSQ #1 – 9:7:23

SOURCE IDEAS:

“In its function as dialectical Other or third-term supplement, the monster is an incorporation of the Outside, the Beyond — of all those loci that are rhetorically placed as distant and distinct but originates Within.” (Cohen 7).

“The narratives of the West perform the strangest dance around that fire in which miscegenation and its practitioners have been condemned to burn. Amoung the flames we see the old women of Salem hanging, accused of sexual relations with the black devil; we suspect they died because they crossed a different border, one that prohibits women from managing property and living solitary, unmanaged lives” (Cohen 16).

SYNTHESIZING COMMENT/ANALYSIS:

This first source comes from the fourth thesis on “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference,” and to me, this idea of reflecting on the monster’s ability to take the literary embodiment of the Other while in many cases having been created by someone or something within is very interesting. The subtle fears or well-known societal/cultural discriminations of the unknown, whether unfamiliar traditions, values, different races, politics, gender, etc., can be hoisted upon a monster. Connecting with Cohen’s later point under the fifth thesis, “The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible,” I found the section regarding political fears within a given society to be a place where we so often see real damage outside of the literary realm. The example of the Salem witch trials, for instance, showed a much deeper set of fears within that community manifested into monstrous and demonic characteristics and accusations — absolutely utilizing this idea of the monster as the Other, living outside their pure, rigid, and idealized norms. It reminded me of Frances Hill’s book “A Delusion of Satan,” where we can identify the root of many deeper societal anxieties and fears surrounding their reality, such as dieases, Indigenous conflict, and living in such a

repressive culture — especially for women and girls. Thus, identifying a monster, the Other( the witches), they now have a common, unifying enemy that feels as though they can have some say over the true unknowns that plagued their lives.

QUESTION:

From these two excerpts and thinking about how monsters are depicted in contemporary works, I wonder where we might explore the idea of the other/social and political fears today. Are we perhaps moving away from the othering of monsters to condemn real-life people/values and into more of what Cohen also stated is the perspective we gain when monsters approach our world as outsiders looking in? I am thinking about a recent adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel ‘Bones & All’ where the idea of cannibalism and monstrous ac<vi<es are humanized and drive much deeper points about the need for identity and human connec< in society. Rather than try and pin all the errors of other people and other cultures into monsters, we can try and recognize the shortcomings that brought about the monster.

PART 2: IN-CLASS WRITING RESPONSE (NAME:__________________)