monsters in america sparknotes

Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous"other"not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.Monsters in America is now online at www.monstersinamerica.com. Stamped on American culture, the phrase brings to mind images of costumes, plastic masks, and parents holding the hands of little monsters as they collect candy calories. Dracula (1931) is based on the fear of foreigners and disease. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. Numerous scholars explore the cultural and political implications of monster and horror films for the times from which they emerge. Few scholars connect such implications across broader expanses of time to reveal how intrinsically monsters and the horrific have been bound up in the history of America. When, meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Design by Booyah Creative. If you've got an interest in horror, this is definitely worth a read. But a third interpretive option exists. Historian W. Scott Poole distinguishes himself by focusing on the American context, providing a history told through the personified expressions of our anxieties and fears. He wrote in his journal. Regardless of the gruesome event, whether it's the Salem Witch Trials back in the 1600s or 9/11 just 10 years ago, one thing remains constant: Americans are obsessed with them. Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. Monster Culture - University at Buffalo (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile of additional books to read. If you will, a shining city on hill built on the bodies of natives, blacks, women, and anyone else we dont like very much. Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com, "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities. Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. Some of his writings can be accessed at www.warpandwoof.org. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Sometimes it can end up there. Poole summarizes, Perhaps our own beliefs about monsters and their intractable nature help to produce the monsters we fear the most (164). Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. Sophfronia Scott - The Seeker and the Monk [Review], James Atwood - Collateral Damage - Brief Review, Emily M.D. But Africans were still human and had their morals, yet the Europeans saw them as a type of monster during the slave trade era. Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Please provide specific examples to support your answers. by W. Scott Poole. Everything from Communists, feminists, and foreigners to Candyman, Dracula, and The Exorcist are examined for the social attitudes to evil that they illuminate (and that we may believe, consciously or subconsciously). From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. A Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Macbeth (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Hamlet (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Julius Caesar (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Othello (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Twelfth Night (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. American history comes at us dripping with gore, victims lying scattered on the ground, eldritch moonlight revealing creeping horrors you never learned from your eighth grade history textbook. Monsters, he says, are "cultural constructions of the terrible that define what it is we subconsciously fear and what it is we're told to hate or love.". Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. Its not a salacious book, either. This was a great concept, but I struggled to even make it through the introduction. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. At the very end, Poole implies that for what has gone before, it could very well get worse. Definitions of the monster, he adds, change over time and with each generation. However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. Marshall1 Jenna Marshall Prof. Goff Writing 1010 12 September 2021 Summary Final In Scott Poole's essay Monsters in America Poole's main claim is that stories of monsters are associated with the troubled history of American history of racism, politics, class prejudice, gender disparity, and how society's fears can be equally showing of our divides. Satan in America tells the story of America's complicated relationship with the devil. Satan in America: The Devil We Know by W. Scott Poole - Goodreads Not only is America guilty of creating its own horrors, failure to acknowledge monsters also creates them (23). 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Monster and Poole.pdf - WRTG1010 . Monsters and American Newer movies like "Terminator," shows what happens when we place our trust in machines. Amazon has encountered an error. But he also shows that the monstrous can be sympathetic, that it can also be used by the oppressed to speak back to the mainstream. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter& download your FREE copy of this ebook! In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. If specters of the past still haunt our present, they may yet invade our future. Project MUSE - Monsters in America A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. They are created to explain racism, cover up worse monstrosities and signal changes and the state of the nation at the time. These summaries should not . But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. In his comments on the 1931 "Frankenstein" W. Scott Poole, relates that the idea of the "abnormal brain" that Fritz grabs for Henry Frankenstein being the cause of the monster's murderous mentality being a reflection of the "scientific rascism" of the day. The State rests its case. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. by Michelle | Nov 30, 2011 | Books Read in 2011, P Author | 0 comments, Title: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting, Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. that Poole have used to describe the events of . Ten Important Women Theologians To Start Reading. For my own part, I have been studying and writing about Gothic horror for some years. Monster Chapter 1 | Shmoop Martin Luther King, Jr. His Prophetic Faith in 15 Quotes, Important Discipleship and Formation Books A Reading Guide Fall 2020, Frederick Buechner Books An Introductory Reading Guide. It is lively and engaging and well researched. (one code per order). I feel like three stars is generous for a book that did not bring me any new insights, but it was neither especially good nor especially bad. What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. Please use a different way to share. Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. 62 reviews Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Pooles bibliography is an additional treat as it includes many excellent books for further reading or study - "1973 Nervous Breakdown: Watergate, Warhol, and the Birth of Post-Sixties America" and "Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen" were two titles that jumped out at me thats so full that one could even write their own treatment on the subject. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning in American history. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Monsters in America is lively and entertaining throughout. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Subscribe now. It is a frightening world we live in, yet the horrific things in our literature and culture play a vital part in helping us reach some understanding, and even some peace about them. Flashbacks in Steves screenplay show Steve playing on the streets, listening to Mr. Sawicki, his film club mentor, and hanging out with James King and Osvaldo Cruz. They Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. Based on new findings and bursting with new interpretations, it offers newcomers and old fans of the America's great horror writer new insight into his life, work, and continuing influence. Monstrosity - Monstrous Beginnings She coaches Steve on how to answer questions on the witness stand. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. It is a frightening world we live in, yet the horrific things in our literature and culture play a vital part in helping us reach some understanding, and even some peace about them. for a group? It's also a great way of introducing the idea that you can use different lenses/ways of writing to introduce and discuss topics. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2013. The Best C.S. Monster in America is a literature book by W. Scott Poole. Petrocelli also calls an eyewitness, Mrs. Lorelle Henry, to the stand. the bell witch, the roanaoke colony, etc.) The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. It is lively and engaging and well researched. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. This exciting work blends the study of horror films, comic books, religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. It's organized well also: a chapter on one specific type of monster and era makes for a really focused and easy to digest historical examination. He wonders what OBrien saw. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. [Pooles] book is sufficiently clear and engaging for general readers to enjoy and would make a worthwhile addition to undergraduate course in American history or culture. I have an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Powells Books and IndieBound. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 An unexpected guilty pleasure! History is horror. 20% on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. Historian W. Scott Poole distinguishes himself by focusing on the American context, providing a history told through the personified expressions of our anxieties and fears. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Vampira) to explore the history of American sexuality, gender relations and the rebirth of the horror film in post-WW2 America. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Petrocelli, OBrien, and Briggs make opening statements on the first day of Steves trial. Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. Steve spends his time making movies about himself, often with Jerrys help. In the follow-up to his first book, Satan in America, Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. I had to read this for a class (one I wasn't too stoked about, if I'm being honest) and went into it with a pretty closed mind. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. Briggs presents his defense of King. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers , new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. I have read Mr. Poole's work before, so I knew I was in for a treat and I was right. Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2012. Please wait while we process your payment. This item: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole Paperback $34.99 The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock Paperback $45.11 On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears by Stephen T. Asma Paperback $28.95 What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Poole invites us into an important and enlightening, if disturbing, conversation about the very real monsters that inhabit the dark spaces of America's past. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile Poole walks readers through the American history of monsters, matching horror trends to American epochs, where it turns out our sociopolitical climate influences the monsters we laud and follow in fiction, film, and the media. View all Unless specifically stated in the review, I have purchased all books reviewed. Salvatore Zinzi, a prisoner at the Rikers Island jail, testifies that another prisoner, Wendell Bolden, told him about the drugstore robbery. Sometimes it can end up there. You'll also receive an email with the link. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Victor sees the monster's point of view and agrees to create a mate for the monster. Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. She tells the jury that James King and Steve Harmon, along with two other criminals, robbed a drugstore. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. If one would like to get into the spirit of monster mania during Halloween, no better place to begin is with the books that generated monster madness: Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. We can anticipate either alien salvation or judgment from beyond. Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. Learn how your comment data is processed. Frontier wilderness beasts, Freddie Krueger, witches of Salem, alien invasions, and freak show oddities are some of the monstrous creatures. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. I would love something like this for the UK. Alien invasions prompt the authors apt comment, The otherness of the monster can embody the sum of all fears but also an escape from fear (131). I seem to be having bad luck with books lately, but the writing style just didnt connect with me. Yuckfest. Monster presents through the obvious things, for example, krakens or werewolves. Reprinted by permission. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. James King has his own lawyer, Asa Briggs. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. The Monster argues that his murderousness is not his fault. | Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . Free trial is available to new customers only. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. That being said, however, if you are a teacher who needs to get a class full of barely literate college freshmen to understand what it means to read / think about things in historical context, Poole's introduction, "The Bloody chords of Memory," is readable and accessible even for a group of resistant and vaguely engaged (at best) 18 year olds. religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. for a group? Its cohesive, cursory, and has a smattering of typos. Monster Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary It's no secret that America is a little messed up. Subject I have a lot of interest in and the author seems to have done a lot of work/research. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. In his new preface and expanded conclusion, Pooles tale connects to the presentillustrating the relationship between current social movements and their historical antecedents. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America.

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