Background and Purpose
In the first half of this class we explored fictional monsters, and talked a bit about the role that these monsters play in our culture. We create monsters in our fictional worlds to help us process fear of the unknown–how we respond to anything or anyone who is different from us. This happens in real life as well–groups of people are dehumanized and demonized for their differences which can lead to discrimination, inequality and even violence. In our final paper of the semester we are going to explore the connections between monster theory and dehumanization, and through this exploration, consider how we might try to better understand one another.
select and read chapters from two core reading texts:
The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (particularly sections II, III and IV).
Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization by David Livingstone Smith
You will select two chapters (one from each book) that address complementing themes. You will them write a comparative analysis essay that explores how these readings together approach the topic in different or similar ways.