Monsters in Literature When are they more than a monster?

Vampires Vampires are not about blood and eating people, they almost always have an underlying meaning. What are the elements of a vampire They look ordinary most of the time They are usually older than their victims They are more “experienced” They thrive on power Bram Stoker’s Dracula was interested in exploiting his victims as a resource. He needed them to remain volatile and relevant. He used them, left his mark (which invalidated them in some way), took something from them they could never get back (virginity), and ultimately left them undesirable.

Vampire’s Cont’d The objective of a vampire Sex – this is used for many reasons Exploitation of innocence Taking away of purity/virginity Violation of autonomy Leaves the victim dependent on the sin that brought them in Why sex? This was a taboo topic in the 1800’s and the Vampire was a villain that could represent the seediest part of Victorian society. Why are females the likely victim? Think Adam and Eve. The serpent (vampire) seduces Eve and her sexuality and shame is revealed. This weakness results in the fall from grace.

Ghosts Ghosts are open for interpretation most of the time Generally they refer to something left behind Something undone Something unsaid Regret Disappointment Unfilled goals Look for the ghost to strive for something it lacked in life. Good or bad, the ghost generally needs to fill a hole that was left during life.

Monsters Monsters are much like vampires: they will serve as a representation of the authors intended hidden villain. Monsters from werewolves to dragons can represent these underlying messages from the writer. Monsters can represent an unconscious fear, or an overt fear, felt by all of society. Some of these fears can be irrational and thusly the monster may seem unjustly extreme or completely unrealistic. Monsters have represented the outcast and misunderstood in our society and have been the representation of the repressed for ages. Monsters are often written to appeal to our sympathies even in the midst of heinous actions.

Monsters Cont’d Consider this quote and relay this to the reality of the history to which it refers: For its April Fools' edition, the otherwise serious journal Archaeology interviewed Max Brooks, asking him (tongue firmly in cheek): "Does the archaeological record hold any zombie-related lessons for us today? What can our ancestors teach us about meeting and, ultimately, defeating the undead menace?" Brooks replied: "The greatest lesson our ancestors have to teach us is to remain both vigilant and unafraid. We must endeavor to emulate the ancient Romans; calm, efficient, treating zombies as just one more item on a rather mundane checklist. Panic is the undead's greatest ally, doing far more damage, in some cases, than the creatures themselves. The goal is to be prepared, not scared, to use our heads, and cut off theirs.“ What could we infer by this statement? There are truths within this that allow us to see the reality of the “zombie” apocalypse.