Monster literature
Monster literature is a genre that explores the themes of good and evil through the representation of monsters, often evoking feelings of horror and fear. The concept of the monster, derived from the Latin word *monstrum*, signifies something abnormal or supernatural. This genre has roots in ancient times, where myths featured monstrous beings that reflected societal fears and the unknown, serving as cautionary symbols against natural phenomena or moral decay. Classic examples include Greek mythology's Cyclops and the Gothic novella *Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*.
Historically, the portrayal of monsters has evolved, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, coinciding with advancements in science and societal changes. Works such as *Beowulf*, *Frankenstein* by Mary Shelley, and *Dracula* by Bram Stoker illustrate different archetypes of monsters—representing nature, created beings, and the darker sides of humanity, respectively. These narratives often comment on complex themes such as identity, societal norms, and the consequences of human actions. Through the lens of monster literature, readers gain insight into the fears and moral dilemmas of the cultures that produced these stories, highlighting the enduring fascination with what lies beyond human understanding.
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Monster literature
Monster literature is a genre that generally focuses on good and evil and in which a monster represents evil. The story is meant to inspire feelings of horror and fear. The word monster comes from the Latin word monstrum, meaning “abnormal or supernatural in appearance.”
Monsters have figured in the earliest literature known to humankind. The ancient Greeks and Romans had monster myths, as humans do in modern times. The meaning of the monster is a reflection of the society that creates it. The monster may represent nature, the unknown, or human fears, among other ideas. It embodies what cannot be explained and must therefore be feared.
Background
Human fascination with monsters likely lies in prehistory, when all that lay beyond the reach of a fire’s light was mysterious and threatening. Monsters, in the form of animals that would kill and eat them, were real. Early humans did not know the reasons for or causes of natural events, such as storms and sunsets, and created stories that explained these events. They often invented monsters in the process.
One such monster is the Cyclops of Greek mythology. The Cyclops has a single eye in the center of its forehead. Stories claim that Cyclopes are the makers of the thunderbolts used by Zeus, the god of lightning and thunder. Zeus and the other gods were fearsome, but the Cyclopes ate humans. The monsters’ terrifying appearance may be based on ancient mammals related to modern elephants. Like elephants, they had a long trunk and a nasal opening in their skull above the mouth. Early humans who saw these skulls might have believed that the nasal openings were eye sockets and imagined a monster with one eye. Over time, the monster became linked to Zeus as humans invented stories to explain thunder and lightning.
Many monsters in literature and popular culture arose during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as science and technology became prominent in society. Author and literature expert Leo Braudy divides these monsters into groups that represent the rejection of rationality. First is the monster from nature, such as the Loch Ness Monster and Godzilla, which represents the natural world that humans believe they have tamed. The created monster, such as Dr. Frankenstein’s creature and androids, is meant to do humankind’s bidding until it turns on its creator. The monster from within, such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, refers to the dark side of human nature. Finally, the monster from the past, such as Dracula, represents pagan beliefs that challenge Christianity.
Overview
Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey date to about 800 BCE, although they likely developed earlier and were passed down orally. These tales include many of the oldest monsters, including the Cyclops, sirens, sea monsters, and ghosts. The Greek hero, Odysseus, faces many tests of his strength and cunning on his long voyage home from war. He loses all his crew and several ships and both angers and pleases a variety of gods and other supernatural beings. Odysseus fights the monsters throughout and defeats them.
One of the earliest examples of monster literature is Beowulf. The oldest manuscript of the Old English poem was probably copied about one thousand years ago, but the story itself likely is much older and originated in the oral tradition. Beowulf is the hero of this story, while the villains are the monster Grendel, his mother, and a dragon guarding a treasure. Grendel is described as a giant of human-like shape. He is said to be a descendant of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who according to the Bible was cast out after he killed his brother, Abel. Grendel and his mother live in a cave beneath the waters of the moors. From his lair, the monster emerges at night to snatch Danes from King Hrothgar’s hall and carry them away to eat, bones and all. Beowulf, hearing of this dreaded monster, arrives to save the Danes. In his first encounter with Grendel, Beowulf tears off the monster’s arm. Grendel retreats to his lair to die. The next night, his mother kills the king’s closest adviser in retaliation and runs away with her son’s arm. Beowulf follows her to her lair, where he kills her. Late in life, Beowulf fights a monster that is threatening his people. The aged king defeats the fire-breathing dragon, but in dealing it a death blow, is himself mortally wounded and dies. The monsters in this poem represent various elements of society. The dragon is greed; it begins its killing spree because a human steals a golden cup from its hoard of treasure. Grendel and his mother are unknown. While all the humans in Hrothgar’s hall and Beowulf’s kingdom are known entities, their family ties evident, the monsters are unknown quantities. Nobody knows where their loyalties lie because their lineage is mostly unknown. While the monsters are physically dangerous, they also threaten society’s makeup, which in those dark centuries relied on knowing and trusting those with whom one lived.
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus was written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1816. She was spending the summer with her husband, poet Percy Shelley; poet Lord Byron; and several others. The writers told one another old German ghost stories. Lord Byron suggested that they write their own ghost stories. Mary Shelley imagined a corpse composed of parts from various bodies and reanimated by a scientist and his invention. She expanded the short story into a novel, which was first published in 1818. In the story, Victor Frankenstein creates his monster while at university. He quickly realizes his mistake and is horrified by what he has done. Frankenstein flees. Meanwhile, his creature progresses through a series of emotional states. He is intelligent and feeling and comprehends that he is unlike any other person. He finds Frankenstein and demands that his creator make him a companion. When the doctor flees once again, the creature—who is never given a name—becomes bitter. Eventually, the monster takes his revenge by destroying everything Frankenstein cares about. The tale, one of the first true science fiction novels, is influenced by the scientific advances of the nineteenth century. It also serves as commentary on parent-child relations. The scientist—the parent—abandons and rejects his creation—the child. In retaliation, the child destroys the parent.
Dracula by Bram Stoker was published in 1897. The villain is a vampire, a monster that lives by feeding on the living. The titular Count travels to England and feeds upon Lucy Westenra. As blood loss weakens Lucy, her doctor consults Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. After many deaths, the heroes slay the monster. The vampire represents many of the fears and concerns of the Victorian era. Many in Britain’s upper classes worried about immigration, moral decline, and sexuality. The old ways—the superstitions and myths—clashed with technological advances and the scientific method. The immigrant, Dracula, hid in seedy parts of London. He threatened virtuous maidenhood by preying on young women.
Vampires and other monsters continue to be reinvented by authors. As society changes, so does the meaning of these creatures.
Bibliography
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Braudy, Leo. Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds. Yale UP, 2016.
Braudy, Leo. “Why We’ll Always Be Obsessed with—and Afraid of—Monsters.” PBS, 29 Oct. 2017, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/why-well-always-be-obsessed-with-and-afraid-of-monsters. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.
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