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. 1960-1980 3. "Angels, Monsters, and Jews: Intersections of Queer and Jewish Identity in Kushner's "Angels in America."" PMLA 113, no. What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. In fact, perhaps our own beliefs about monsters and their intractable nature help to produce the monsters we fear the most., I've had a question for a long time. 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. 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. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. The history of the United States offers a chamber of horrors, with clergy transforming the Native American other into demonic beings, mad scientists turning state-funded laboratories into torture chambers, and the photographic revolution of the Victorian era turning toward a morbid fascination with the bodies of the dead and the creation of the category of 'gore.' However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. Before you get all "He's Anti-American!" Hes never less than canny on the pop culture angle: Dracula and Frankenstein are almost everywhere in the book, his insights into the fear of zombies are sharp, the comparison of Patrick Bateman and Dexter Morgan is inspired, and the analysis of fifties icons like Vampira and the Addams family are very good. Continue to start your free trial. 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 suggests monsters are created by America to mask its own monstrosities or monsters exist which interpret American culture. What could we extrapolate on the ways we lived and what we believed during each era? Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. He decides to make a movie about his experience. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. I think that what makes the book riveting is that despite the particular social factors and grisly historical events, the book is about the Other in media. He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and. I hated this book. I had trouble finding a consistent narrative in a book that talked about sea monsters, Bigfoot, Universal Movie Monsters, Freak-shows, and several other topics, and never spending enough time on any of them to feel like I was more informed after reading. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. 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. by W. Scott Poole. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile of additional books to read. Poole agrees telling us early and often You are the main character in this terror-filled little tale (xviii). That's What She Read by 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. From 19th century sea serpents to our current Publishers Weekly session with vampires and zombies, Poole plots America's past through its fears in this intriguing sociocultural history. Sometimes it can end up there. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Scholars will argue over interpretation because that is what scholars do. Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! Evenhandedness exists in the books last sentence suggesting that liberal visions of social justice could create something worse (228). Poole presents his findings methodically through well-documented facts and similar studies. that Poole have used to describe the events of . Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, . By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. It was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. Available Without cookies your experience may not be seamless. Petrocelli also calls an eyewitness, Mrs. Lorelle Henry, to the stand. 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. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che 07/08/2019 Summary Paper Summary of Monstrous Beginning In Monster in America written by W. Scott Poole, especially the chapter called "Monstrous Beginnings". 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. History is horror. OBrien gathers her papers and moves away, leaving Steve standing with outstretched arms. A.Slavery B.States' rights C.Internal improvements D.Westward expansion. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. They are manifestations of our society. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. 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. Monsters In America 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. Please use a different way to share. Pallas Athena Roman name: Minerva. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Monster was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2018. 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. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Mr. Pooles evidence is as intriguing as it is informative. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Dracula (1931) is based on the fear of foreigners and disease. He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. However, at times the overt political messages can be more aggressive than effective, the book frequently covers more breadth than depth, and I was left without a clear sense of how monsters in America (US, presumably, rather than hemispheric) differed from those in international nightmares--or how the globalization of monster culture influenced American culture. 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. The atheist taught that inflicting suffering while enjoying the process is human nature. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I found it informative, fascinating, thought-provoking and well-written. During the robbery, Aguinaldo Nesbitt, the fifty-five-year-old owner of the store, was killed. Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. Steve tells his story through handwritten notes as in a journal and a typewritten screenplay. W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston. Its a story that begins with the history of the dark lady of late night horror and branches out into a discussion of the Beats, Bebop Jazz, the birth of rock and roll and the social protest movements of the 1960s. (The medical examiners evidence suggests that the shooter was probably right-handed.) You can view our. 335 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in. I was thrilled to find a book that went with that mindset. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. It's rarely happy news being reported. For me, there are intertwined. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. I have read Mr. Poole's work before, so I knew I was in for a treat and I was right. wish it felt more american- some of the trends were too broad, and I wish thered been more emphasis on early America (e.g. 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. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. If you're looking for an introductory book to the subject, it's a great resource. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. Go to BN.com to get your copy of these helpful resources. Author: W. Scott Poole Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books ): "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. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. A.Universal white male suffrage B.Public education C.Child labor D.Temperance. He states that he knows James King and Osvaldo Cruz, but only casually. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Fyodor Dostoevsky Download all his Novels as Free Ebooks !!! I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Antiracism Books for Christians A Reading Guide, Thomas Merton Books An Intro Reading Guide. Component 2: Summary. Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% You can view our. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. "New light" evangelists of the eighteenth century, enslaved African Americans, demagogic politicians, and modern American film-makers have used the devil to damn their enemies, explain the nature of evil and injustice, mount social crusades, construct a national identity, and express anxiety about matters as . Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. Poole seeks to undermine myths of American exceptionalism by locating monsters that he believes exist outside our psyche, in history. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. More importantly, what is the definition of a monster? new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. Simplistic and not incredibly thoughtful, but useful for my purposes, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012. 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. Dont have an account? Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. )1980-present and discuss ways in which the monsters of the era are the products of historical change, conflict and context. Ten Important Women Theologians To Start Reading. When meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. 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. If you, like me, are both a person that loves old monster movies and cares about history, you'll find this book to be a fun read. ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Detectives Karyl and Williams describe their arrival at the crime scene. 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.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. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Highly recommended. The history of America -- one fear, one monster, at a time. Steves parents are glad he is home, but the distance between Steve and his father is growing. By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. Usually just called Athena, this goddess emerges from Zeus's head fully-grown and armed. Wright Books An Introductory Reading Guide to The Theologians Work, Joy Harjo Poems Five of the Best Poems by the US Poet Laureate, John ODonohue Poems Four of our Favorites. As W. Scott Poole's text will serve as the conceptual framework for the course, this assignment seeks to promote regular critical engagement with the text. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". "Sick," published by Abrams/Amulet). Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. Dorothy Moore, a cousin of Kings, testifies that King was with her at the time of the robbery. Whats worse is how these monster images exist even until today. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. All rights reserved. The different types of monsters, whether cultural, supernatural, or moral, all contribute to the meaning of American culture. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 1945-1960 2.) 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. If you've got an interest in horror, this is definitely worth a read. on 50-99 accounts. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. 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. Wendell Berry Poems Seven of Our Favorites! Wed love to have you back! Other times Poole relies too heavily on social interpreters for his connections. Spring 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! An unexpected guilty pleasure! Not only do they continue to live in our midst, but, as historian Scott Poole shows, these monsters are an important part of our pasta hideous obsession America cannot seem to escape.Pooles central argument in Monsters in America is that monster tales intertwine with Americas troubled history of racism, politics, class struggle, and gender inequality. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Date. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. However, this book was FABULOUS! 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. (one code per order). Monsters and American History W. Scott Poole offers many unique explanations for the creation and story telling of monsters in his essayMonsters in America.Poole examines the cultural history of the monster and how it intersects with American history. Five months later, Steve is again writing in his notebook. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. What would be made of the differences of the heavy, utilitarian coffee cups of the 1940s compared to the cups featuring Gary Larson cartoons so popular in the 1990s? Here's where you'll find important quotesfrom Monsterand explanations of them. Monster is usually used to reflect an individual's actions; especially, it shows for the wrong act of people. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. One wishes for a consistency in commentary. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. I was pretty fascinated through this whole book. The evidence that Poole provides . This was a great concept, but I struggled to even make it through the introduction. All affiliate income is used to support the blog. Get help and learn more about the design. While real monsters do exist, the reality of our own monstrosities mirrors not a national heritage as much as our human heritage. You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. This well-written and thought provoking book examines what scares us and what monsters in popular entertainment have to say about our fears and values in society. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre and anthropology. I hoped to expand my interaction in the genre, albeit from an American point of view. Human beings made him declare "war" by treating him like an enemy. Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, calls more witnesses to establish the facts of the crime. Asa Briggs, Kings attorney, establishes that the police have no fingerprint evidence. While I appreciate and agree with his argument that monsters are "real" because their effects on history / on people's lives have been real, I dislike his assumption that people in the past were the obvious victims of prejudice and misplaced fear and that they were not insightful or intelligent enough to realize what they were truly afraid of. After readingMonsters in America, a reader will view monsters in a completely different light. Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2012. You'll also receive an email with the link. Probably more 3.5 stars. You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers. I found the book interesting and informative, it's brief but gives you just enough to perhaps to look further on your own. Sometimes it can end up there. Anything outside the norm brought about the birth of a monster, which can differ depending on the social, economic, cultural, or political influences of the time. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. He is also the author of _Monsters in America_ from Baylor University Press (2011)._Monsters_ explores the American fascination with vampires, zombies, serial killers and even sea serpents, showing how these creatures of our dark obsessions help us to understand the dark and foreboding places in American history. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2013. An interesting and accessible overview of the link between American history and the monsters that fascinate them. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. 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. Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. Solely focused on the horrors, readers would think that no Christian or church stood against the aberration of Scriptural teaching; but such was the case with missionaries and abolitionists. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Good references in the book that I looked up to further read about horror movies and their importance to our sociological perspective. If it bleeds, it reads. Just about all the scarey things that crawl into popular media hail from the leaf-littered shadowy forests that haunt the American mind. The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. This is an amazing book. But then, I dislike any historical book that loses its sense of historical relativity as well as any book about phenomena that automatically assumes a phenomenon is false and therefore ripe for being disproved and easily rationalized away. Howard Thurman Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Lewis Biography (And Other Biographies /Companion Guides)! Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. But a third interpretive option exists. Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. She tells the jury that James King and Steve Harmon, along with two other criminals, robbed a drugstore. I heard the author on Coast to Coast, and even though he had that dry, flat Midwestern accent (sort of like Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz") I knew I had to get the book. Definitions of the monster, he adds, change over time and with each generation. 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. The image freezes as the screenplay ends. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! 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. Baylor Univ, $29.95 (296p) ISBN 978-1-60258-314-6 From 19th century sea serpents to our current obsession with vampires and zombies, history professor Poole (Satan in America) plots America's. Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. If specters of the past still haunt our present, they may yet invade our future. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Monsters in America instead should acknowledge monsters exist in every culture, every tribe, every era. I took copious notes in the margins, and will be using this book frequently as I continue to work on my own YA horror fiction (e.g. Picked up on a whim, I certainly got the expected analysis of horror movies as a way for Americans to understand and react to their culture, but the author also makes the (very strong and well supported) argument that far from being a way to understand the world around us, monsters are also used by those in power to crush those without under their heel while also ignoring and excusing the fact that they're doing so. Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. on 50-99 accounts. Mary Oliver Essays 10 Prose Selections to Read for Free Online! Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. | Marilynne Robinson 10 Freely Available Essays! Michelle Shannon is licensed under a Students will maintain a list of unfamiliar words they come across in the chapter. On Being with Krista Tippett Top 10 Best Episodes! Monsters in America is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. I would love something like this for the UK. Books About Race in America; Coretta Scott . Satan in America tells the story of America's complicated relationship with the devil. The jury returns verdicts of guilty for James King and not guilty for Steve Harmon. Poole argues that "Monstrous metaphors in American historical life have a way of becoming realthey are intertwined with attitudes and social structures that make the monster possible. Chapters three and four in my copy of the book, for instance, are littered with questions: How did we get here? This is a logical leap! and What??! Both belief about the supernatural and the supernatural itself creates creatures which slither into our thinking-being-behaving. . does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. From 19th century sea serpents to our current. Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. Wed love to have you back! There was a problem loading your book clubs. Novelist Sheri Holman calls the book "a subversive masterpiece.". Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. | Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22).