In this week’s reading of “Monster Culture”, Cohen talks about seven different theses that depict what a monster is. Amongst these different descriptions of monsters, there are two that stuck with me: one that I completely agree with and one that I do not agree with.
Cohen states that monsters “inhabit the gap between the time of upheaval that created it and the moment into which it is received, which essentially means that the monster’s significance is defined by the culture that perceives it (Cohen 4). I agree with this argument, as there have been instances in the past when individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities were dubbed as degenerates of society. For example, those who had leprosy were often ostracized by the community around him/her, as the rest of society did not want to associate with that individual. However, today, the sick are very well-cared for by not just those in the medical field, but also by those around them within their community. Although the ailing were once categorized as monsters by their society, now they are not condemned as degenerates but are encouraged as human beings.
The thesis I disagree with is “monsters are our children” (20). Children themselves are not monsters in their current state, as they are simply innocent beings. However, I believe that once children lose their innocence, they can become a monster. Often times, parents strive to protect their children from the cruelties of the world, in hopes to never have their children scarred.
Unfortunately, the children grow to inevitably face the negative aspects of society, which is what causes them to question “why we have created them” (20). As children lose their innocence, they bear self knowledge, which gives them the power to have their own interpretation of everything around them, resulting in the witnessing of potential lies told by their parents.
Sources:
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