He states that he knows James King and Osvaldo Cruz, but only casually. In some ways, this felt more like a book about racism and sexism on celluloid and in politics than a book about "Monsters." Free trial is available to new customers only. 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. uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. 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. SparkNotes PLUS Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. Monsters in America (2nd ed.) Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Dallas Willard Books Seven Essential Titles to Read! It's a comprehensive look into ghoulish, weird, and woke world--10/10. Well-written and engaging,Monsters in Americais a must-read for anyone fascinated by history or monsters or both. I do wish the author would've delved into certain subjects more as he did the last half of the book which was very compelling. Monsters in America Project. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. Monsters in America is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. Michelangelo Biographies Best Books on the Renaissance Artist! After Steve hears the verdict, he turns to OBrien for a hug. Pallas Athena Roman name: Minerva. I seem to be having bad luck with books lately, but the writing style just didnt connect with me. Fall 2022 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! If it bleeds, it reads. Poole wants to tell a story and take his readers on a journey, and he definitely does so. The atheist taught that inflicting suffering while enjoying the process is human nature. Lewis Biography (And Other Biographies /Companion Guides)! He wrote in his journal. He argues that our myth of conquering the monster has made us particularly inclined to turn other groups of human beings into monsters and to justify their oppression or domination. Date. 1 (1998): 90-102. Ten Important Women Theologians To Start Reading. While real monsters do exist, the reality of our own monstrosities mirrors not a national heritage as much as our human heritage. A lot of people gave it poor reviews, maybe because they didn't like what the author plainly demonstrated, that the real monsters in America are the Americans, mainly the white Americans. Monster presents through the obvious things, for example, krakens or werewolves. The jail guards come in, and everyone lines up against the wall while they get rubber-gloved. He compares himself with the other prisoners. Good references in the book that I looked up to further read about horror movies and their importance to our sociological perspective. This is such an interesting and compelling about our connection to the monstrous and the monstrous' role in expressing national anxieties in our popular media. Renews March 11, 2023 I loved this book. session with vampires and zombies, Poole plots America's past through its fears in this intriguing sociocultural history. 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. Whats worse is how these monster images exist even until today. Interesting as a surface-level exploration of "Monster Theory". 2023 Project MUSE. Starting with the Puritan era and the fear of witches and ending with the modern-day fascination with the monsters within us, i.e. Poole agrees telling us early and often You are the main character in this terror-filled little tale (xviii). Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. Probably more 3.5 stars. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. The pages are littered with characterizations which demonize only a conservative set of ideas. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. The Monthly Kindle Ebook Sale March 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 23 February 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 16 February 2023, Rumi Poems Eight of Our Favorites by the Sufi Mystic, Walt Whitman Poems 8 of our Favorites from Leaves of Grass, Alexander Pushkin Five Poems by the Russian Poet, Against Christian Nationalism: Essential Books [A Reading Guide]. Petrocelli, OBrien, and Briggs make opening statements on the first day of Steves trial. One wishes for a consistency in commentary. In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. SparkNotes PLUS Visit the new website for more about the book, upcoming events, and to keep up with Scott Poole's blog. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Filmmakers create celluloid illusions with that in mind. We can anticipate either alien salvation or judgment from beyond. Steve tells his story through handwritten notes as in a journal and a typewritten screenplay. Insightful and brilliant! Lovecraft_. 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. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. (one code per order). In this way he resembles Frankenstein, who alienates himself by pursuing forbidden knowledge. 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. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in. Salvatore Zinzi, a prisoner at the Rikers Island jail, testifies that another prisoner, Wendell Bolden, told him about the drugstore robbery. I would love something like this for the UK. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous other not only reflects societys fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.. new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. If you've got an interest in horror, this is definitely worth a read. The jury returns verdicts of guilty for James King and not guilty for Steve Harmon. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. 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. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. It is an alternative view of history through something that is not necessarily studied in such depth and over such a long period of time. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. I hated this book. Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. by Michelle | Nov 30, 2011 | Books Read in 2011, P Author | 0 comments, Title: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting, 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. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Another problem for Steve is that James King, a young Black hood, is Steves co-defendant. An unexpected guilty pleasure! the bell witch, the roanaoke colony, etc.) During the robbery, Aguinaldo Nesbitt, the fifty-five-year-old owner of the store, was killed. This book is a wonderful introduction to American history through the lens of monsters. religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. They are manifestations of our society. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. An interesting and accessible overview of the link between American history and the monsters that fascinate them. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. W. Scott Poole, Monsters arrived in 2011and now they are back. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. In his new preface and expanded conclusion, Pooles tale connects to the presentillustrating the relationship between current social movements and their historical antecedents. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. 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Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. The Monster feels completely alienated: "none among the myriads of men" will take pity on him. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Wed love to have you back! 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. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. See a complete Character List for Monster, as well as in-depth analysis of its most important characters. Marilynne Robinson 10 Freely Available Essays! Here's where you'll find analysis of the main themes, motifs, and symbols in Monster. This book is quite well researched, makes a few interesting connections, and is very accessible. Please provide specific examples to support your answers. Societal values impact individuals only as much as we understand an individuals values. He decides to make a movie about his experience. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. but on the whole, an engaging and thought provoking read. Monster was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2018. 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. Please wait while we process your payment. At the very end, Poole implies that for what has gone before, it could very well get worse. Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. 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. 335 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. I wasn't ready for the overtly sociological approach of the book, and was expecting a history, as alluded to in the title of the book. 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. Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. The evidence that Poole provides . Continue to start your free trial. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. Purchasing Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. The opening chapter introduces several motifs that will be present throughout the story. The different types of monsters, whether cultural, supernatural, or moral, all contribute to the meaning of American culture. Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. After Steve testifies, OBrien puts Mr. Sawicki, his film teacher, on the stand. You'll also receive an email with the link. Poole seeks to undermine myths of American exceptionalism by locating monsters that he believes exist outside our psyche, in history. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Scholars will argue over interpretation because that is what scholars do. BUY . Monsters in America argues that historical, political and social conditions produce narratives of horror and create "monsters." Choose one of the following periods 1.) I have an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Powells Books and IndieBound. Acknowledgements: Thank you to Kelly Hughes from Dechant-Hughes for my review copy! TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Petrocelli refers to the defendants as monsters in the community. She then calls two witnesses. Author W. Scott Poole takes a look at America's fascination with the macabre in his book. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. 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. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. Please try again. on 50-99 accounts. Excerpt. 20% But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. Through the two and a half weeks I took with this book, I have been citing it in conversation. A.They would back the federal government against another state B.They would support, What issue was at the root of the nullification crisis of 1832, which turned many Virginia Republicans against Andrew Jackson? In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. Subscribe now. The book made a few strong points, but ultimately it was a mediocre read. This exciting work blends the study of horror films, comic books, religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. 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. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. The Theology of the Early Christians 10 Free Classics! We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. 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??! She asks the jury to recall how Steve conducted himself on the witness stand and to compare Steve with Sal Zinzi, Bobo Evans, and Osvaldo Cruz before they decide who is believable. By adding new discussions of the American West, Poole focuses intently on the Native American experience. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. Then it is OBriens turn to present the defense of Steve. Monster in America is a literature book by W. Scott Poole. Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . 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. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre and anthropology. I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. Steve spends his time making movies about himself, often with Jerrys help. Dont have an account? 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. At times in the book a movie director is taken at his word, the reason for his film given authorial intent. (And as someone who lives with a history PhD and who briefly pursued graduate studies in history myself, I like to believe that I know from whence I speak.) I used this as a textbook for a themed English course: Monsters, Myths, and Magic. Omer-Sherman, Ranen. Continue to start your free trial. Vampira) to explore the history of American sexuality, gender relations and the rebirth of the horror film in post-WW2 America. W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston, where he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. I hoped to expand my interaction in the genre, albeit from an American point of view. 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. Now and Always,The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Now and Always, The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. Steve testifies that he did not take part in the drugstore robbery or discuss it with anyone before it happened. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. In the follow-up to his first book, Satan in America, Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. 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. 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. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Books About Race in America; Coretta Scott . Dorothy Sayers Poems Five of Our Favorites! Indians, the physically disabled, African-Americans, deep-sea animals or mammals, science is a powerful motivator and caused society to vilify those that do not fit the acceptable mold. The State rests its case. Lovecraft in print. 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. 1945-1960 2.) Anne Bradstreet Poems Five of our Favorites by the Puritan Poet! 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. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2013. Here's where you'll find important quotesfrom Monsterand explanations of them. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. She explains that some jurors have decided against him just because he is young and Black, so Steve has to make the jury see him as different from the other defendants. Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? OBrien tells Steve that her job is to make him a human being in the eyes of the jury. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The guards take the bleeding dude away. is lively and entertaining throughout. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Judging from the verbiage, Pooles sub-text for the American monster is conservative-Christian-white-heterosexual-Republican. "Rue Morgue" magazine called it "the best biography of H.P. What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. Please use a different way to share. 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. OBrien tells Steve he will have to testify on his own behalf and put some distance between himself and King. A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. But Africans were still human and had their morals, yet the Europeans saw them as a type of monster during the slave trade era. wish it felt more american- some of the trends were too broad, and I wish thered been more emphasis on early America (e.g. Discount, Discount Code By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Imprint: Baylor University Press. These summaries should not . for a customized plan. Antiracism Books for Christians A Reading Guide, Thomas Merton Books An Intro Reading Guide. Steves lawyer, Kathy OBrien, urges Steve to take his situation seriously because this crime could put him in jail for twenty years or more. That being said, however, if you are a teacher who needs to get a class full of barely literate college freshmen to understand what it means to read / think about things in historical context, Poole's introduction, "The Bloody chords of Memory," is readable and accessible even for a group of resistant and vaguely engaged (at best) 18 year olds. 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. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). 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. He wrote in his journal You can view our. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! Subject I have a lot of interest in and the author seems to have done a lot of work/research. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. Call me crazy, but I don't think a historian's role ought to be the reaffirmation of modern feelings of superiority over everyone else who has ever lived. Frontier wilderness beasts, Freddie Krueger, witches of Salem, alien invasions, and freak show oddities are some of the monstrous creatures. ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. 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. Just about all the scarey things that crawl into popular media hail from the leaf-littered shadowy forests that haunt the American mind. Alien invasions prompt the authors apt comment, The otherness of the monster can embody the sum of all fears but also an escape from fear (131). Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America - Kindle edition by Godfrey, Linda S.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets.
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