OBrien tells Steve he will have to testify on his own behalf and put some distance between himself and King. I suppose history could be read into just about any object. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. I used this as a textbook for a themed English course: Monsters, Myths, and Magic. A well informed, thoughtful, and indeed frightening angle of vision to a persistent and compelling American desire to be entertained by the grotesque and the horrific. Reprinted by permission. BUY . Whether your interest is literature, American history, popular culture, race and ethnicity, women's studies, or religion, you would be happy reading this book. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Poole agrees telling us early and often You are the main character in this terror-filled little tale (xviii). Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. 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". Excerpt. Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! 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. 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. SparkNotes PLUS IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. Sawicki states that he believes in Steves honesty as a filmmaker and as a person. Freedman, Jonathan. John Wesley Sermons - The 7 Best Sermons from the Founder of Methodism. In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. 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 society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.Monsters in America is now online at www.monstersinamerica.com. The author explores American History and how people's fears and reactions to changes in society both affected and were affected by monsters in print and film. Starting with the Puritan era and the fear of witches and ending with the modern-day fascination with the monsters within us, i.e. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. Regardless of the gruesome event, whether it's the Salem Witch Trials back in the 1600s or 9/11 just 10 years ago, one thing remains constant: Americans are obsessed with them. Numerous scholars explore the cultural and political implications of monster and horror films for the times from which they emerge. Few scholars connect such implications across broader expanses of time to reveal how intrinsically monsters and the horrific have been bound up in the history of America. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. Frankenstein (1931) happens when somebody tries to make a more perfect human. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. Please provide specific examples to support your answers. Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. I have an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Powells Books and IndieBound. Author W. Scott Poole takes a look at America's fascination with the macabre in his book. Please try again. Purchasing 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. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers. is lively and entertaining throughout. Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. InMonsters in America,Scott Poole asks these thought-provoking questions while traveling through American history following the evolution of the monster over time. Monsters, he says, are "cultural constructions of the terrible that define what it is we subconsciously fear and what it is we're told to hate or love.". Monsters in America is W. Scott Poole's interpretive history. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. Subject I have a lot of interest in and the author seems to have done a lot of work/research. Good references in the book that I looked up to further read about horror movies and their importance to our sociological perspective. A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. for a group? Monsters in America is W. Scott Pooles interpretive history. Trick-or-treat! can only mean one thingHalloween. 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. Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. Mark Eckel is Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Old Testament at Crossroads Bible College. It felt more like I was reading a college midterm (not even open book), and less like strong literary criticism. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! They are manifestations of our society. Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. These summaries should not . 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. View all 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. [Pooles] book is sufficiently clear and engaging for general readers to enjoy and would make a worthwhile addition to undergraduate course in American history or culture. Dorothy Sayers Poems Five of Our Favorites! C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. Steve worries about why OBrien turned away from him after winning the case. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. "Sick," published by Abrams/Amulet). Renews March 11, 2023 He wonders what OBrien saw. He states that he knows James King and Osvaldo Cruz, but only casually. Pooles constant harangue against anything conservative is a thin criticism to begin, stretched beyond any semblance of recognition by the end of the book. 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. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. Subscribe now. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The book is rich in history, pop culture references, and analysis. Then it is OBriens turn to present the defense of Steve. Salvatore Zinzi, a prisoner at the Rikers Island jail, testifies that another prisoner, Wendell Bolden, told him about the drugstore robbery. Stamped on American culture, the phrase brings to mind images of costumes, plastic masks, and parents holding the hands of little monsters as they collect candy calories. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. Renews March 11, 2023 for a customized plan. by W. Scott Poole. does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Poole suggests monsters are created by America to mask its own monstrosities or monsters exist which interpret American culture. . 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. In some ways, this felt more like a book about racism and sexism on celluloid and in politics than a book about "Monsters." Wed love to have you back! Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. An interesting and accessible overview of the link between American history and the monsters that fascinate them. Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. 62 reviews Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. 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. Marshall1 Jenna Marshall Prof. Goff Writing 1010 12 September 2021 Summary Final In Scott Poole's essay Monsters in America Poole's main claim is that stories of monsters are associated with the troubled history of American history of racism, politics, class prejudice, gender disparity, and how society's fears can be equally showing of our divides. 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. Henri Nouwen Books An Introductory Reading Guide. on 50-99 accounts. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. This is an amazing book. 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. It blends popular culture and American history to present a unique perspective oh why and how we create and perpetuate the monsters we fear most. Available Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. Pooles bibliography is an additional treat as it includes many excellent books for further reading or study - "1973 Nervous Breakdown: Watergate, Warhol, and the Birth of Post-Sixties America" and "Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen" were two titles that jumped out at me thats so full that one could even write their own treatment on the subject. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. It's organized well also: a chapter on one specific type of monster and era makes for a really focused and easy to digest historical examination. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. I feel like three stars is generous for a book that did not bring me any new insights, but it was neither especially good nor especially bad. The fear of anything not considered normal or not well-understood e.g. Monstrosities exist in us and therefore they are all around us. Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. Imprint: Baylor University Press. 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. "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. Sometimes it can end up there. 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. After Steve testifies, OBrien puts Mr. Sawicki, his film teacher, on the stand. damn good primer on monsters in America. I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Best Bob Dylan Books Biographies, Lyrics, and More! Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. Highly recommended. , Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. Through the two and a half weeks I took with this book, I have been citing it in conversation. Sophfronia Scott - The Seeker and the Monk [Review], James Atwood - Collateral Damage - Brief Review, Emily M.D. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. 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. Definitions of the monster, he adds, change over time and with each generation. The strongest witness for the State is Richard Bobo Evans, who admits that he took part in the robbery. Steves parents are glad he is home, but the distance between Steve and his father is growing. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. on me, relax. The opening chapter introduces several motifs that will be present throughout the story. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. ", Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Monsters in America does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! OBrien gathers her papers and moves away, leaving Steve standing with outstretched arms. 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 . W. Scott Poole. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% 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. Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting, Review, Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Epigraph, Preface: With a Warning to the Unsuspecting Reader, Introduction: The Bloody Chords of Memory. 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. However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. 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All Rights Reserved. The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. What could we extrapolate on the ways we lived and what we believed during each era? 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. Purchasing It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. $24.99 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. Monsters in America argues that historical, political and social conditions produce narratives of horror and create "monsters." Choose one of the following periods 1.) It is not a book on actual monsters but how Americans find monsters in different eras on social constructs. But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. But Africans were still human and had their morals, yet the Europeans saw them as a type of monster during the slave trade era. Highly recommended." Jenn's Bookshelves "In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. Scott - For All Who Hunger - Feature Review, Mattix & Thomas, Eds - Christian Poetry in America Since, Copyright 2023 The Englewood Review of Books. Component 2: Summary. Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. 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. 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. This proven textbook also studies the social location of contemporary horror films, exploring, for example, how Get Out emerged from the context of the Black Lives Matter movement. 1960-1980 3. Buy now: [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ]. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. wish it felt more american- some of the trends were too broad, and I wish thered been more emphasis on early America (e.g. I was pretty fascinated through this whole book. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own. Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, calls more witnesses to establish the facts of the crime. A must read for fans of horror and monsters! Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. In 2016, he wrote the Bram Stoker Finalist _In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. 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. I am fiercely passionate about two things: History and Monsters. Discount, Discount Code but on the whole, an engaging and thought provoking read. )1980-present and discuss ways in which the monsters of the era are the products of historical change, conflict and context. I hoped to expand my interaction in the genre, albeit from an American point of view. Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. Emily Dickinson Poems Seven of our Favorites! He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). There was a problem loading your book clubs. In the end, though, I could easily see assigning parts of this book to undergraduates. Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. History is horror. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace.
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