Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for . If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Based on new findings and bursting with new interpretations, it offers newcomers and old fans of the America's great horror writer new insight into his life, work, and continuing influence. Summary (final draft).docx - Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che Briggs presents his defense of King. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). 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. The atheist taught that inflicting suffering while enjoying the process is human nature. He rightly frets over our technology which ineffectively obscures the divine and so Americans create vampire stories which take Gods place (59): Americans are still attempting to apprehend mystery in the midst of supernatural confusion (11). Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. Continue to start your free trial. Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. Novelist Sheri Holman calls the book "a subversive masterpiece.". A Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Macbeth (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Hamlet (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Julius Caesar (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Othello (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes QUICK ADD Twelfth Night (No Fear Shakespeare) by SparkNotes We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Another witness testifies that King is left-handed. In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. In "Monstrous beginnings," the introductory chapter of "Monsters in America: Our Historical, Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting" by W. Scott Poole, the author makes an argument, about how monsters were not only used as entertainment, but were also used as an excuse to, justify the offenses done to the Native Americans as well as the slaves brought from Africa by, the European settlers. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. 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). Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. | Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. Insightful and brilliant! You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at [email protected]. In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Steve testifies that he did not take part in the drugstore robbery or discuss it with anyone before it happened. His new book, forthcoming this fall and available for pre-order, is _Wasteland: The Great War and the Roots of Modern Horror_. Chapter 17 Loading interface - Goodreads Classic Gratitude Poems Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, MORE. The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! Harmon explains that in his cell. Well-written and engaging,Monsters in Americais a must-read for anyone fascinated by history or monsters or both. . But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. Monsters in America has without a doubt earned a spot on my favorite books of 2011. Shop the SparkNotes Collection | Barnes & Noble Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. Highly recommended. Highly recommended for horror or monster fans with an interest in American history; slightly less so for American history buffs with a hobby in monster entertainments. 1945-1960 2.) Spring 2022 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Monsters in America Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. You can view our. The book won the John Cawelti prize from the Popular Culture Association for the best book published in pop culture history for 2011. What I discovered is that Poole should have written two books: his perspective on American history, another on monsters. Paperback; 9781481308823; Published: July 2018; $34.99. Other times Poole relies too heavily on social interpreters for his connections. Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. 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. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. 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. An unexpected guilty pleasure! From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. 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. Poole summarizes, Perhaps our own beliefs about monsters and their intractable nature help to produce the monsters we fear the most (164). Project MUSE - Monsters in America The defense rests after Sawickis testimony. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. 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. While some may believe that there was no conflict between the settlers and the natives, and that, they just coexisted peacefully. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, . Anne Bradstreet Poems Five of our Favorites by the Puritan Poet! 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. I want to start out by saying that I absolutely love the notion behind this book. It is lively and engaging and well researched. Monster presents through the obvious things, for example, krakens or werewolves. Monsters in America (2nd ed.) Subscribe now. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. 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. Wed love to have you back! The two defense counsels, OBrien and Briggs, establish that the witnesses are testifying for the State in return for reduced sentences. Five months later, Steve is again writing in his notebook. Its not a salacious book, either. Monsters in America argues that historical, political and social conditions produce narratives of horror and create "monsters." Choose one of the following periods 1.) Through the two and a half weeks I took with this book, I have been citing it in conversation. the bell witch, the roanaoke colony, etc.) American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in I was thrilled to find a book that went with that mindset. FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Please wait while we process your payment. SparkNotes PLUS Michelle Shannon is licensed under a 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. is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own. OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. This book is a wonderful introduction to American history through the lens of monsters. If you will, a shining city on hill built on the bodies of natives, blacks, women, and anyone else we dont like very much. In some ways, this felt more like a book about racism and sexism on celluloid and in politics than a book about "Monsters." Briggs makes the first closing argument in the case. In his new preface and expanded conclusion, Pooles tale connects to the presentillustrating the relationship between current social movements and their historical antecedents. Christopher Columbus came to the Americas searching for gold, slaves, and monsters. 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. 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. 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. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. The Mist (2007) - Plot - IMDb Poole explains his parameters of a monsters nature from the outside, in: monsters are a product of our collective hatreds outside the human psyche. By so delimiting his interpretation, Poole mirrors his stated concern for other theories that monster interpretations are reductive and overdeterminative (13-18). 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. For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. for a customized plan. In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. But a third interpretive option exists. (one code per order). The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. for a customized plan. Sometimes it can end up there. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Poole never assumes a 1-1 metaphor, but he does show how common themes (the reemergence of the vampire at different points in American history, for example) are useful shorthand for working through these anxieties. See a complete Character List for Monster, as well as in-depth analysis of its most important characters. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. (254) 710-3164. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. $24.99 new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. Howard Thurman Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Excerpt. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. For him, this place is the opposite of realhe has to do everything in front of strangers. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. But Africans were still human and had their morals, yet the Europeans saw them as a type of monster during the slave trade era. Antiracism Books for Christians A Reading Guide, Thomas Merton Books An Intro Reading Guide. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dark roots of America culture." Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. Best Leonard Cohen Books Biographies and Books by the Songwriter. 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. 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. 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. Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. Monstrosity - Monstrous Beginnings 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? Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014. An excellent history of the American obsession with monsters, Poole analyzes our religious and nationalist beliefs to see how we have dealt with the Other in our long, horrifying existence as a nation. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Dorothy Sayers Poems Five of Our Favorites! Marilynne Robinson 10 Freely Available Essays! Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. History is horror. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. Steve tells his story through handwritten notes as in a journal and a typewritten screenplay. The Best C.S. Yuckfest. I hated this book. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre and anthropology. Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. (Greg Garrett, Faithful Citizenship blogger and author of, One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter, (John David Smith, Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte), W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston. Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, calls more witnesses to establish the facts of the crime. Free trial is available to new customers only. 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. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. The different types of monsters, whether cultural, supernatural, or moral, all contribute to the meaning of American culture. (The medical examiners evidence suggests that the shooter was probably right-handed.) 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. 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. Want 100 or more? On Being with Krista Tippett Top 10 Best Episodes! Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. Renews March 11, 2023 The kind of monsters depends on the era. creating and saving your own notes as you read. 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. If you're looking for an introductory book to the subject, it's a great resource. FABULOUS! If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. Imprint: Baylor University Press. 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. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Poole does justice to judgment; the focus of some horror films. Monster is usually used to reflect an individual's actions; especially, it shows for the wrong act of people. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. I have an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Powells Books and IndieBound. 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.". Twelve Important Theology Books of 2021!!! He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Steves lawyer, Kathy OBrien, urges Steve to take his situation seriously because this crime could put him in jail for twenty years or more. 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. The strongest witness for the State is Richard Bobo Evans, who admits that he took part in the robbery. Judging from the verbiage, Pooles sub-text for the American monster is conservative-Christian-white-heterosexual-Republican. 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. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. 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. 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. uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Review: MONSTERS IN AMERICA - Scott Poole - The Englewood Review The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. 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. as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. Design by Booyah Creative. Spring 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! The image freezes as the screenplay ends. Monster was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2018. He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. Asa Briggs, Kings attorney, establishes that the police have no fingerprint evidence. Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. Author W. Scott Poole takes a look at America's fascination with the macabre in his book. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13.
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