Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. Bolden testifies that he bought cigarettes from Bobo Evans and that Evans told him about the robbery. Lovecraft_. Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. I loved this book. If specters of the past still haunt our present, they may yet invade our future. 335 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in. They are created to explain racism, cover up worse monstrosities and signal changes and the state of the nation at the time. Contact us W. Scott Poole. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). 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. Anne Bradstreet Poems Five of our Favorites by the Puritan Poet! ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. Instead it's more about the social function of the monsterous and why people believe what they believe and how different folkloric monsters became popular at different times in history. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Highly recommended. OBrien tells Steve he will have to testify on his own behalf and put some distance between himself and King. The evidence that Poole provides . 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). He decides to make a movie about his experience. Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. We can anticipate either alien salvation or judgment from beyond. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. . Want 100 or more? In 2016, he wrote the Bram Stoker Finalist _In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. I feel like the author did a great job at deconstructing America's social issues and how they connect to the monsters/fears/entertainment of the time. Jos Delgado, an employee of the drugstore, tells how he found Mr. Nesbitts body and noticed that cash and cigarettes were missing. They Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. 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. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. Monsters in America Project chapter ( 2,3,4,5,6,7) For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Definitions of the monster, he adds, change over time and with each generation. He reveals how monster stories went west to Sand Creek and Wounded Knee, bringing the preoccupation with monsters into the twentieth century through the American Indian Movement. Michelle Shannon is licensed under a )1980-present and discuss ways in which the monsters of the era are the products of historical change, conflict and context. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. 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. Monsters in America | PDF | Slavery | Racism - Scribd Satan in America: The Devil We Know by W. Scott Poole - Goodreads Monsters in America is lively and entertaining throughout. Steve records suicidal thoughts and violent prison incidents. The horrible treatment of indigenous peoples and slaverys practice is sin that stains Americas history. W. Scott Poole, Monsters arrived in 2011and now they are back. Please use a different way to share. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Harmon explains that in his cell. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. Amazon has encountered an error. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile of additional books to read. The book won the John Cawelti prize from the Popular Culture Association for the best book published in pop culture history for 2011. In this way he resembles Frankenstein, who alienates himself by pursuing forbidden knowledge. Books About Race in America; Coretta Scott . Review: MONSTERS IN AMERICA - Scott Poole - The Englewood Review The guards take the bleeding dude away. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. 20% Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. Simplistic and not incredibly thoughtful, but useful for my purposes, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012. 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. Trick-or-treat! can only mean one thingHalloween. [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. Here's where you'll find analysis of the main themes, motifs, and symbols in Monster. 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. Please try again. Best Leonard Cohen Books Biographies and Books by the Songwriter. I appreciated that in this second edition he shows how our language of the monstrous has played a role in instances like the police shootings of unarmed black people and how visions of dread play into Donald Trump's rhetoric. It felt more like I was reading a college midterm (not even open book), and less like strong literary criticism. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. 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? However, his interpretations and implications are nothing less than threatening to whatever status quo our authorities would prefer us to maintain. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2017. Its cohesive, cursory, and has a smattering of typos. SparkNotes PLUS For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. Interesting as a surface-level exploration of "Monster Theory". Just about all the scarey things that crawl into popular media hail from the leaf-littered shadowy forests that haunt the American mind. But Africans were still human and had their morals, yet the Europeans saw them as a type of monster during the slave trade era. FABULOUS! Monster: Study Guide | SparkNotes Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. Edna St. Vincent Millay Five of our Favorite Poems ! Steve writes about his fear, anger, and pain and his rising sense of panic about the outcome of his trial. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. 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. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! She identifies James King as being one of the two young men. I found it informative, fascinating, thought-provoking and well-written. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Insightful and brilliant! Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. for a group? A.Universal white male suffrage B.Public education C.Child labor D.Temperance. (Gary Laderman, Professor of American Religious History and Cultures, Emory University), (J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion). The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. He compares himself with the other prisoners. In Virginia's sectional differences, what natural boundary marked the dividing line between the traditional thinkers and those desiring reforms to have greater representation? From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Societal values impact individuals only as much as we understand an individuals values. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% | I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. Continue to start your free trial. An unexpected guilty pleasure! For Professors: Exam Copies. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. I would love something like this for the UK. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. On Being with Krista Tippett Top 10 Best Episodes! Victor sees the monster's point of view and agrees to create a mate for the monster. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dark roots of America culture." Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. . 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. 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. Often fascinating attempt to look at monsters through the lens of American history, Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011. Free trial is available to new customers only. 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. Discount, Discount Code Monster Chapter 1 | Shmoop 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.' You'll also receive an email with the link. Poole suggests monsters are created by America to mask its own monstrosities or monsters exist which interpret American culture. If you view everything that has happened in the last ten thousand years as an atrocity committed by (American) White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men against the wide-eyed, helpless, innocent (and rather stupid) non-male/non-white world in a concerted race (or gender where convenient) war and stolidly ignore all contrary evidence, the world is full of monsters. Not only that, but Sandra Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, is a very good lawyer. Monster was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2018. Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. Before you get all "He's Anti-American!" 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.". The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". OBrien tells Steve that her job is to make him a human being in the eyes of the jury. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. Scott Poole's Monsters in America Examines Our Fears - Dread Central 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. 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. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. InMonsters in America,Scott Poole asks these thought-provoking questions while traveling through American history following the evolution of the monster over time. Monster Culture - University at Buffalo I found the book interesting and informative, it's brief but gives you just enough to perhaps to look further on your own. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Dorothy Sayers Where to Start with her Mystery Novels? Subject I have a lot of interest in and the author seems to have done a lot of work/research. Especially enlightening is the the animistic portrayal and subsequent fear of African-Americans that has permeated society since they were first brought to the Americas on slave ships. 2023 Project MUSE. These summaries should not . 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. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! 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. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Henri Nouwen Books An Introductory Reading Guide. 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. religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. This is an amazing book. Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. serial killers, each generation faced its own challenges and highlighted its fear within its own monsters. Buy now: [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ]. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Monsters in America (2nd ed.) by W. Scott Poole (ebook) - eBooks.com Classic Gratitude Poems Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, MORE. 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. Usually just called Athena, this goddess emerges from Zeus's head fully-grown and armed. SparkNotes PLUS In 2009, Poole published _Satan in America: The Devil We Know__ (Rowman and Littlefield), a cultural history of the image of Satan in American religion, history and popular culture. Wendell Berry Poems Seven of Our Favorites! In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. 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. 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? Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. 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 Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. It is not a book on actual monsters but how Americans find monsters in different eras on social constructs. The book takes you from the trenches at Ypres to the backlots of Universal Studios and introduces you to the artists, writers, and directors who shaped the world of horror we know today from their own encounter with the carnage of the Great War. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Monsters in America is W. Scott Poole's interpretive history. Steve worries about why OBrien turned away from him after winning the case. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The defense rests after Sawickis testimony. 1945-1960 2.) 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. Pooles constant harangue against anything conservative is a thin criticism to begin, stretched beyond any semblance of recognition by the end of the book. Visit the new website for more about the book, upcoming events, and to keep up with Scott Poole's blog. All rights reserved. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. 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. 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. 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. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives. Sometimes it can end up there. Free trial is available to new customers only. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. 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. Mr. Pooles evidence is as intriguing as it is informative. for a customized plan. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. "The American past reads like something of a horror movie, maybe even a low-budget slasher. does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. One Bear Place 97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363 Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. The jail guards come in, and everyone lines up against the wall while they get rubber-gloved. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. 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. Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. 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). Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. 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. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). Through the two and a half weeks I took with this book, I have been citing it in conversation. For my own part, I have been studying and writing about Gothic horror for some years. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. But too often he ascribes American injustices with little more than a metaphorical connection to monster movies. When social conservatives oppose something, like - say -. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. 20% 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. 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 "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. For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. Which one would you like to know more about and why? Synopsis: From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Continue to start your free trial. 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. 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. You can view our. 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. Acknowledgements: Thank you to Kelly Hughes from Dechant-Hughes for my review copy! Hades Roman name: Pluto. Monster's In America Flashcards | Quizlet Dallas Willard Books Seven Essential Titles to Read! ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. She tells the jury that James King and Steve Harmon, along with two other criminals, robbed a drugstore. This book is quite well researched, makes a few interesting connections, and is very accessible. Poole presents his findings methodically through well-documented facts and similar studies.
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