All cultures throughout human history have created stories of monsters that terrorize and haunt our imaginations. These entities take a variety of shapes and sizes, from the uncanny monsters that deceptively appear human, to grotesque creatures that evoke disgust, to beings that take no corporeal form. With such a broad range of beings, it is rather difficult to accurately define this term "monster".
For this essay, you will be assigned a monster novel. Your task is to define what is monstrous, or scary, in this text. These monsters scare us for a variety of reasons. What is it about the monster that frightens us? What fear or anxiety does it provoke within us? This may be an old fear that reaches back into history. Think about why it is important to discuss this fear. Through the appearance or actions of this monstrous being, what message does the novel send?
Frame your argument/interpretation about this novel within a conversation. What have other literary scholars said about this novel? After doing extensive research on your novel using the library and library databases, you will need to decide which texts you agree or disagree with. These views will help you to form your own thesis. Perhaps you may disagree with someone's interpretation of the novel's monster. Or you may agree with her interpretation, but you may have more supporting evidence. Or you may agree and disagree simultaneously, while leaning more to one side.
Novels: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Proposal:
Your proposal is an opportunity for you to clearly and concisely state what you will argue in your essay. You should use the future verb tense "I WILL argue," to show that these are ideas you plan on exploring further in your essay. State your argument/interpretation of the novel. What is monstrous?
What fears or anxieties does this novel evoke? What message does this novel send? Typed, MLA format, 250 words.