Study Like a Boss
We would always look in the darkest places for monsters: under the bed, in the closet, out in the woods where light could never penetrate the trees. We would always let our imagination wander to depict creatures that replicated hairy beasts with angry fangs and cat-like eyes whose pupils never enlarged to show their good … Read more
In the late 700’s, the Vikings began their raids in England. Their excursions first targeted monasteries on the coast and slowly spread across the nation until the English and Nordic cultures blended into one. The history of the invasion is well documented in historical texts and letters written by the monks in the monasteries, and … Read more
Chuck Palahniuk’s Invisible Monsters Remix reflects multiple theories presented in Peter Mendelsund’s What We See When We Read. Throughout Palahniuk’s episodic novel, the reader is taken, nonlinearly, through the life of protagonist, Shannon McFarland. McFarland, a former fashion model, purposely injures her face in attempt to start a new life for herself. Her friend, Brandy … Read more
Are There Monsters in Harry Potter? In J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we are introduced to a well developed and rich world in which humans, monsters, and marvels of all varieties live together, in a place tied together with magic. There are seemingly regular people, wizards, witches, ghosts, goblins, serpents, dark … Read more
The moment in which Frankenstein attempts to conceive his own creation is a fundamental allegory within the novel. This passage – the conception of Frankenstein’s monster – in fact represents Victor’s botched attempt at bypassing the role of women in society. Similarly, his fear of the power which women wield is revealed through his dreams … Read more
The concept of monstrosity, at an explicit representational level, has followed a set pattern in literature, but it has been politically deployed and modified differently in different contexts. Etymologically, the word “monster” is derived from the Latin monstrum, meaning “that which reveals” — a warning or a portent. It is often used to refer to … Read more
Beowulf’s fight with Grendel proves his heroic credentials and strength. Grendel, the unstoppable demonic troll, all but surrenders at Beowulf’s squashing grip. The bone-crushing grab, however, raises a crux debated by Beowulf scholars: Does Beowulf make the first move and put the death clamp on the approaching Grendel? Or does the blood-smeared Grendel strike first? … Read more
