monsters in america sparknotes

Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning in American history. 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. 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. 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. Visit the new website for more about the book, upcoming events, and to keep up with Scott Poole's blog. I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, calls more witnesses to establish the facts of the crime. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% 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. Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! 2023 Baylor University Press. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 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. Monsters in America is W. Scott Pooles interpretive history. 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. 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. For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. Sawicki states that he believes in Steves honesty as a filmmaker and as a person. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. for a customized plan. Solely focused on the horrors, readers would think that no Christian or church stood against the aberration of Scriptural teaching; but such was the case with missionaries and abolitionists. I seem to be having bad luck with books lately, but the writing style just didnt connect with me. Monsters in America (2nd ed.) Date. OBrien gathers her papers and moves away, leaving Steve standing with outstretched arms. 1945-1960 2.) Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. All affiliate income is used to support the blog. 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. FABULOUS! However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. See a complete Character List for Monster, as well as in-depth analysis of its most important characters. Often fascinating attempt to look at monsters through the lens of American history, Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011. Asa Briggs, Kings attorney, establishes that the police have no fingerprint evidence. Best Johnny Cash Books Biographies and More! Scott - For All Who Hunger - Feature Review, Mattix & Thomas, Eds - Christian Poetry in America Since, Copyright 2023 The Englewood Review of Books. 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. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. But a third interpretive option exists. This was a great concept, but I struggled to even make it through the introduction. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. "Rue Morgue" magazine called it "the best biography of H.P. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. In the end, though, I could easily see assigning parts of this book to undergraduates. Trick-or-treat! can only mean one thingHalloween. These summaries should not . I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . You'll be billed after your free trial ends. 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. After readingMonsters in America, a reader will view monsters in a completely different light. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. The book made a few strong points, but ultimately it was a mediocre read. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. Steve records suicidal thoughts and violent prison incidents. For him, this place is the opposite of realhe has to do everything in front of strangers. Purchasing Not only that, but Sandra Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, is a very good lawyer. The image freezes as the screenplay ends. He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. Monster is usually used to reflect an individual's actions; especially, it shows for the wrong act of people. Continue to start your free trial. 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. Renews March 11, 2023 Why are we scared of this person? is always a question behind each chapter and Poole is careful to never reduce it purely to matters of sociology or psychology while still using those tools of analysis. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Contact us Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. Another witness testifies that King is left-handed. 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? The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. Acknowledgements: Thank you to Kelly Hughes from Dechant-Hughes for my review copy! In this way he resembles Frankenstein, who alienates himself by pursuing forbidden knowledge. Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! Five months later, Steve is again writing in his notebook. Ten Important Women Theologians To Start Reading. 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. Poole suggests monsters are created by America to mask its own monstrosities or monsters exist which interpret American culture. Mark Eckel is Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Old Testament at Crossroads Bible College. Component 2: Summary. He argues that our myth of conquering the monster has made us particularly inclined to turn other groups of human beings into monsters and to justify their oppression or domination. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. Fall 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! Petrocelli, OBrien, and Briggs make opening statements on the first day of Steves trial. After Steve testifies, OBrien puts Mr. Sawicki, his film teacher, on the stand. I. Poole is also a Professor of History at the College of Charleston where he teaches courses on monsters in American history, Satan in folk belief and pop culture and the history of religion and race in American life . Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. I do wish the author would've delved into certain subjects more as he did the last half of the book which was very compelling. 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. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile of additional books to read. 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. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own. Unless specifically stated in the review, I have purchased all books reviewed. From 19th century sea serpents to our current. 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. Renews March 11, 2023 Flashbacks in Steves screenplay show Steve playing on the streets, listening to Mr. Sawicki, his film club mentor, and hanging out with James King and Osvaldo Cruz. Petrocelli refers to the defendants as monsters in the community. She then calls two witnesses. You'll also receive an email with the link. is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. Finally, in the new section "American Carnage," Poole challenges readers to assess what their own monster tales might be and how our sordid past horrors express themselves in our present cultural anxieties. 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. Lovecraft_. The pages are littered with characterizations which demonize only a conservative set of ideas. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. Fifteen Important Theology Books of 2022!!! Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives. 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. 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). 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. "The American past reads like something of a horror movie, maybe even a low-budget slasher. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. Mary Oliver Essays 10 Prose Selections to Read for Free Online! She asks the jury to recall how Steve conducted himself on the witness stand and to compare Steve with Sal Zinzi, Bobo Evans, and Osvaldo Cruz before they decide who is believable. A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. 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. Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Please use a different way to share. I love ghost stories and folklore because they reveal an aspect of history and popular thinking in an entertaining way. Contact us James King has his own lawyer, Asa Briggs. Poole wants to tell a story and take his readers on a journey, and he definitely does so. 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. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. Steves lawyer, Kathy OBrien, urges Steve to take his situation seriously because this crime could put him in jail for twenty years or more. 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 seeks to undermine myths of American exceptionalism by locating monsters that he believes exist outside our psyche, in history. Highly recommended. Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. Yuckfest. Briggs makes the first closing argument in the case. The Monthly Kindle Ebook Sale March 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 23 February 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 16 February 2023, Rumi Poems Eight of Our Favorites by the Sufi Mystic, Walt Whitman Poems 8 of our Favorites from Leaves of Grass, Alexander Pushkin Five Poems by the Russian Poet, Against Christian Nationalism: Essential Books [A Reading Guide]. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. The opening chapter introduces several motifs that will be present throughout the story. I suppose history could be read into just about any object. 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. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! (Gary Laderman, Professor of American Religious History and Cultures, Emory University), (J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion). Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. Monsters are here to stay. The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. Evenhandedness exists in the books last sentence suggesting that liberal visions of social justice could create something worse (228). ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. Monsters in America instead should acknowledge monsters exist in every culture, every tribe, every era. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. I am fiercely passionate about two things: History and Monsters. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! Monsters in America Project. Our main man wonders how anyone can get used to the slammer. (one code per order). Not only is America guilty of creating its own horrors, failure to acknowledge monsters also creates them (23). The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. The medical examiner states the time of Mr. Nesbitts death. At the very end, Poole implies that for what has gone before, it could very well get worse. 20% For my own part, I have been studying and writing about Gothic horror for some years. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. 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. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. The new edition extends this analysis to shed light on some of the darker developments in recent American political culture. Component 2: Summary. Emily Dickinson Poems Seven of our Favorites! More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. Students will maintain a list of unfamiliar words they come across in the chapter. "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. Well-researched and insightful, the writing of the text is also energetic and engaging. 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. Indeed, the reader may struggle as I did with the leaps Poole makes between monster movies and American social ills. By adding new discussions of the American West, Poole focuses intently on the Native American experience. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. Dont have an account? Poole summarizes, Perhaps our own beliefs about monsters and their intractable nature help to produce the monsters we fear the most (164). If specters of the past still haunt our present, they may yet invade our future. OBrien tells Steve that her job is to make him a human being in the eyes of the jury. the bell witch, the roanaoke colony, etc.) OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. Both belief about the supernatural and the supernatural itself creates creatures which slither into our thinking-being-behaving. OBrien reminds jurors of reasonable doubt and states firmly that Steves guilt has not been proven. (254) 710-3164. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston, where he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. Please provide specific examples to support your answers. Amazon has encountered an error. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. Discount, Discount Code From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. Another problem for Steve is that James King, a young Black hood, is Steves co-defendant. is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, . on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. He wrote in his journal. that Poole have used to describe the events of . In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. 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. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 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. In his comments on the 1931 "Frankenstein" W. Scott Poole, relates that the idea of the "abnormal brain" that Fritz grabs for Henry Frankenstein being the cause of the monster's murderous mentality being a reflection of the "scientific rascism" of the day. 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). TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. 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. No longer just something that goes bump in the night, Mr. Poole showcases that monsters have more meaning and shed more insight into society than one might have previously suspected. Monsters in America Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. Poole does justice to judgment; the focus of some horror films. Simplistic and not incredibly thoughtful, but useful for my purposes, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. 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. John Wesley Sermons - The 7 Best Sermons from the Founder of Methodism. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. At times in the book a movie director is taken at his word, the reason for his film given authorial intent. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. The jail guards come in, and everyone lines up against the wall while they get rubber-gloved. Discount, Discount Code Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. [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. He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and. W. Scott Poole. He also doesn't shy away from the role of the monstrous in helping maintain oppressive regimes and the status quo. All content on this blog is protected under US copyright by Michelle Shannon. That's What She Read by Get help and learn more about the design. Wed love to have you back! Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. Go to BN.com to get your copy of these helpful resources. Free trial is available to new customers only. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Monster was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2018. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. Wed love to have you back! Societal values impact individuals only as much as we understand an individuals values. as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Briggs presents his defense of King. Steve spends his time making movies about himself, often with Jerrys help. Henri Nouwen Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Insightful and brilliant! Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. Probably more 3.5 stars. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. If you're looking for an introductory book to the subject, it's a great resource. 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. 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. Its not a salacious book, either. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. The atheist taught that inflicting suffering while enjoying the process is human nature. Learn how your comment data is processed. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Title and sub-title encouraged my interest in securing a copy of Monsters in America for review.