Petrocelli also calls an eyewitness, Mrs. Lorelle Henry, to the stand. FABULOUS! Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! by W. Scott Poole. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. 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. Contact us White Doe" disguised the true relationship between the European settlers and Native Americans. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. 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! 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. Best Leonard Cohen Books Biographies and Books by the Songwriter. 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. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). One Bear Place 97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363 Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. Monsters in America has without a doubt earned a spot on my favorite books of 2011. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for . Poole's connection of the monster to American history is a kind of Creature Features meets American cultural history. Sales Date: 2018-07-13. Indeed, the reader may struggle as I did with the leaps Poole makes between monster movies and American social ills. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Harmon explains that in his cell. 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. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. 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 earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. 2023 Project MUSE. Get help and learn more about the design. I also think this could've used a second editor before being published as there are many typos and grammatical errors, as well as a few points that could've used some fact-checking. Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. Monsters highlight both the positives and negatives in any society, and as such, require the reader to open ones mind and accept that the history taught in history books may not be the truth. Societal values impact individuals only as much as we understand an individuals values. (Christopher James Blythe, Florida State University, (John W. Morehead, editor, www.TheoFantastique.com). Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. It is not a book on actual monsters but how Americans find monsters in different eras on social constructs. He also doesn't shy away from the role of the monstrous in helping maintain oppressive regimes and the status quo. An unexpected guilty pleasure! She coaches Steve on how to answer questions on the witness stand. Marilynne Robinson 10 Freely Available Essays! Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter& download your FREE copy of this ebook! It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. For my own part, I have been studying and writing about Gothic horror for some years. Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. 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 evidence that Poole provides . View all I used this as a textbook for a themed English course: Monsters, Myths, and Magic. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2021!!! For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. Would that Poole could have written a chapter on one of the liberal American horror shows: 50 million babies slaughtered through this countrys abortion industry. Free trial is available to new customers only. But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! If it bleeds, it reads. Dont have an account? as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. 2023 Baylor University Press. 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. 20% In some ways, this felt more like a book about racism and sexism on celluloid and in politics than a book about "Monsters." By adding new discussions of the American West, Poole focuses intently on the Native American experience. Chapters three and four in my copy of the book, for instance, are littered with questions: How did we get here? This is a logical leap! and What??! Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. All content on this blog is protected under US copyright by Michelle Shannon. Steve spends his time making movies about himself, often with Jerrys help. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Discount, Discount Code SparkNotes PLUS 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. Author: W. Scott Poole Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books ): "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. 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. Purchasing Please wait while we process your payment. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers, new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. 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. You'll also receive an email with the link. Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. 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. Perhaps monsters are made in our society more purposefully than we realize. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. The Monster argues that his murderousness is not his fault. creating and saving your own notes as you read. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. History is horror. Good references in the book that I looked up to further read about horror movies and their importance to our sociological perspective. This isnt a book for the squeamish as Poole details how a horror film like Candyman is based in fact to a great deal. I feel like three stars is generous for a book that did not bring me any new insights, but it was neither especially good nor especially bad. [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. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. damn good primer on monsters in America. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. I wasn't ready for the overtly sociological approach of the book, and was expecting a history, as alluded to in the title of the book. When meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. Anne Bradstreet Poems Five of our Favorites by the Puritan Poet! Our main man wonders how anyone can get used to the slammer. A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. The jail guards come in, and everyone lines up against the wall while they get rubber-gloved. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. However, this book was FABULOUS! The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. 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. InMonsters in America,Scott Poole asks these thought-provoking questions while traveling through American history following the evolution of the monster over time. Monster in America is a literature book by W. Scott Poole. What is it that rumbles in the American unconscious that relates to the figures we see on the screen. Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? It's rarely happy news being reported. Steves parents are glad he is home, but the distance between Steve and his father is growing. Satan in America tells the story of America's complicated relationship with the devil. Mark Eckel is Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Old Testament at Crossroads Bible College. Hes never less than canny on the pop culture angle: Dracula and Frankenstein are almost everywhere in the book, his insights into the fear of zombies are sharp, the comparison of Patrick Bateman and Dexter Morgan is inspired, and the analysis of fifties icons like Vampira and the Addams family are very good. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. Analysis The monster tells Victor:"You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being." Victor refuses and then later relents to the monster's wishes. Howard Thurman Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Jos Delgado, an employee of the drugstore, tells how he found Mr. Nesbitts body and noticed that cash and cigarettes were missing. $24.99 Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014. Want 100 or more? Evenhandedness exists in the books last sentence suggesting that liberal visions of social justice could create something worse (228). 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. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. Imprint: Baylor University Press. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. Fall 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! Then it is OBriens turn to present the defense of Steve. Continue to start your free trial. 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. 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. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. Component 3: Vocabulary. 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. Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. "New light" evangelists of the eighteenth century, enslaved African Americans, demagogic politicians, and modern American film-makers have used the devil to damn their enemies, explain the nature of evil and injustice, mount social crusades, construct a national identity, and express anxiety about matters as . He also makes notes about his movie and about details he observes in court. The defense rests after Sawickis testimony. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Wed love to have you back! Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Want 100 or more? Poole agrees telling us early and often You are the main character in this terror-filled little tale (xviii). 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.