Monster Theory Research Articles

Capitalizing on Animality: Monstrosity and Multispecies Relations in Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022)

One amongst many of the defining characteristics of so-called ‘late stage’ capitalism are human-animal relationships that have become acrimonious, hostile, or even monstrous in nature. A foundational premise of monster theory, and one that Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s seminal 1996 edited collection of the same name suggests, is that the construction of the monster in popular culture is fraught with the boundaries that constitute the society that has spawned them; the monstrous body “exists only to be read” (p. 4). Bringing together the theoretical insights of the Marxist theory of reification, critical animal studies, and monster theory, this article examines the ways in which cinematic depictions of gigantic monstrosity can inform our theorizing of multispecies relationships under capitalism. Specifically, I explore how the tensions between capital and human-animal relationships serve to construct and constitute the multiform monster, Jean Jacket, in Jordan Peele’s 2022 film Nope. Through an examination of the multispecies relationalities that the film portrays, I argue that the figure of Jean Jacket is a monstrous culmination of the reified and therefore, necessarily deferred nature of human-animal relationships under capital. However, Nope’s conclusion alerts us to the radical dereifying potential of multispecies bonds of care and embodied knowledge; systems of resistance that can be forged even within our current capitalist ruins.

The (Mostly) Unseen World of Cryptids: Legendary Monsters in North America

North America is steeped in legends of cryptids, (mostly) unseen creatures woven into the fabric of its folklore. From legends told by early explorers to contemporary legends told today, these enigmatic beings shape societal perceptions and reflect communal anxieties. Monsters have long fascinated scholars, from ancient luminaries such as Pliny the Elder to modern researchers in “monster theory”. Plodding along diligently since before monster studies became a formalized thematic field, folklorists remain hot on the trail of these secretive creatures and their hidden cultural meanings. Through a conceptual exploration of North American cryptids, this essay seeks to bridge the gap between the unseen and the seen, spotlighting the significant role of legendary monsters in community narratives and urging a resurgence in their academic exploration.

The Monstrous Hospitality of Canonical Text Selections: The Need for a Hospitable Literacy Framework

Recent political excursions into classroom text selections by local and national politicians and pundits have made teaching canonical texts more appealing to many school districts and teachers. In this study, we used conceptions of Derridean hospitality alongside monster theory to examine what common canonical texts teach students about who is welcome and worthy of hospitality in American society and who is viewed as wholly monstrous and outside the bounds of hospitality. The results of our critical content analysis revealed that in commonly taught canonical novels, identity categories like race and gender shape determinations of who is welcome and who is othered. The findings suggest that critical readings of canonical texts cannot offer a hospitable welcome to marginalized and othered youth in ELA classrooms. Instead we offer a hospitable literacy approach to text selection in ELA classrooms.

“When Everything Is Human, the Human Is an Entirely Different Thing …” Animal Powers in the Ancient Egyptian Demonic Imagery and Beyond

Abstract This article attempts a comparative analysis of the ancient Egyptian demonic imagery of animal and hybrid figures, according to anthropological studies and theories of perspectivism, as well as by referring to studies of Monster Theory and Cryptozoology. The aim is to disclose what kind of agency real and imaginary animals of the ancient Egyptian Duat (Beyond) possess and how it relates to the agency of humans and other non-human beings populating the Realm of the Dead.

Why look at dead animals?

AbstractLion Attacking a Dromedary was a sensational object for its first viewers at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1867. As an entity or thing, it provoked a powerfully visceral response and, as the current essay explores, it remains a difficult object to view or display today. As we now know, the Verreaux brothers embedded human remains in the figure of the rider that had formerly been assumed to be just a clothed mannequin. (I have elected to exclude any image of this controversial diorama containing human and other animal remains because it is not necessary for this theoretical inquiry). This essay suggests that theoretical tools derived from Material Ecocriticism and Monster Theory that may help us to think about, or alongside, the affective power of this disturbing taxidermy assemblage, ever aware that this piece draws its power from the theatrical, colonial violence of extraction and extinction.

Plastic monsters: Abjection, worms, the Cthulhic, and the black single-use plastic bag

The single-use plastic bag is the most legislated item of plastic in the world, banned in over 92 countries. The bans are largely concentrated in Africa and the Caribbean, where the plastic bags are often black and the plastic footprints small. The bans have destabilised essential economic, social, and technical arrangements of marginalised communities reliant on plastic engagements and adaptations to improvise against multiple, overlapping, incursive forms of violence. This article seeks to understand the spatial and material nature of these legislative actions and the particular item of single-use plastic they target. Acknowledging the (spatialised) material realities of the single-use plastic bag, this article argues that these bans are a legislative response to the black plastic bag as spatialised, racialised, sexualised, abject Other. Drawing from monster theory, the article reflects on the trans-corporeal body burdening of black plastic bags and the black hands, black bodies, black markets, and black, corrupt, illicit actions with whom and which they are associated. Reconceptualising the (black) single-use plastic bag as an agape, plastic monster that defines, patrols, and transgresses cultural/economic boundaries, this article calls for making explicit the vermicular activities within economic marginalisation and distinguishing them from the discursively constructed amorphous, tentacled mass.

New Law of the Land

Monsters are tied to what we consider normal or abnormal in our cultures. Jeffrey Cohen’s “monster theory” states that society places its own anxiety or fear of something or someone who breaks cultural expectations into the monsters they create. The fear we have of these monsters makes them incredibly popular in our cultures. In Cormac McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men, the main antagonist and cold-blooded killer Chigurh fits the mold of the monster theory perfectly in many ways. In the novel, after stealing millions of dollars from a drug deal gone awry, Moss is hunted down by Chigurh ruthlessly. He represents both the fear and desire of our societal norms by rejecting all humanity via his brutality; however, he maintains a playfulness when it comes to deciding his victims’ fates, utilizing coin-flipping to determine whether the victims live or die. By looking at Chigurh through the lens of “monster theory,” we see that he fits the mold of the traditional villain in crime fiction stories, while also managing to surprise readers by just how nefarious he really is. Of course, it would be unwise to assume that Chigurh is without humanity; he is often given shockingly human characteristics to ground him in reality, which makes him and the state of lawlessness he brings about all the more terrifying. What we gain by applying monster theory is seeing how a society’s fear of violent crime is personified; it also lets us attempt to reassure ourselves of our own humanity in comparison to the absolute inhumanity of Chigurh. Through Chigurh, McCarthy has created one of the most memorable and remarkable monsters in crime fiction.

The monstrosity of the search for extraterrestrial life: Preparing for a future discovery

Inspired by past efforts to delineate potential future reactions to a discovery of extraterrestrial life, this work draws on the humanities literature of monster studies and monster theory to conceptualize the overall activity of the search for extraterrestrial life as a monstrous endeavor. This work highlights four interlinked aspects that appear to signify its potentially monstrous character: its hybridity as a field of inquiry, its conduct under conditions of severe uncertainty, its employment of abduction and anticipation, and its aim of producing knowledge about novel and ontologically liminal phenomena. An operationalization of the monster as a heuristic is being employed to explore ex ante the potential public reactions to a monstrous future discovery of extraterrestrial life and to suggest a coping strategy to handle those reactions. The suggested strategy is monster assimilation, which aims at adapting both the monster and the cultural categories against which it is evaluated. Recognizing the importance of explicating cultural assumptions to enable this adaptation of cultural categories, this work proposes that enhancing “futures literacy” in the science, policy, and society nexus across diverse cultures might eventually prove critical in enabling the easier assimilation of a monstrous future discovery of extraterrestrial life at an earlier stage.

Постзомби: постгуманизация монстра в современных фильмах о зомби

Posthumanism—or, as the philosopher Francesca Ferrando calls it, the philosophy of our time—is in high demand both as a current of thought and as a theoretical tool for analyzing popular culture. The interdisciplinary field of zombie studies is also actively developing. The article proves that zombie studies are a legitimate field of humanities and social sciences. Scholars analyze zombies within the framework of sociology, ethics, neuroscience, international relations, literary studies, etc. As a theoretical tool, many of those studying zombies apply the philosophy of posthumanism. Until now, scholars have mostly been fascinated by the one zombie plot: the zombie apocalypse. However, there is another zombie-related narrative. Some call it a sentient zombie, humanizing the undead. In such a narrative, zombies are redefined, and to them the standard definition of a zombie no longer fits. A new image of the zombie can be revealed through the monster theory. The peculiar humanization of the zombie as a monster can be characterized as posthumanization. Since the classic image of the zombie in this case is redefined, we need to find a new term for the new monster. The author proposes to name the new sentient zombies post-zombies and suggests that their monstrosity should also be redefined, supporting these ideas through the analysis of Day of the Dead (1985), Warm Bodies (2013), and The Girl with All the Gifts (2016).

Le Clézio's "Monster Island:" The Derridean "Monstrosity of the Unrecognizable"

Abstract: This essay delves into monster theory and Derrida's late environmental philosophy in order to probe the philosophical, linguistic, and ethical implications of the metaphor of other-than-human monstrosity in Le Clézio's Voyages de l'autre côté . In this early narrative, the symbolism of the "monster island" deconstructs the oppositional thinking undergirding our representations of the world and our place in it. Overcoming his initial fright when confronted with an entity that is unrepresentable within our dichotomous thought systems, the unnamed old sailor begins to communicate with this "wholly other" which he realizes is a "fellow" semiotic, sentient being. This epiphany leads to a radical biocentric paradigm shift resulting in the creation of a new cognitive structure that is more capable of understanding the cosmos and our relationship to it in non-dualistic terms.

Charles Manson and his Family: ‘Human monsters, human mutants’

Joan Didion famously described the 1960s as ending abruptly on 9 August 1969 when word spread of the murders of seven people including Hollywood actor Sharon Tate. Fifty years on and the ‘Manson murders’ remain a focal point of interest in American popular culture and media. Netflix’s recent true-crime drama Mindhunter (2017–19) and Quentin Tarantino’s Once upon a Time in Hollywood () represent but two popular examples invoking the crimes. What is consistent across most popular renderings of the murders is the representation of the Family, and of their leader Charles Manson especially, as monstrous, warranting investigation. Utilizing both Jeffrey foundational text ‘Monster culture (seven theses)’ and Natasha Mikles and Joseph Laycock’s () ‘Five further theses on monster theory and religious studies’, this article examines the creation and representation of Charles Manson as a serial killer, a cult leader, but especially as a monster, in the popular culture context.

Monsters May Be Our Best Teachers: Monster Theory and Emotional Growth

A teacher reflects on how studying monsters found in British literature enhanced social and emotional learning.

Aquatic Mythologies: Divine, liminal and fantastic creatures in the Indian tradition

This article offers an overview of some of the most peculiar mythological creatures of the Hindu pantheon related to the watery element. Starting from the analysis of the concept of liminality, which is fundamental to Monster Theory, the symbolism and functions of water in ritualism, folklore and the traditions of South Asia will be explored. Indeed, destruction, metamorphosis, transition, purification and rebirth are all concepts that in Indian traditions are frequently sublimated into the dynamics of the circulation of waters. The monsoon phenomenon, the rushing rivers flowing down from the Himalayas and the depths of the Indian Ocean abysses therefore rise here to metaphysical and existential metaphors. Their hidden meaning has been represented in an allegorical key over the centuries by monstrous, bizarre and emblematic figures that have animated art, iconography and literature and popular legends. This essay tries to explore the issue through a religious and anthropological investigative approach, but with particular reference to Sanskrit literature and the sacred texts of Hinduism.

Monsters, Michael Myers, and the Macabre as Tools to Explain Ideological Framing

Framing as a metacommunicative device establishes the narrative of a given story and mobilizes emotional support. Within the framework of monster theory, horror movies are seen as a way of framing common fears about moral decay, concerns about the future, anxiety about outgroup members, and spiritual unknowns. In the classroom, we explore the monstrous body as a stand-in for the demonized (often literally) outgroup. Through tracing some of the historic roots of monsters, students are better able to see monsters as a recurring framing device for social fears. Utilizing the concepts of frame alignment (aligning individuals’ frames with larger social movement frames) and frame analysis (investigating the processes and mechanisms people utilize to make sense of situations), exploration of various subgenres of horror (including psychological horror, body horror, killers, monsters, zombies, and the paranormal) flesh out how frames are amplified, bridged, transformed, and extended.

American Gothic: An Interview with Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock


 Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock is currently Professor of English at Central Michigan University, where he has been teaching a variety of courses on American literature and popular culture since 2001. He’s a scholar of the Gothic with a vast academic production, in particular on supernatural fiction, film and television. His research interests span topics related to, among many, monsters, ghosts, vampires, and the female Gothic. He is also an associate editor for the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts and, besides a long list of published essays, he edited three collections of tales by H.P. Lovecraft and has published over 20 books, among which Spectral America: Phantoms and the National Imagination (2004), The Vampire Film: Undead (2012), and The Monster Theory Reader (2020). He was as well the editor of the Cambridge Companion to the American Gothic in 2018.

The Shape of Sex: Nonbinary Gender from Genesis to the Renaissance

The Shape of Sex: Nonbinary Gender from Genesis to the Renaissance

Almost Like the Dodo: Terminus in Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend

This article considers Richard Matheson’s short novel I Am Legend. Central to the discussion is the topic of contagion and an exploration of vampirism in literature. The article shows the lineage from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”, to Jack London’s The Scarlet Plague and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as sources and influences in Matheson’s novel. Prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the article explores literary expressions of plague and contagion, as well as the theme of vampirism. Theorists whose work informs the argument include Rosemary Jackson, whose work on fantasy provides insights into subversive elements of speculative literature; Marie Mulvey-Roberts, who addresses the Gothic genre; and J. J. Cohen, who addresses monster theory in detail. The article addresses the subversion of the conventional social order through the vampire narrative, and includes the reconfiguration of human identity in the context of social change.

'Waiting with Bated Breath'

'Waiting with Bated Breath'

Positively Monstrous!

Positively Monstrous!

The Feminine Other: Monsters and Magic in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Monsters are perceived as humanity’s enemy that should be eradicated. However, based on Jeffrey Cohen’s Monster Theory (1997), monsters play an important role in understanding humanity’s fears and anxieties. Monstrosity hinges upon the binary opposition of the Self and the Other, in which the Other is seen as a threat to the Self. With this in mind, this article addresses the female monsters of two medieval texts: Beowulf and Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. This paper aims to examine the female monsters, Grendel’s mother and Morgan the Fay, as a cultural reference to unravel the patriarchal anxieties of the time. Grendel’s mother represents a threat to the homosocial hierarchal bonds of Medieval society. Meanwhile, Morgan the Fay signifies danger to knighthood, chivalry, and courtly romance. At the same time, this paper also aims to continue the critical analysis and literature of the female characters in both texts with a heavy emphasis on their Otherness.