"We make our own monsters, then fear them for what they show us about ourselves." ~Mike Carey and Peter Gross, The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
Student responses:
"Frankenstein"
"Humans create monsters and then judge them."
"Children fear the dark; adults fear themselves."
"Fiction is grounded in reality."
"Monsters show what we are truly scared of-- the unknown."
"Monsters remain human beings. In fact, to reduce them to a subhuman level is to exonerate them of their acts of terrorism and mass murder-- just as animals are not deemed morally responsible for killing. Insisting on the humanity of terrorists is, in fact, critical to maintaining their profound responsibility for the evil they commit. And, if they are human, then they must necessarily not be treated in an inhuman fashion. You cannot lower the moral baseline of a terrorist to the subhuman without betraying a fundamental value." ~Andrew Sullivan
Student responses:
"It's easy to forget what makes a 'monster'."
"This is very true. Once you take away one's humanity, it makes it seem like they were incapable of making the right decision."
"Don't defend humanity with inhumanity."
"But we have to view them as subhumans to be able to treat them as such (torture)."
"...'Oh,' the girl said, shaking her head. 'Don't be so simple. People adore monsters. They fill their songs and stories with them. They define themselves in relation to them. You know what a monster is, young shade? Power. Power and choice. Monsters make choices. Monsters shape the world. Monsters force us to become stronger, smarter, better. They sift the weak from the strong and provide a forge for the steeling of souls. Even as we curse monsters, we admire them. Seek to become them, in some ways.' Her eyes became distant. 'There are far, far worse things to be than a monster.'..." ~Jim Butcher, Ghost Story
Student responses:
"A monster has control, the one thing that can influence society majorly."
"Sounds like Grendel's purpose, his 'gold'."
"Sometimes we think we hate something but we actually subconsciously feed off of it."
"Lucius didn't believe in werewolves. He said that people were too horrible for any other monster to exist, which he thought was a shame." ~Rasmenia Massoud, Human Detritus
Student responses:
"There are no real monsters, the corrupt souls are humans themselves."
"Monsters usually reflect the part of society we try to avoid."
"We create our own monsters through stories and thoughts and then until they become real."
"If I can't be beautiful, I want to be invisible." ~Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
Student responses:
"Society pushes away diversity."
"We villains are a very select group indeed. In the very desperation of our hate rests our strength." ~Cyclops
Student responses:
"Villains take their strength from hatred of the world that has ridiculed them."
"Are villains the only ones who can turn hate into strength?"
"Evil is fueled by more evil; when you hate a villain, you aren't giving him reason to change."
"We have the ability to destroy anyone at any time. It takes your morals and values to stay sane."
"...we have bad dreams because our brain is trying to protect us... If we can figure out a way to beat the imaginary monsters... Then the real monsters don't seem so scary... That's why we like reading scary stories." ~Dan Poblocki, The Stone Child
Student responses:
"We like reading stories because it distracts us from the monsters inside."
"Fictional monsters and the fear they give us makes us numb to real fear and evil."
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Student responses:
"What you immerse yourself in will eventually be portrayed in your character."
