Monster Works

This page is your guide to the monsters of this course.

The Essays

Throughout the course you will read a curated selection of essays exploring monsters from cultural, psychological, historical, and theoretical perspectives. These essays are available through the course LibGuide—you will have access to the link once the course begins.

Questions explored include:

• Why do we create monsters?

• Are monsters animal or human?

• How do monsters reflect their times?

• What is the attraction of monsters?

• Is the monster within us?

The Films

For your final project, you will analyze one film from the list below. Each film features a "subtle monster"—a character whose behavior reflects a real social anxiety. You will use Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's Monster Theory as your analytical lens to decode what the monster reveals about the culture that created it.

Start watching now if you can—the earlier you choose your film and begin viewing it critically, the stronger your final project will be.

• Parasite

• The Purge

• District 9

• A Clockwork Orange

• Nightcrawler

• American Psycho

• Black Swan

• Whiplash

• The Babadook

• We Need to Talk About Kevin

• Winter's Bone

• Ex Machina

• Blade Runner

• The Truman Show

Several of these films are available through Kanopy, which is free through many public library systems. Others are available through popular streaming platforms or for inexpensive rental.