Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's Monster Culture

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Monsters have been essential since ancient times as justification for bizarre or strange occurrences, as lessons, or as warnings. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen noticed the similarities between monsters and culture and composed Monster Culture (Seven Theses), originally published in the journal “Representations,” in 1996 and by analyzing how monsters are depicted throughout history, Cohen advocated for the significance monsters have on cultural identities, and how monsters embody a cultural reflection of anxiety, fear, and desire. By examining specific examples of monsters and their cultural adaptations, Cohen asserts that monsters not only reflect a deeper passion or fear, but can also challenge and redefine what society deems normal and acceptable. …show more content…

He affirmed that after Hernan Cortez and his men had invaded Mexico, “The Aztecs, who had never seen a horse before, much less a man on horseback, were terrified. They thought that man and horse were one. The Incas of Peru reacted even more violently to Pizarro’s horsemen. When one of the riders fell from their horse, the Inca warriors fled in panic, thinking that somehow the monster had broken in two.” That was the origin of the centaur. And with the Griffin stated to have just as epic creation, La Llorona was stated to be based off of existent Gods (the creation for the unknown), with her story having adapted and changed with the advancement of technology. A 1917 play titled “La Llorona” was written by Francisco Neve, reflecting life in colonial Mexico. While some mixed women were able to live lives with their Spanish husbands, others were cast aside for prettier, younger, more Spanish blooded

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