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Garrett Honeycutt 4/29/14 ENG 1102-079 Mrs. Steele Monsters: All around Us Why is it that when the lights go out and the sun goes down, people begin to walk faster to their car, turn the television on to see their bed before they go to sleep, and try to think about all of the positive things rather than the scary? As a kid, maybe that was just me, but I am sure that others could relate to this sudden behavior that I associated with darkness. For me, being scared was 80 percent mental, and 20 percent physical because most of the times I got scared were before I went to bed. I had to continuously tell myself that it was all in my head and that I was in the safest place in the world my bed! In the article Monster Culture (Seven Theses), it described seven theses on: what fuels a monster, how monsters cannot be evaded, how they cannot be caught, the culture behind a monster, the curiosities of fear, and the humbling of our fears by knowing some things are not true. After reading this, it was clear as to why I continued to be scared even after I had checked the closet and under my bed. Fear does not go away over time; it simply changes the form in which it presents itself to you. This is a frightening thing to think about, but a true statement none the less. What scared me as a kid does not necessarily scare me now only because I have been faced with new fears and this cycle will continue to prove true as long as we are living. When someone is generally asked to describe a monster; physical description, stories about that monster, and how the monster brings fear to people are often the main subjects

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brought up amongst people. The thing that sticks out to me when asked to describe a monster is usually a physical description such as: height, structure, strength, clothing, and its face. Monsters can take on all forms and sizes depending on who you ask. For example, one person could describe a monster as a human being or animal that strikes fear in them, but another person could describe fear as where will my next meal come from or how will the actions I made reflect the consequences to come. Living with fear is something everyone lives with simply because fear is what keeps us grounded. I remember as a kid when I would watch a horror film with my parents, my dad would always say he heard something in the basement and asked me to go see what it was. Of course my answer to him was no way. Even though I knew nothing was down there, the thought of being by myself in a dark space was frightening. What we cannot see, hear, or predict, is oftentimes the driving force behind the fear we suffer from. Why is it that some monsters wear masks and others do not? Do people fear the mask, or what lies beneath the mask? Both of these questions raise thought as to what brings fear into the eyes of the beholder. The Ring, a horror film that hit the scene in 2002, is about a young journalist who investigates a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death to anyone in a week of viewing it (Verbinski, 2002). In this particular case, once the image enters the viewers mind; it is hard for that image to leave the mind because of the mental scar it left on them. No matter how hard they tried to forget about the video, it never seemed to go away. The monster sort of followed the viewer wherever they went thus permanently latching itself onto them. After the seven day period was up the viewer would then unfortunately die. This fits in perfectly with the second thesis which states no matter how many times you think you have killed the monster it will reappear in some other form of a monster, thus meaning the monster is impossible to escape. For me, as a kid, the two most horrifying things I encountered or saw were the movie JAWS and Halloweens monster Michael

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Myers. Looking back on it, it is funny to laugh at and joke around about being scared, but at the age of 11, if I saw either one of those shows, my mom would have to tuck me in bed so I would not have nightmares because if you overthink things they tend to scare you and make you feel uneasy about a situation. As I got older, the monsters on television seemed to scare me less, but social appearance and peer pressure began to become some more in depth personal monsters of mine. In middle school, everyone wanted to fit in with the other kids and if you felt like you did not fit in, then you were considered an outcast. Luckily I had a good group of friends, but I would still get scared about being an outcast. One of the ways people could be included in certain cliques was by someone pressuring them to do a particular task. If they completed it, then they were in with the crowd regardless of the punishment they would have to pay by the teacher. If they failed to complete the task, then they were still considered weird or gay. Now that I am in college, appearance is still something I am worried about, but I keep a level head and win people over with my personality rather than what I wear. College has also taught me how to depend more on myself and less on my parents. After all I am an adult now who is having to go to school, manage good grades, work, and budget my money as well as my time. At this point in my life, reality is the main monster I am worried about, but I do not allow it to control me because if you let it take over then you lose your happiness. For me, happiness is a key to success, but it can also be hard to find at times. There is so much pressure on me to do well in school and make a name for myself because I am the first person in my family to attend a four year university. I get stressed easily, but work best when the game is on the line. I have challenged myself with choosing a major that is a difficult one, but I have confidence in myself which is why I am motivated to reach my goals. This class has opened

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my eyes on the whole concept of what a monster is and through this study on monsters, it is clear to see how a monster can follow you as you get older whether you realize it or not.