Monsters have proven to be more than just the fiendish appearance or the evil within such creatures – their monstrosity symbolizes, more or less, the characteristics that define mankind and/or our innermost fears. Prior to this Exploration of the Humanities course, I have interpreted monsters for what they are: heartless and destructive creatures that generate fear. However, I never bothered what the true cause of such fear is – only associating the gruesome presence with a psychological reaction of horror. But taking this class allowed me to broaden my perspective on monsters and monstrosity: humans fear the “Other” because we as individuals have an “Other” within us (subconsciously) that we are not willing to show to those in our …show more content…

Mina, on the other hand, was about to become a lamia because she was innocent and was portrayed as a motherly figure: a matron. Here, corruption is seen to be more amusing if done to someone naïve – what fun could there be in corrupting someone already evil? Society can learn the danger of becoming the “Other” – being pretentious only to bring harm unto others. Moreover, in the 1931 movie of Dracula, the concept of becoming the “Other” is prevalent when Van Helsing was transfixed for a moment in Dracula’s power – taking several steps towards the nosferatu. Nevertheless, Van Helsing proved that his goodwill was greater than the evil within Dracula by stepping away from the devious creature; proving that although temptation may seem inevitable, with enough willpower, it can be conquered.

Comparatively, in the 1941 film The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot becomes a werewolf after surviving an attack made by a wolf man. There was a fear of either becoming a werewolf or being killed by one after the town’s myth became reality – highlighting the culture clash present between the gypsies and the townspeople. For instance, Maleva warned Larry to keep the charm she gave to him as protection; however, like Jonathan in Dracula when given the crucifix, Larry considered the pendant as mere superstition. This shows how people are, more often than not, reluctant to accept cultural differences because