The, A Strange Or Horrible Imaginary Creature - 873 Words

â€Å"Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.† -Toni Morrison. We, as humans, feel the need to label things. That label might be good or it might be bad. Regardless of whether it is good or bad, can it change? Throughout history, words have changed meanings. This happens when cultures meet or when a culture changes. The meaning of a word can even vary from place to place. What about connotations? Can a word still keep it’s meaning if how we perceive that meaning changes? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word monster as, â€Å"a strange or horrible imaginary creature.† Today’s definition of monster fails to really capture how we see monsters. In our society, when one hears the words monster, it fails to invoke the same kind†¦show more content†¦Whatever definition is used, whether today’s cartoonish approach or the pagan’s lighter view, it remains far from the classic witch. Both are far less dark, and far les s terrible, and far more marketable, than that of the past. Witches are not the only ones who have had their reputation tarnished for advertising purposes. In today’s culture,the word vampire provokes a very different response than it might have in the past. In Keiley Culbertson’s Evolution of the Vampire, she compares Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight,saying that Dracula is described as, â€Å"super creepy looking and a foreboding feeling of evil seemed to permeate his being. Count Dracula is purely wicked with not a drop of humanity. He is a monster who destroys families by feeding upon children in order to satisfy his craving for human blood,† while the vampires in Twilight, â€Å"participate in society and are not frightening to the rest of the world as Dracula had been.† This belief is shed by many. The vampires in Twilight were simply lacking in the fear department. They were more humanized than most vampires were in the past. The overwhelmingly positive response that Twil ight got inspired both authors and tv producers to take to this new definition of monster. The previous definition of vampires was only sellable to a select few. Twilight was read by most teenage girls and their mothers, along with plenty ofShow MoreRelatedThe Terrible Old Man828 Words   |  4 Pagesbe able to die. The Terrible Old Man is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written on January 28, 1920, and first published in the Tryout, an amateur press publication, in July 1921. Its notable as the first story to make use of Lovecrafts imaginary New England setting, introducing the fictional town of Kingsport. The story is of an old man who at one point was a sailor but he is now a feeble old man. He is an old man, whom some say is so old, no one can remember him when he was young. WithRead MoreThe Understanding of the Monster Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesThe Understanding of a Monster When analyzed online many of the definitions you will find for the word monster include: a strange or horrible imaginary creature, one who deviates from normal or acceptable behavior, or an animal of strange and/or terrifying shape. (Merriam Webster) When observing the â€Å"Monster Theory† by Jeffrey Cohen and the 7 theses that he provides in this text, one can begin to somewhat disagree with these formal definitions and attempt to say that it has an even greater meaningRead MoreThe Mystery Of Horror Films1866 Words   |  8 PagesWe all fear something in this world, whether it’s real or imaginary. Have you ever wondered why we are so terrified of certain monsters or objects? Some adore creatures while others fear them. Horror films often analyze monsters in various ways through categorical contamination, historical or social relevance, and psychological interpretations. 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