Monstrosity : the human monster in visual culture / Alexa Wright.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wright, Alexa, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social comparison.

Identity (Philosophical concept).

Monsters--Social aspects.

Monsters.

Abnormalities, Human--Social aspects.

Abnormalities, Human.

Other (Philosophy).

Social aspects.

Physical Description:

ix, 214 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London : I.B. Tauris, 2013.

Summary:

From the 'Classical Monstrous Races' to the 'Elephant Man', Myra Hindley and Ted Bundy, the visualization of monsters has always played a part in how society sees itself. But what is the function? This book investigates the human monster in Western culture, both historically and in our contemporary society, arguing that images of 'real' (rather than fictional) monsters help us both to identify and to interrogate what constitutes normality. Engaging with the work of Michel Foucault, Julia Kristeva and Georges Canguilhem (to name but a few), Alexa Wright scrutinizes the history of a model of thinking. By exploring theories and examples of abnormality, freakishness, madness, otherness and identification, Wright demonstrates how monstrosity is a social and cultural constructs. It soon becomes clear that the purpose of a monster - however altered a form it takes û remains constant; it is societal self-defense allowing us to keep perceived monstrosity at a distance. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Monstrous Strangers at the Edge of the World: The Monstrous Races 1

2 Blurring the Boundaries of Nature and Culture: Wild People and Feral Children 27

3 Bodies and the Order of Society: The Greek Ideal, the Monster of Ravenna and Physiognomy 47

4 Monsters in Proximity: Freaks and the Spectacle of Abnormality 79

5 A Monstrous Subject: Representations of Joseph Merrick, the 'Elephant Man' 104

6 Monstrous Images of Evil: Picturing Jack the Ripper and Myra Hindley 125

7 Modern Monsters and the Image of Normality: Ted Bundy and Anders Breivik 145.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-208) and index.

ISBN:

9781780763354

1780763352

1780763360

9781780763361

OCLC:

825559466