Asma's article, "Monsters and the Moral Imagination," mentions several interesting points. He says that "in the denouement of most stories, the monster is killed and the psyche restored to civilized order" (Asma, 2). While reading or viewing a monster tale, we are sucked into a gruesome world in which we are disgusted but also intrigued--perhaps we even enjoy it--but it can't last forever. Once the story ends, we must be able to return to reality. However, the stories in which the monster isn't killed better reflect our own reality; our experience with monsters is real and extends beyond the screen or page. We are not always able to completely destroy our monsters. Sometimes we bide our time and build our defenses, hoping that the monster never strikes. Other times the monster evades us, or it is not contained within a body that can be destroyed, living on indefinitely as an ideology. It is this kind of monster we often face, and it is the most dangerous.
Asma also states that "monster stories and films only draw us in when we identify with the persons who are being chased..." (Asma, 2). I must disagree with this overarching statement. Asma uses Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles as an example of a monster story. In these novels, the vampires--or monsters--are presented as the (surprisingly relatable) protagonists. Instead of asking ourselves, "how would I escape the monster?" the Vampire Chronicles force us to ask ourselves how we would cope with being the monster. Although imaginatively facing monsters is valuable, so is imaginatively being one. This forces us to question if we would, or even should, retain our "ethical convictions," which we must create using "real and imagined challenges" (Asma, 3). Unfortunately, many people are wrongfully ostracized, be it for their race, gender, economic status, or any (human-created) trait. While we all fight against unfair inequalities, we must also remember to hold fast to our personal identities.
"Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult"
(Rice, 13)
Will we allow another person's perceptions of us dictate our choices? Will we forget who we truly are and do monstrous acts simply because society labels us and treats us as monsters?
References:
Asma, Stephen T. "Monsters and the Moral Imagination." The Chronicle of Higher Education (2009): 1-6.
Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. Ballantine Group, 1976. Print.
I tend to agree with your disagreement (if that makes sense) in regards to how Asma claims that stories and films only affect us if we identify with the hero. My favorite heroes are ones who are nothing like me: they have their own unique stories and lives that can be shown, and I often feel more involved in the story when someone isn't made to be relatable but their own person. In addition, imagining oneself as the monster could provide a deeper level of resolve in their own ethical convictions, and see if they could hold on to them even if they were considered the "bad guy".
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