Monster Culture in King Kong
2012530262
Li, Yifang
Honors English
Marissa Arvidson
June 16, 2013
Monster Culture in King Kong
In his essay Monster Culture (Seven Theses), Jeffrey Jerome Cohen outlines seven defining characteristics of the literary monster, which govern the nature and implications of monsters created within a particular cultural context. Monsters are each possessed of some of these seven theses. King Kong, one of the best known figures in cinema history, fits well into at least two of the seven theses.
The first of Cohen’s seven thesis states that the Monster’s Body is a cultural body. The story of King Kong is set in the time of the Great Depression. People fall into a huge crisis, after they have just created an incredibly developed, civilized, and wealthy society. They live life like ants, working and competing all days. Their feelings, personalities and freedom was suppressed or sacrificed. King Kong comes as a challenge to the society and values. He is natural and primitive. Although he is a beast, he is incarnated with human nature; he reveals them simply and directly. The shadow of civilization has blurred people’s mind and soul, but King Kong reflects the brightness of love, courage, stubbornness, liberty and primitive vitality-- traits lacked by the culture at that time, and therefore appeals to the audience.
The centre of civilization, the city and its greatest achievement the Empire State Building becomes the prison and place of execution for King Kong. He fights with the material civilization of mankind, like a symbol of people’s subconscious struggle against the modern but turbulent society. It reveals our natural inclination in the civilized society. In this way, King Kong is no exception to a cultural body defined by Cohen, which inhabits the gap between the time of upheaval that created it and the moment into which it is received (1).
Cohen also asserts that fear of the monster is really a kind of desire; it is true when applied to King Kong. In the
Li, Yifang
Honors English
Marissa Arvidson
June 16, 2013
Monster Culture in King Kong
In his essay Monster Culture (Seven Theses), Jeffrey Jerome Cohen outlines seven defining characteristics of the literary monster, which govern the nature and implications of monsters created within a particular cultural context. Monsters are each possessed of some of these seven theses. King Kong, one of the best known figures in cinema history, fits well into at least two of the seven theses.
The first of Cohen’s seven thesis states that the Monster’s Body is a cultural body. The story of King Kong is set in the time of the Great Depression. People fall into a huge crisis, after they have just created an incredibly developed, civilized, and wealthy society. They live life like ants, working and competing all days. Their feelings, personalities and freedom was suppressed or sacrificed. King Kong comes as a challenge to the society and values. He is natural and primitive. Although he is a beast, he is incarnated with human nature; he reveals them simply and directly. The shadow of civilization has blurred people’s mind and soul, but King Kong reflects the brightness of love, courage, stubbornness, liberty and primitive vitality-- traits lacked by the culture at that time, and therefore appeals to the audience.
The centre of civilization, the city and its greatest achievement the Empire State Building becomes the prison and place of execution for King Kong. He fights with the material civilization of mankind, like a symbol of people’s subconscious struggle against the modern but turbulent society. It reveals our natural inclination in the civilized society. In this way, King Kong is no exception to a cultural body defined by Cohen, which inhabits the gap between the time of upheaval that created it and the moment into which it is received (1).
Cohen also asserts that fear of the monster is really a kind of desire; it is true when applied to King Kong. In the