Monsters function as a tableau for fears that shapes identity formation

Evidence

By looking at how monsters function in culture as a tableau onto which numerous fears and anxieties are placed, we can better understand their role in identity-formation. … While the linkage may not be direct, many of the monsters covered in this study share similar characteristics to those that were first formulated in medieval times. These monsters disturb the calm of white Christianity, providing a standard contrary to normative humanity. In political discourse, Muslims continue to be framed as disturbances, assaulting Western civilization’s ordered sensibilities. — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 28

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the analytical concept of monsters-as-tableau and establishes continuity of the monster genealogy across centuries.
• XREF: Monster-as-projection-container echoes the reader’s core framing claim that the fear is a container for what the West cannot face. — connects to: A people’s monster myths reveal their deepest values and fears — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 1117