Victorian Monsters

I’ve always been a fan of horror fiction, and every October I watch scary movies all month long. During my first semester at St. Mary’s College, I took a Freshman Seminar called Victorian Monsters and Modern Monstrosities. Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black introduced us (we came to be known as “Marvelous Monsters”) to six archetypes. With each we read a corresponding literary classic:

1. Freak – Frankenstein
2. Madwoman – Jane Eyre
3. Schizo – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
4. Horrorscape – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
5. Deviant – Dracula
6. Animagi – The Island of Dr. Moreau

Here are some of my notes from the start of the seminar regarding core themes:

Indeed these archetypes reflect Victorian social fears and limits. Yet there is something about what’s considered monstrous that draws people in. We delight in feeling terrified. We are interested in the unknown. During Victorian times revolutions were underway in science and philosophy. The establishment clashed with…