Monstrosity
Subtitle: the human monster in visual culture
By: Alexa Wright
Publisher: I.B. Tauris
Published: 2013
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 214
ISBN-13: 9781780763354; 9781780763361
Subjects: Human Abnormalities; Social aspects; Social comparison; Monsters in art; Other (Philosophy); Identity (Philosophical concept); Monsters
Description: This title investigates the appearance of the human monster in Western culture, both historically and in our contemporary society. It argues that images of real (rather than fictional) human monsters help us both to identify and to interrogate what constitutes normality; we construct what is acceptable in humanity by depicting what is not quite acceptable.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-208) and index.
Table of contents: title: Monstrous strangers at the edge of the world: the monstrous races; title: Blurring the boundaries of nature and culture: wild people and feral children; title: Bodies and the order of society: the Greek ideal, the Monster of Ravenna and physiognomy; title: Monsters in proximity: freaks and the spectacle of abnormality; title: A monstrous subject: representations of Joseph Merrick, the 'Elephant Man'; title: Monstrous images of evil: picturing Jack the Ripper and Myra Hindley; title: Modern monsters and the image of normality: Ted Bundy and Anders Breivik.