Cameron Militana

Professor English 1101/ Karen Redding

English Comp. 1101
Composition 1
3 September 2015
Composition One: On Monsters Summary

In the booknovel On Monsters, Stephen T. Asma describes why throughout

history humans have created monsters that personify fears and horrors. Asma conveys this
message by giving the reader evidence, often including tales, legends, or a philosophers works,
from different time periods throughout history. Chapter one, Alexander the Great, gives the
readers evidence to humanitys ability to greatly exaggerate ordinary creatures to monstrous
proportions. Chapter three, Hermaphrodites and Man-Headed Oxen, expresses when humans
are unsure or misunderstanding of someone or something we often shun or try to eradicate it.
Chapter four, Monstrous Desire, conveys humanitys ability to become monstrous overtime
through the teachings of Socrates and the story of Medea.
In chapter the chapter Alexander Fights Monsters in Indiaone, Asma tells the tale of
Alexander the Great and his battles with monsters in India, sourcing from the letters Alexander
wrote to Aristotle. These tales are perfect examples of mankind's love of untruthfulness and
exaggerations used to instill fear and make a better story. Alexander had just defeated King
Porus, in the Punjab Region, and was chasing him back withininto the strange land of India.
During Alexanders time India was believed to contain , which was contained a strange beast
unlike any others found in the world. Within the first night, upon reaching a lake, with an island
kingdom directly in the middle, creatures only fit for the imagination had attacked bombarded

Alexander and his man continuously. The soldiersy encountered hippopotamuses, bigger than
elephants (Asma 20) and dragons slithering out of the woods (Asma 20). However, these
beasts were no match for Alexander and his heroic warriors. Using his amazing strategies and
fighting techniques, no matter what monsters appeared Alexander and his men were
miraculously able to survive regardless of which monsters appeared. After the story of the battle
is is over, Asma, in the embellishment section, describes how and why why and how Alexander
the Great and ancient writers told such fictional tales. Asma explains that ancient Greek and
Roman citizens would have no trouble believing these stories (Asma 22). Citizens, as explained
by Asma, would not have questioned Alexanders stories because of the culture and time period
that he lived. Heroic tales littered with monsters and magic were common and trustworthy at the
time. AsmaHe clarifies, explainingcontinues saying that Physiologist have identified a
common tendency to unconsciously exaggerate perceptions (Asma 22). Meaning that it is
human nature, involuntary or voluntarily, to overemphasize details in story telling and routine
actions in life. Both pieces of evidence outline and clarify the reasons why play a huge factor in
the exaggerations of Alexander's battles in India were never discredited during his time.
Hermaphrodites and Man-headed Oxen is the third sectionsubchapter within the first
chapter of On Monsters titled Ancient Monsters. The section and it entails the reasoning,
teachings, and tales of ancient philosophers, humans with abnormalities, and their roles in
society. In the ancient world, superstitions and portents held a very intricate role in societywere
a very intricate part of society: All of nature was sending signals foretelling the future (Asma
39). Romans and Greeks both believed in tried to reading signs, given to them by nature, to
foretell the future. In Rome, the fortunetellers were called augurs, and in Greece they were
called oracles. Both civilizations practiced the ritual of would sacrificinge an animal and to

extract its the liver. The liver was , which was believed to be the source of life and from it the
future could be seen. Asma uses the story of Romans were extremely superstitious people and
when the Roman council sacrificed an animal and found no liver, they were defeated on the
battlefield. On the contrary, when Caesar Augustus sacrificinged an animal and found a twin set
of organs success followed him (Asma 39), as an illustration of the Romans superstition. On
the contrary, when a when and animal was sacrificed but no liver was found it meant almost
certain defeat. Hermaphrodites, . as being a part of nature When hermaphrodites were
discovered, were perceived as it was taken as a terrible omens to the state and to the well being
of society. The founder of Rome, Romulus, felt so threatened by hermaphrodites that he ordered
them to be drowned upon discovery (Asma 40). The Roman Empire labeled them as a terrible
economic and energy burden on their families and Rome as a whole. Furthermore,
hermaphrodites they represented a dangerous freedom to a state that believed in total control
over the population. Romuluss order to drown alled hermaphrodites upon discovery was then
later extended to all seriously disabled children, including mental and physical disabilities. These
disabilities could range from mental retardation to any form of physical abnormalities.
Subchapter Section four, in chapter one Ancient Monsters, is titled Monstrous Desire
and details the monstrous side of human desire (Asma 51). The section is used by Asma to
show the physiological aspects impacting the creation of monsters. ), beginning with the ancient
Greek philosopher Socrates and his explanation of human psyche. Socrates, To explaining his
findings to his students, Socrates created a monster that embodied all parts of the human psyche,
which he had three parts: reasoning power, emotional conviction, and appetite or desire. Socrates
uses the His monster represented this through the lion, signifying emotion; the small homunculus
illustrates reason, and the multi-headed monster embodying appetites. Socrates believed that in

order to have a healthy psychology or soul, we all must find the correct organization of the three
creatures. Further developing his thoughts, Socrates believed that human beings grow as people
through nurturing and personal habitats (Asma 53), which overtime can lead us to become
monstrous. In the course of a humans life, Socrates explains, we experience and acknowledge
the most about our selves with out personal habitats and the nurturing we have received. Later in
the chapter, Asma tells the story of a monstrous mother, Medea, who murdereds her own
children, which was written in Greece between 480 and 406 BCE . The most famous version of
Medea was written in Greece between 480 and 406 BCE. The legend says that Medea was the
daughter of Aeetes, King of the Colchis. Aeetes is in possession of the famous Golden Fleece
that Jason, Medeas lover, is in desperate desire of. Going against her father, Medea steals the
fleece with Jason and must flee the country to avoid being capturedin attempt to run away.
However, Medeas brother is on the fleeing boat and threatens to take the jacket back to their
father it., Medea, in a state of rage, murders her brother and then proceeds tothen chops up his
body and throws it overboard for her father to collect while chasing after them. Jason, upon
success of fleeing, leaves Medea and marries another women higher in the political latter. Acting
out of rageanger, Medea poisons the fleece killing the Jasons soon to be bride and her own
father the King. Still bloodthirsty, Medea kills her two sons that she bore from Jason. Medeas
actions are a direct example of Socrates stating that humans overtime can become monstrous
because of their environment and personal habitats for which they live in.
Throughout these chapters there are countless examples of monsters, hyperbolized
stories, and the reasoningss behind why humans have such irrational fears. In section one, titled
Alexander Fights Monsters in India In chapter one, for instance, Alexander the Great never faced
those horrific creatures that he wrote to Aristotle, but in point of fact wrote those things to

greaten highten his legacy. Alexander was able to tell such fictional stories and because as a
result of the public not questioning and in fact had no trouble believingbelieving such beast
monsters existed. Chapter Section three, titled Hermaphrodites and Man-Headed Oxen,s
evidences of Roman emperors killing hermaphrodites and physically disabled people shows
represents the ho w superstition and the fear of the Roman society. The same superstations and
fears, Socrates believes lead toof bringing on terrible things can drive people doing to do horrific
things. Finally, in chapter section four titled Monstrous Desire, Socrates and the story of
Medea gives vivid images of the reasons why humans become monsters overtime.

Bibliography
Asma Stephen T. On Monster An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. New York: Oxford
University Press. 2009. Print.