ENGLISH 400: MONSTER THEORY
Juliana Hubbard
Research Abstract
Research Abstract
"Banbibi or Saint Cyrah: The Woman Who Rode Demons in Indra Das' The Devourers"
Since the release of Indra Das' The Devourers, reviewers, critics, and scholars have analyzed the intricate layers within the novel. Although there is much to debate about the text and its ending, there is very little discussion about Cyrah, the only human woman highlighted in the narrative. Most of the discussion about the book dismisses Cyrah as simply a "strong woman" who overcame unfortunate circumstances, choosing instead to focus on the complex and ambiguous monsters. many questions about
Cyrah and her actions have been left unexplored, for example, why is she the only human who survives multiple encounters with devourers? How is she able to ride a devourer as its second self, an act strictly forbidden and transgressive? In essence, why is Cyrah able to survive around monstrous other without being killed or turned into a monster herself? By refocusing on Cyrah instead of the devourers, we can see that her identity as a poor, Muslim prostitute from Persia enables her intimate contact with the monsters. Using a lens of difference and new historicism, I will examine how Cyrah's identity allows her unprecedented proximity with monsters. The history and culture of the cosmopolitan Mughal Empire situates Cyrah at the intersection of culture, race, religion, and class with her marginalized identity and, as such, Cyrah represents all of the marginalized, hybrid identities of the people who created India as a polyglot, heterogenous country today. Her occupation as a lower-class prostitute makes her body a liminal space involved in transcultural trading, even before her encounter with the monstrous Other left her pregnant with a hybrid baby. Since she is already Othered due to her hybridity, and her body is a literal and figurative liminal space, her marginalized position affords her access to monstrosity without being destroyed. Recognizing and evaluating the many facets of Cyrah allows us insight into how she can survive the monstrous other.
Capstone Presentation
"The Supernumerary Nipple: The Gender of Monsters in Angela Carter's "The Werewolf""
In most werewolf myths, werewolves are men or masculine monsters, often preying on women, children, the poor, and the weak. Angela Carter’s “The Werewolf,” a retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” departs from this trend by making the grandmother a werewolf. Although the grandmother is killed in the end for being a supernatural creature, she is surprisingly killed for being a witch instead of a werewolf. In this presentation, I will explore the perceived gender of witches and werewolves to discuss why gender matters in the naming and classification of monsters. By exploring gendered classifications of monsters, I will explain why a community believes a monstrous woman is incapable of being a werewolf.