Introducing.....The Monster!

For being such fear-inspiring creatures, society introduces monsters to children at a very young age. By grade school, the monsters still scare but are also integrated into everyday life. For example, my mother used to recite to me “The Little Orphan Annie.”  Every now and then I spot allusions to it or meet someone else who knows the tale of naughty children who are snatched away and never seen again.

Read "The Little Orphan Annie" here: http://www.jameswhitcombriley.com/children%27s_poetry.htm

Harshly put, these tales use fear to manipulate children into brushing their teeth, doing their chores, minding their parents, and going to sleep.

Examining society’s use of monsters in conjunction with society's reactions to the monsters is very revealing.