Arts and Humanities Event #2
A large creature emerges from the trees. Its body towers
over the man standing nearby, but the most shocking thing about it is its
missing head. Its eyes peer out from its shoulders and the mouth stretches
across its chest. Is this creature human? If not, what should it be called? Many,
especially those alive in medieval times, would call it a monster and
categorize it as part of a monstrous race. But as Asa Simon Mittman, a professor of monster studies, suggested,
race may not be the best way to categorize beings. Mittman’s research delved
into the role of monster races in the medieval ages and what role the word “race”
plays in culture.
The idea of race, Mittman declared, is as artificial as the monsters
themselves. He gave numerous examples to support his discovery that there is no
logical way to categorize groups as races. The “monsters” of medieval
literature and art were incredibly human-like in their mannerisms and dress, so
these things could not set them apart from humans. Race, he explained, is
consequently a cultural and not a biological phenomenon. Simply claiming
another being to be of another race sets them apart and may distort perceptions
of them.
However, this may be what the creators of literature and art
wanted. By calling the strange beings “monstrous races,” artists set them apart
from the Anglo-Saxon culture and placed them as a comparison tool. Looking at
the “monsters” from afar, humans were able to judge their culture against those
of the “monstrous races” and seem normal in comparison. In this way, the
literature and art about “monstrous races” was really rhetoric on how the Saxons
saw themselves and how they wanted their culture to be perceived.
Mittman presented these ideas of culture and race with admirable
exuberance. He seemed incredibly excited to share his research and his thoughts
on race in cultural context. This excitement was a little too much for me at
some points in the lecture because he spoke at such a speed that it was
difficult to process the ideas and keep up with the speech. I also felt a
little disconnected to Mittman because he kept his head down and read from his
prepared speech. If he had looked out at the audience more, I think his
excitement could have helped him connect with his listeners. I was also
frequently thrown off by the recurrent use of a medieval dialect that I am not
familiar with. While I listened to the strange words, I considered how this
introduction of a foreign language might affect a presentation. On the one
hand, I thought that it might estrange the audience a little because there
would be moments where they could not connect and could not comprehend what was
being said. On the other hand, I think it could help express the inherent
difference between cultures. Ideas are also often best expressed in their
original dialect because nuances don’t get lost in translation. I have also
been thinking about a point that Mittman made near the end of his lecture. He mentioned
that medieval writings about monsters were considered explanations, but they
actually never really explained anything at all. This is a worry of mine; that I
will write a lot of words, but actually say nothing of importance. I need to
make sure that what I write connects me to my audience and has an effect on
them. I will be keeping all of these thoughts and observations in mind as I continue
working on a project that will most likely involve writing and presenting.
-Miranda Romano
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