Det monstruösa gränslandet: Monstret som gränsöverskridande figur i "Frankenstein" och "Monstrilio"

Sammanfattning

This essay examines how the monster as a literary figure is constructed in relation to the boundary between the human and the non-human in Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" (1818) and Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s "Monstrilio" (2023). The study investigates how the monsters challenge established ideas of humanity, identity, and bodily norms, and how these constructions reflect the development of the horror genre over time. The study is based on a comparative literary analysis using close reading. Particular attention is given to the monster’s body, language, relationships, narrative structure, and the reactions of surrounding characters. The theoretical framework combines Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s monster theory with genre perspectives from Anders Öhman and Yvonne Leffler. Cohen’s concept of the monster as a “category crisis” is central to the analysis.The analysis demonstrates that the monsters in both novels function as boundary-crossing figures that destabilize the distinction between human and non-human. In "Frankenstein", the monster is primarily constructed as an external threat connected to anxieties surrounding science, reproduction, and the transgression of natural boundaries. In "Monstrilio" the monstrous is closely tied to grief, identity, and emotional relationships, making the boundary between monster and human more fluid. The study also shows that the horror genre has changed over time in how readers are positioned in relation to the monster. While "Frankenstein" largely maintains a distance between reader and monster, "Monstrilio" creates emotional proximity through shifting narrative perspectives and direct access to the monster’s experiences. The essay concludes that the monster continues to function as a cultural figure through which ideas of humanity are negotiated and redefined. The comparison further suggests that while "Frankenstein" uses the monster to define the boundaries of humanity, "Monstrilio" questions whether such boundaries can be maintained.