Monsters in our society Have you ever wondered how monsters are created in our society? The dehumanization of individuals can cause both the perpetrator and the dehumanized person to act in monstrous ways. But why and how are they created in our world? Some monsters are created to “help us face what we fear most in life” (Donovan) and, in turn, bring communities together. Philip Zimbardo, a social psychologist, believes that anonymity and the situation a "good" person finds himself in can cause him to act monstrously. While the effects of a monster can be devastating, communities come together to fight them through reconciliation and the promotion of heroism. In the novels Night and Frankenstein, both Wiesel and Shelley express that human injustice towards strangers makes both individuals who act unjustifiably and individuals affected by those actions monsters. In Night, the prisoners taken to the camps were deprived of the morals of right and wrong due to the intense oppression due to the Nazis. Elie describes that he “dug [his] nails into unfamiliar faces. [He] bit all around…to get air” (Wiesel 89). The dehumanization of others and the passion for self-preservation cause prisoners to act inhumanely towards each other. In Frankenstein, the monster describes himself as “benevolent; [his] soul shone with love and humanity: but [he is] not alone, miserably alone” (Shelley). This thought quickly changed when he realized that no one would ever accept him. When society completely ostracizes an individual, not only does he feel alone, but he feels the need to express his feelings through revenge. The monster shown in Frankenstein is an example of how feelings of rejection can inspire feelings of hate... middle of paper... ty. They are created to explain the unknown and promote a sense of community among certain cultures. The evil that is created, from a certain situation and from anonymity, can be forgiven and even stopped by promoting heroism. Works Cited Donovan, Patricia. "Because we create monsters." Because we create monsters. Np, 27 October 2011.Web. 22 May 2014.Hugo, Piet and Susan Dominus. "Portraits of reconciliation". The New York Times. The New York Times, April 5, 2014. Web. May 22, 2014. Shelley, Maria. Frankenstein. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, nd Print. "You think you're above doing evil? Think again." Book extract (nd): n. pag.Prisonexp. Web.Wiesel, Elie and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.Zimbardo, Philip. "The psychology of evil". TED. Np, nd Web. May 22, 2014. Works Cited