Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Karely Espinoza
Professor Beadle
English 115
6 December 2017
Surrounded by Emptiness
Generally when talking about monsters we tend to perceive a gruesome looking animal,
something weve heard about in an old legend or something weve seen on our television.
However over time weve come to realize that not all monsters are as easily identified as those
that society has labeled as monsters. Dracula and Frankenstein no longer have the same bold
effect they once did in causing us fear and pain. Today we face monsters that are hidden or to
some people nonexistent in our society. We face them every time we try expressing who we are,
where we come from and the goals we strive to reach. Modern day monsters are known to us as
stereotypes, racism and even appropriation, they thrive off of any place they can find depriving
us of a Safe Space. These monsters integrate in the minds of people and the spaces that
surround us, corrupting them and segmenting distrust and skepticism between us. The lack of
having a safe space is in part, the reason why people like myself feel self conscious when
expressing their cultural background and roots. They might feel like they'll get looked down
upon and be associated to something that falsely represents who they are. When the values of
equality are diminished and the notion of superiority take place in people's hearts we tend to feel
attacked from all sides. Making the most monstrous spaces anywhere that we arent surrounded
Although monsters can be constructed out of anything, the monsters that torment us the
most are the ones that can alter who we are individually. Monsters that are targeted in making
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our lives a burden such as causing us to uneasy in any space, often have the greatest impact on
us. Before, we would settle for monsters that were shared between others, a common enemy, but
due to our constant exposure to these monster we've grown a tolerance. However something that
people don't seem to notice, is the fact that their monsters aren't just influenced by their
surrounding but can in fact be their surroundings. A monster can actually be a place or
something that you lack in a certain space, such as security. The thing I find monstrous is that
despite being a country whose foundation is based on diversity, we have people who aren't free
to express their culture seriously. People are ridiculed when wearing traditional clothes, apparel
or holding different traditions with names such as ghetto beaner terrorist and so many
more. Our personal monster such as these, which in fact a low form of racism can actually be
shaped by our surroundings or even be the space itself. This causes us to stray away from who
To be able to identify and understand what makes those monstrous things present in my
life, I had to analyze my space, values and beliefs, which isn't always easy. In Monsters and
Messiahs Mike Davis talks about what makes up a monster and how monsters can formed based
off things that go against our values, beliefs and morals. . . .we intensely crave the
anthropomorphic comfort of definition and category. . .monsters which embody fears in sensual
forms, are sometimes messiahs of consolation (Davis, 47) What Davis tries to say is that
without realizing it we are the soul founders of our own fears. That we crave monsters in order to
categorize our fears and hopefully to cope with them, making these monsters also Messiahs of
Consolation. Sometimes we live in constant fear, in this case, of expressing our culture and we
live in this fear without knowing why. It isn't until we stop thinking of a monster as an actual
physical being and more as an idea or belief that is integrated into people because of actions that
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misrepresent us, that we can fully understand what a monster is. After analyzing my particular
space,which is being in a space where im not valued and understood, I was able to see that what I
value the most is my desire to not get left behind. In our fast moving society being set aside or
not being given the same opportunities is equivalent to getting left behind, and therefore not an
option. Being surrounded by spaces which restrict us from openly expressing who we are
whether it's culturally or generally already puts us a step behind everyone else. Not being able to
adapt to not having a safe space puts us even further, which can seriously affect your future
and dreams. Leaving our only option to be setting aside who we are in order to accomplish this.
A certain space can have a different effect on different people; while some feel
comfortable and motivated in high pressure situations others might respond with anxiety or
distress. Nonetheless each individual has different obstacles and fears, whether they are self
imposed as a form to cope, or fears that develop. Each fear has a purpose in helping us better
understand who we are, both as people and as writers. Personally I have found myself to rise
above stereotypical labels and expectations as well as overcome spaces that restrict me from
being who i am, such as not going to college or getting a good education due to being a hispanic
as a motive to prove people wrong. At first I approached this as a challenge because I was able to
realize how much I valued approval and being accepted in the communities that surrounded me.
However these values and beliefs soon were discarded and others took their place. The ideal of
accepting difference, diversity, mutual respect and equality took that place, allowing me to
Not being in control of who we are can be intimidating, leading to self doubt and
insecurity and causing my personal monster to spiral out of control until it consumed me and
impeded me from achieving my full potential. Things like not knowing what to do and being
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afraid of messing up only amplified my fear of this intangible monster. There are many people
who face this same fear, of not having the liberty to express themselves and their culture despite
being in a free country. This type of thinking gives way for us to justify our fear, thinking that
it will always be this way or that we can't do anything to stop it so might as well get used to
it causing us to always remaining in the same circle of fear and never fighting to maintain a
space of our own. In My Zombie, Myself. . . Klosterman talks about how zombies reflect what
were most afraid of This is our collective fear projection; that we will be consumed
(Klosterman, 42.) With this Klosterman shows us how our Monsters are projected from what
we fear deep down which is why it is important to acknowledge our fear and try to face it. This
quote can apply to any monstrous space, especially mine. When faced with adversity such as
being looked down upon I had to pick myself up as fast as possible and overcome those thoughts,
because I knew that deep down i was forced to think the same thing.
Not having a space you can freely express yourself and confide in can be even more
frightening than the most ghastly monsters. Being constantly surrounded by stereotypes and
racism can be overwhelming especially when you don't have a place or space you can turn to,
ultimately leading you to lose a sense of who you are. Dude to a lack of security people will try
to abandon their cultural practices and rituals in order to fit the standards of the community
around them. Thinking that by doing this they'll be safer, or that the community will change for
them, giving them an opportunity to express themselves. The truth is that the only way to have a
Safe Space is to create one for yourself. The truth is that the only way to overcome the
Monster that is prejudice is by proving to people that anyone can make a space to express their
culture respectfully and for what it truly is. Once we overcome the monsters that we replay in our
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head and the fears we have deep inside us, the monsters will slowly disappear just the amount of
Work Cited
Hoffman, Andrew J., and Mike DavisMonsters and Messiahs . Monsters: a Bedford Spotlight
Hoffman, Andrew J., and Chuck Klosterman. My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels