The Construction and Representation of Monsters as Others in Angela Carters Nights at The Circus and Jeanette Wintersons Sexing the Cherry

Abstract

Anyone who is different from what a social norm establishes can be transformed into a monster. Cultural, religious, political, and sexual differences are often found in artistic representations of monsters. The novels Sexing the Cherry, by Jeanette Winterson, and Nights at the Circus, by Angela Carter, are aware of the transformations those who are different may suffer. They explore the ways groups that are distant from the standards are turned into monsters and the marginalization they suffer for not adapting to the norms. In this work, I analyze how the monsters in these novels are constructed and characterized as Others, in order to understand how they are used to question norms and other impositions by society. I also analyze the grotesque women that are the main characters of each novel, to understand how their monstrosity influences their representation as symbols of female power and freedom.