Monsters come in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Some of these creatures are grotesque and supernatural, while others seem no different from innocent neighbors next door. What defines a monster can shift radically from purely physical to exclusively psychological. There are many ways to create physical monsters; from reconstructing stolen body parts to unleashing a curse, to numerous ways of abusing and neglecting someone until they reach a mental breaking point. Whatever the circumstances, there seems to be one truth universally understood: cruelty creates monsters. While it may not always be an outside force creating such unfortunate situations for these future monsters, malice and callousness can still be found around these creatures. Monsters created by mad science and infection are not necessarily an evil, angry creature from their conception. , but the underlying intentions of their creators can cause them to change personalities. In creating these abominations, the creator usually intends for the creature to carry out its nefarious plots. To fit their intentions, monster creators make their projects look anywhere from uncomfortable to watch to nightmarish. Although there may be times when inventors wish their creation to be a beautiful and wondrous being, false life is rarely an embraceable thing (Frankenstein). Seen by the public, monsters are feared, hunted and rejected. Because of the, perhaps unintentional, cruelty of these civilians, the monsters can become frightened, become angry, and begin to lash out. As they lash out, these creatures become a living terror, either exactly what their creators had hoped for, or their own waking nightmare. A human who acts mons...... middle of paper ...... rejects these emotions and returns to their socially acceptable "rational" self. While monsters represent the darker aspects of humanity, there is also representation of the lighter side of humanity. This lightness is often represented through other mythical creatures. Creatures such as unicorns, fairies, and centaurs are meant to symbolize that there is something greater than the darkness of the world. While monsters are meant to characterize the negative and lesser side of humanity, these other mythical and fantastical creatures are meant to symbolize the aspirations of humanity. The stories of these fantastical creatures are filled with rewarded emotions and whole-heartedly accepted by society. Tales of the kindness, beauty and divine likeness of these mythical beings are intended for humble humans and inspire them to rise above their cruelty and become greater than themselves..