Thursday, September 24, 2015
Xenophobia On Maple Street?
How does The Twilight Zone Episode: The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street
address the concept of xenophobia? What alarms you regarding the
inhabitants actions and attitudes? How does this episode align or differ
with stories we have already read? Other thoughts? Please respond by
2:30p.m. on Mon., September 28th, 2015.
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As soon as strange things started happening, the people living on Maple Street tried finding someone they knew to blame, even if they've known them for years. The fact that people listened to a young boy about his comics with aliens and how they started to believe that is rather alarming. In a situation like this would people actually listen to something like that? This episode differs from "Puppet Show" in the sense that the people in that story were calm, and welcoming to the other species; however, in this episode of "Twilight Zone" they all turned on each other and looked for someone to blame, no matter who it is, even the kid they all decided to listen to. I can't decide if this would actually happen in that situation, it could be argued that we would destroy each other, but on the other hand it could be that we would bind together and stay calm; for that I think it depends on the people and the place.
ReplyDeleteXenophobia is a group mentality. If one person has a xenophobic idea it tends to spread through a group like wildfire. It is a mob mentality if everyone in the mob has even the slightest thing in common it is easy for that group to unit against anyone else. The people on maple street turn into monsters once they are afraid and xenophobic of everyone. This totally aligns with our other xenophobic stories we have read. There is always a search for a scapegoat in all of these stories. People are like this whenever something bad happens that is out of their control
ReplyDeleteThe Monsters Are Due on Maple Street addresses xenophobia of fear that there is an alien among the residents of Maple St. after seeing a "meteor" during the day.The treat each other that one person is an alien and they keep using the same accusation on one other due to strange occurrences.They soon turn on each other,buy killing each other and vandalizing their house.It's interesting at the end where the alien says "There's a maple street everywhere" going along the lines of that Maple is commonly used for a street or road.
ReplyDeleteThe Twilight Zone episode addresses the concept of xenophobia in that it is an irrationality created by our own minds, rooted from paranoia. The thing that alarms and, frankly, infuriates me about the actions of the people of Maple St is how the majority ignored calls for reason and got it in their heads that there must be a monster among them instead of seeking logical solutions. Only one of them tried their car, while others assumed their's didn't work. None of them tried to get to governmental institutions to find an explanation for what was going on - which they easily could've done if they were so worried, by biking or even walking to locations where they could find answers.
ReplyDeleteIt angered me that the fat man, whatever his name is, when accused turned the heat onto a kid to save his own skin. That is proof that people do horrible things out of desperation - which is an indication of serious mental instability. The only people who had a clear working mind were Steve and his wife, the kid and his mother, and the neighbor with insomnia and his wife. The remainder of them all need to be institutionalized and are setting the human race back.
Unlike "Puppet Show", the alien race is completely human in every physical aspect and does not come into contact with us because we as dismissed as such an irrational race. Unlike Frankenstein, the people of Maple St have done nothing to deserve the hostility dished out by their neighbors. Similar to "Sales Pitch" and "Forbidden Planet", which were produced around the same time as this episode, there is this recurrent theme of a fear of our minds pushing us to the point of death based off of paranoia or mental illness, and contempt.
I think this episode and "Forbidden Planet", maybe even "Sales Pitch", are a good reflection of the political environment of the 1950s regarding the Red Scare and the Cold War with Russia. Perhaps Science Fiction of the time wanted to put forth the message that we are taking our paranoia and fear too far and that we will destroy ourselves if we do not see reason and make rational decisions executed in a civilized manner.
Monsters are Due on Maple Street address xenophobia in that as the neighbors feel that one family in their neighborhood isn't human based off of a hunch, and they instantly go sleuthing to find out who it is. They are very uncomfortable with the idea that one neighbor isn't like them, and want to find them and make them leave (or worse). When they see a suspicious looking man on the block, Charlie assumes he is a monster and kills him. Charlie says that it's the little boy, and they chase him. Then the film cuts to aliens talking about how all they have to do is cut off the power and they will destroy themselves. The aliens know that the search for a scapegoat can cause whole civilizations to ruin themselves. It also mentions that this is an advanced way to destroy the humans.
ReplyDeleteThis episode addresses the concept of xenophobia by the people in the town thinking that a family is aliens that have come down and are waiting for the rest of their race and so the people in the town go crazy and blame each other but it turns out that the none of the people are aliens but because of the people hating and blaming someone just because something is different about them like the lights in their house working or their car on or just if something is different about them. How this differs from “Puppet Show” is that in puppet show the humans are calm and welcoming to the alien and willing to talk with it, but in The Twilight Zone episode “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” when something happens all the people in town freak out and think they are all going to die. All the people blame each other and would kill each other just because of something a kid said about something he read in a story.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of xenophobia is present throughout The Twighlight Zone Episode: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. After the power goes out on Maple Street and strange things start happening around the neighbors, they become frightened of “monsters” that they think inhabit their neighborhood. The people on the street are desperate to find a scapegoat to blame. After a person goes to check on the power and doesn’t return, the people see a figure coming out of the darkness and a man named Charlie shoots it. It was simply their neighbor who was coming back from the power lines, an innocent man killed by fear. It shows that while all of the crazy phenomenons are happening, people become suspicious and desperately want to point fingers. Finally, at the very end, the video cuts to two aliens with a small control box. They flip the switches and watch fear and insanity creep its way into the street. As an alien explains, “They pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it’s themselves. All we need do is sit back and watch. And I take it this place, this Maple Street, is not unique...The world is full of Maple Streets. And we’ll go from one to the other and let them destroy themselves” (Twilight Zone). This concept aligns with most of the other stories we have read. It is alarming how science fiction points out that it is difficult for humans to be put in a situation that tests the limits of our knowledge. As the alien says, the world is “full of Maple Streets,” and when put in that kind of situation, we would all let fear overtake our minds and bodies.
ReplyDeleteThis shows xenophobia is shown because when one thing changed then the whole street did not like it. It is alarming because all that happened is the power went out and this resulted in one person dead. If this happened when the power when the power went out we would be screwed. One thing that I find different is that these are humans vs humans in a normal setting no real aliens no one that is foreign of new is there.
ReplyDeleteI think that “Twilight Zone: Monsters on Maple Street,” demonstrates how imagination effects xenophobia. There is no proof of any aliens, but when one child mentions the idea of it being aliens the entire street begins to make accusations that their neighbors are from outer space. The only reason people have fear, is because of their imaginations. The characters in, “Monsters on Maple Street,” weren’t able to keep their imagination in check, which eventually lead to their destruction. This is a scary concept because, it is a very realistic possibility. Our modern society is a very cautious one, and is quick to jump to conclusions. I feel that if we were presented with a situation like this now, the outcome could be even more disastrous. This story differs from some of the other stories that we have read, especially, “The Puppet Show.” In this story, people had a physical encounter with alien. In this story they were calm, kind, patient and were not afraid of the alien. This is a much less realistic outcome. Our society is so cautious and scared (like the one in “Monsters on Maple Street), that we would definitely attack and capture the alien. “Twilight Zone: Monsters on Maple Street,” accurately demonstrates the concept of Xenophobia.
ReplyDelete"The Twilight Zone Episode: The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street" addressed the concept of xenophobia when the residents of maple street begin to suspect one another of being alien after some strange occurrences. This shows that this group of people were ready to kill each other because of the idea of something foreign doing something as simple as shutting down the power. This concept is alarming because it is already happening in our world. For example the Syrian refugee crisis, many of the European countries are preventing refugees from coming in because they don't want their way of life. A story that differs from "Monsters On Maple Street" is "Puppet Show". "Puppet Show" shows how a group people can act in a calm way and also embrace foreign concepts and people.
ReplyDelete"The Twilight Zone Episode: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" conveyed how paranoia can lead to xenophobia. Once the strange occurrences on Maple Street started happening, everyone started to blame each other over what happened. When the little kid brought up the idea of aliens, immediately, everyone started to suspect people of being extraterrestrial beings. Their xenophobia of strangers and unknown things such as aliens led them to kill someone who lived on their street that they thought was an alien. This episode was opposite to the views seen in "The Puppet Show", where the people actually accepted the extraterrestrial being and listened to what he had to say. These two stories are both examples of what xenophobia is.
ReplyDeleteXenophobia is often easier spread in groups. In this episode of the Twilight Zone, xenophobia is shown when a person becomes afraid of something, it is easy for others to become entrenched in this fear. The people refuse to see reason after the idea is planted in their head. The only way they can see reason is when the blame is placed on them. It’s alarming that people have such a herd instinct and will just follow the leader even if their ideas are somewhat crazy. At the end of this episode when they say that there is a maple street everywhere, it implies that all humans will always do this when they are paranoid.
ReplyDeleteXenophobia is exhibited throughout the showing of "The Twilight Zone" because when the lights first go out the first idea in people's heads is whatever caused it must not have good intentions in mind instead of thinking maybe it was just an accident and whatever happened will be fixed shortly. They also shoot a poor unarmed man who was just checking to see if the lights were out on the other streets because he was walking in the dark. How quick the neighbors of Maple Street are willing to point fingers without even considering logic is very alarming and shows how quick chaos can be caused just by something as simple as shutting off the power. If there is no explanation provided, humans take it upon themselves to consider the worst possible outcome and make that the reality.
ReplyDeleteBased on the class’s definition of xenophobia, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street conceptualizes xenophobia nearly perfectly. Once all of the power went out on Maple Street, the people living there immediately turned on one another based on the story of a little kid, saying that someone among them was an alien. This accusation caused the people to be afraid, and not just of the “alien hiding among them”, but also a fear of what might happen to them because they do not know what will happen. Something that alarmed me about the inhabitants’ actions and attitudes was that they were so quick to turn on one another and accuse each other of being an alien, going to show that maybe these people didn’t like each other before this event even happened. This episode doesn’t really align with The Puppet Show all that much, as in The Puppet Show, no one was really afraid of the alien and the alien was actually a character in the story.
ReplyDeleteFrom the definition we came to in class, xenophobia in The Monster on Maple Street is represented perfectly. When the power went out on the street, people started wondering, and after a few minuets, they were already started pointing fingers, after a kid said a story he read in a comic book. Even when a person they knew was walking towards them from the darkness, they shot him. Once the lights started turning on and off in everyone's houses, chaos ensued. Even though this showed a great example of xenophobia, it was nothing like the "Puppet Show", showing that there are many forms a xenophobia.
ReplyDeletePeople always need someone to blame or a reason for something happening, things for a reason. We automatically think that because something is happening that someone is controlling over it, which in almost all cases is true. Xenophobia relates to this story because of how because we don't know what is happening, we just assume it's something magical, and in this case, evil. This story reminded me of the Salem witch trials. The other stories we have read have a different type of Xenophobia, in the other stories it's about physical features of a character, in this one it's about not knowing about the situation, being unaware of what is happening around them.
ReplyDeleteIn Twilight Zone xenophobia is demonstrated by when all the lights go off and the power everyone starts to turn against one another and they start to become fearful of what they don't know. This can be demonstrated in real life by immigrations because we don't know who they are or what they are like so in todays society I think that xenophobia is imprinted in us at a young age telling us to stay away from people you don't know ect.
ReplyDeleteBased off of the definitions of xenophobia the story The Monsters on Maple Street shows xenophobia because the trader was among them which made people even more scared. Because the Aliens look a lot like people which makes people even more scared stressing that when an alien or something is like a human then people are more scared.
ReplyDeleteIn the show, it was interesting that everything was okay, until the kid mentioned monsters. Then people started to think about it, making them turn on each other. And the fact is that without the idea, we don't think about it. And we'd do anything to protect our family, whether it means killing someone, or yourself if necessary. But the idea of xenophobia wouldn't be there if there was nothing said
ReplyDeleteIn this episode of The Twilight Zone xenophobia is shown when a peaceful neighborhood turns on each other when an alien is believed to be among them. What shocked me the most is how quickly they were to blame and to take the blame of themselves. This episode differs from every other story we have read, in the Puppet Show the small town reacted very calmly to the alien among them. Where as in this film the are very frightened and violent. Could the aliens be humans in this film?
ReplyDeleteIn the twilight episode, The monsters are due on maple street, shows a theme of xenophobia throughout the movie. When the lights, electricity, electronics, gas went out mass hysteria ran through the the town. They were trying to find a scapegoat when they couldn't figure out what was happening. Fingers quickly pointed to the weird neighbor because he liked to stand outside at night and stare at the stars. What surprises me about the people in the neighborhood are ignorant and work as a pack to get 'rid' of the problem. This story is more violet the other stories we have read. They are more accepting of the alien creature.
ReplyDeleteIn the Twilight Zone episode, The monsters are due on Maple Street, Xenophobia sweeps a street filled with regular people and regular families and causes neighbors and friends to wreak havoc, blame, and kill each other. The people of maple street were filled with fear of alien forces living among them when something flew out of the sky and all of the power in the neighborhood went out. They then start to blame each other, and eventually end up shooting someone, walking from the shadows, which causes panic. The people of Maple Street expressed xenophobia, through their fear and actions took to rid of an extraterrestrial influence in their neighborhood. This episode differs from other stories we have read, because it shows xenophobia taken to a violent level, and it shows a more realistic reaction to aliens.
ReplyDeleteBased off of the short film, it addresses how people in that time, are not ready for UFO or alien life by being scared and wanting to kill the aliens. One thing that alarms about this is how fast the inhabitants of Maple Street jumped to conclusions so fast. This episode differs from Puppet show because everyone in Puppet show was totally calm about the tall alien, while in the film, they are completely Xenophobic and are not welcome to the idea of aliens.
ReplyDeleteAlex Hershey
It's interesting that at the beginning of the Twilight Zone episode, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, everyone dismissed the idea that aliens were among the people of Maple Street, especially because it came from a little boy. But as the story progressed, everyone became paranoid with the thought that it really was true and took it too far. It made them uncomfortable, and that is the symptom of xenophobia. They started to fear each other and act upon it. This differs from "Puppet Show" because the alien that strode into town was welcomed and people were interested in it, but in this episode, there is not even a humanoid, crazy-looking alien and the people psyched themselves out. The alien was fear itself. This could be applied to modern times. The media always blows things out of proportion to scare people and picks the news that might create frenzy and controversy. I feel that being xenophobic is human nature, but once we train ourselves to except being uncomfortable with different things, we could avoid being like the people of Maple Street.
ReplyDeleteIn the Twilight Zone, xenophobia is demonstrated by portraying a common neighborhood betraying each other for their personal benefit. No matter if they even had to kill one of their neighbors because they thought he was the alien, they showed xenophobia by guessing blindly at their target. Not putting much common sense into their thinking they managed to ruin the entire neighborhood. This episode differs from the "Puppet Show" because the alien was welcomed and in this one the outsider was not liked to the point where they started to kill each other to get rid of it.
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