id: a8ba8a27-3484-48ae-940b-5dc16c7a9ec9
slug: The-Monster
cover_url: null
author: Edgar Saltus
about: Discovering that true evil lurks not in supernatural beasts but in human nature drives this haunting psychological thriller. Through a seemingly innocent romance, Saltus exposes how ordinary people transform into monsters through subtle moral compromises, challenging the notion that villainy requires dramatic acts of malice.
icon_illustration: https://myeyoafugkrkwcnfedlu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/Icon_Images/Edgar%20Saltus.png
author_id: 6bc89e73-a1ae-45b1-9f75-cc22abc26bb7
city_published: New York
country_published: United States
great_question_connection: Edgar Saltus's "The Monster" serves as a profound meditation on many of the philosophical and existential questions that have long challenged human understanding. The text's exploration of morality, consciousness, and the nature of evil particularly resonates with fundamental questions about divine existence and the problem of suffering. The work's wrestling with theological implications mirrors the age-old question of whether evil disproves a perfect God, while simultaneously engaging with the nature of consciousness as potential evidence of divinity. \n \n The narrative's treatment of monstrosity raises important questions about the relationship between appearance and reality, echoing philosophical inquiries about whether we see reality or merely our expectations. This connects deeply to questions about the nature of truth and perception – whether beauty can exist without an observer, and whether meaning is found or created. The text's exploration of societal reactions to the monster touches on the tension between individual rights and collective welfare, while also probing whether moral truth is objective or relative to cultural contexts. \n \n Saltus's work particularly engages with the question of whether reality is fundamentally good, as the monster's existence challenges conventional notions of natural order and divine purpose. This connects to broader questions about whether there is purpose in evolution and whether consciousness is fundamental to reality. The narrative's treatment of social ostracism and moral judgment speaks to questions about whether we should judge actions by their intentions or their consequences, and whether personal loyalty should override universal moral rules. \n \n The story's philosophical undertones address whether finite minds can grasp infinite truth, particularly in its exploration of characters attempting to comprehend the monster's nature. This connects to questions about whether some truths are
too dangerous to be known, and whether perfect knowledge would eliminate mystery. The work's treatment of social responses to the unknown reflects on whether traditional wisdom is more reliable than modern science, and whether skepticism is better than trust when encountering new phenomena. \n \n The text's examination of beauty and deformity engages with aesthetic philosophy, questioning whether beauty is cultural or universal, and whether ugliness can be beautiful. This connects to broader questions about whether art should comfort or challenge, and whether beauty exists in the object or the experience. The monster's existence raises questions about whether we are part of nature or separate from it, and whether order exists in nature or just in our minds. \n \n The narrative's moral complexity addresses whether it's better to be a good person who achieves little or a flawed person who achieves much good, while also exploring whether perfect justice is worth any price. The story's treatment of social reaction to difference speaks to whether we should tolerate the intolerant, and whether stability should be valued over perfect justice. \n \n Through its exploration of these themes, "The Monster" serves as a powerful lens through which to examine fundamental questions about reality, morality, and human nature. It demonstrates how literature can engage with philosophical questions in ways that pure philosophical discourse cannot, showing that reading fiction can indeed teach real truths about life. The work ultimately suggests that wisdom might be more about questions than answers, as it leaves readers grappling with fundamental uncertainties about existence, morality, and the nature of reality itself.
introduction: "The Monster" (1893), a provocative novella by American author Edgar Saltus, stands as a remarkable yet often overlooked exploration of psychological horror and moral degradation in late nineteenth-century literature. This haunting work, published during America's Gilded Age, emerges as a critical commentary on the period's societal decay and spiritual malaise, masquerading as a tale of supernatural horror. \n \n First appearing in Belford's Magazine, the novella garnered immediate attention for its unflinching portrayal of moral corruption and its sophisticated blending of Gothic elements with social criticism. The text emerged during a period of rapid industrialization and social upheaval, when American literature was grappling with questions of progress, morality, and the dark undercurrents of human nature. \n \n The narrative follows the psychological unraveling of its protagonist, Richard Densmore, whose descent into moral depravity is portrayed with a clinical precision characteristic of Saltus's naturalistic style. The author's treatment of themes such as spiritual corruption and social decay reflects contemporary anxieties about modernization and moral decline, while drawing upon influences ranging from French decadent literature to emerging psychological theories of the time. \n \n Despite its initial impact, "The Monster" has remained relatively obscure in contemporary literary discourse, though scholars increasingly recognize its significance in the development of American psychological fiction. The work's exploration of moral degradation and its sophisticated narrative techniques prefigured later modernist experiments in psychological realism. Modern readings of the text often focus on its prescient critique of societal values and its complex treatment of human nature's darker aspects. \n \n The novella's enduring relevance lies in its unflinching examination of moral corruption and social decay - themes that continue to resonate with c
ontemporary readers. Its innovative narrative structure and psychological depth have influenced subsequent works in the American Gothic tradition, while its bold social commentary continues to invite fresh interpretations and scholarly debate.