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Rethinking normal The Star Online Sunday November 21, 2004 EVER wondered what the word “norm” means? Well, Monash University Malaysia (MUM) communications lecturer Dr Andrew Ng has clear ideas on that score. He believes that cultural and ideological influences shape public perceptions on what is considered “normal” in society, so much so that those who do not conform to society's accepted structures and systems are often labelled “monsters”. This concept of monstrosity forms the basis of Ng's literary study and is contained in his recently published academic monograph Dimensions of Monstrosity in Contemporary Narrative: Theory, Psychoanalysis, Postmodernism. The study draws upon the analyses of contemporary narratives by writers such as Peter Ackroyd, Bret Easton Ellis and Angela Carter whose portrayals of evil, sexual perversions, death and terror suggest that monstrosity can take various forms including those of the serial killer, the disfigured body or individuals who commit aberrant actions. “People are what society or culture makes them out to be,” says Dr Ng. “A lot of what is considered normal by a community may be considered taboo or sinful by another. This study attempts to examine the concept of normalcy and how it affects, and is affected by, public perceptions,” he adds. According to Dr Ng, monstrous figures in traditional and contemporary Gothic literature are often metaphors that signify the cultural crises afflicting society at a period in time. For example, in the 1980's, vampires took on a new cultural metaphor to signify the AIDS crisis because, just like vampires, AIDS carriers are reminiscent of the walking dead who potentially contaminate others. However, monsters in 21st century narratives tend to be more sinister and less easily detected and defeated. They are also more likely to get away with evil, reflecting the ambivalent society we live in where certainty and closures are not always possible. Dr Ng said that understanding monstrosity is important in cultural studies as it helps communities comprehend and manage social problems. In the post-modern era, elements like the family institution, legal and educational systems and even language, can sometimes take on monstrous dimensions as they constrict individuals through their dicta, he elaborates. [Link]

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