Crane, "The Monster"

Discussion questions: Crane, The Monster (1899)

1. How often do we still define the ill or the disabled as monsters?

2. In what ways is "The Monster" a critique of mob mentality? Where else besides in their reaction to the burned Henry do we see groups engaging in herd thinking?

3. Is Henry Johnson a "monster" in society's eyes even before he is burned? By making him African-American, is Crane making a statement about racial discrimination or human willingness to turn those different from us into "monsters"?

4. Should Trescott have found an alternate way of helping Henry Johnson? To what extent is are doctors (or business people in other lines of work) vulnerable to social pressure?

5. What do we owe those who have sacrificed for us? What do we owe to those who can no longer help themselves?

6. Would Henry Johnson have been better off dead? If you were burned beyond recognition or lost many of your mental powers, would you be able to find a reason to go on living?

7. Crane's writing does a number of interesting things, like start with a child's point of view, make extensive use of dialogue, and divide the story into a whole series of short chapters. What aspects of his storytelling did you think added most to his short story?