Monsters, Feral Teens and the Rage to Feel Alive

adolescents Monsters, feral teens and the rage to feel alive David Taransaud believes we must sensitively act as hostage negotiators, using creative means to make contact with adolescents’ Wounded Self rom the beginning of time, the myth of the just like the mythical monster, they are a product monster has pervaded most cultures. Creatures of neglect, abandonment and abuse. Ffrom folklore, such as werewolves, vampires, and gorgons, were the embodiment of society’s From whence cometh the beast or deepest fears, threatening the moral fabric so supervillain? carefully woven by our ancestors. Nowadays, the The Beast Folks on The Island of Dr Moreau2, along monster myth has been deconstructed and diluted, with Dr Victor Frankenstein’s uncivilised creature3, romanticised through cinema, TV series, video and more recently Dren from the movie Splice4, games and urban fantasy novels. The 21st-century highlight that monsters are not born, they are monster is no longer to be feared, yet many of us manufactured. Whether created by a self-centred, believe a far more dangerous creature lurks among narcissistic scientist in a bleak laboratory, or by a us: the feral adolescent. morally ambiguous geneticist in Dr Moreau’s House According to the media, since the murder of of Pain, it is the parental failure of their creators two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, our society has and society’s prejudice that turn the creatures into been plagued by a new type of predatory creature: monsters. the subhuman teen monster, the transgressor of It is easy to look at these fictional monsters and moral rules, the wild and uncivilised hooded demon. only see destructive forces driven by animal instinct. The word ‘youth’, in the press and in the public But it is important to remember their origins: imagination, seems to have become synonymous victims rejected by their creators, deprived of the with senseless violent crime and street terror. most basic human needs, and equipped with no Indeed, research shows that some of the most other developmental skills than an innate instinct commonly used words to describe adolescents in the to survive. The similarities to the background of media include feral, monsters, inhuman, and evil1. the antisocial adolescent are obvious: ‘monstrous’ Undoubtedly, sensationalism and the demonisation behaviour triggered by a troubled background, of youth sell newspapers, but these labels obfuscate raging against society, and surviving on a diet of the truth and only succeed in deepening our fears. omnipotence. If we really want to get to the heart of the problem, A more contemporary and notorious fictional we need to embark on a more refined exploration character, who shares similar characteristics with of the teen-monster myth. Only then will we be both the mythical monster and the troubled teen, able to map, negotiate and navigate the inner is the ever-present superhero, or, to be more precise, The 21st-century territory of the troubled teen. It is only by venturing his angry counterpart: the supervillain. monster is no into the inner lair of the so-called feral adolescent An exploration of these characters’ origins always longer to be feared, that we stand a chance of safely uncovering the reveals a painful truth hidden to others, distressing yet many of us deep hurt that lies beneath his antisocial persona. details of a traumatic past, and a childhood tainted believe a far more by abandonment, loss, isolation, and emotional dangerous creature Into the monster’s lair deprivation. lurks among us: the It is no coincidence that monsters such as vampires, But unlike his mighty counterpart who worked feral adolescent werewolves, flesh-eating zombies and other through his trauma and became enriched with a supervillains have enjoyed a renaissance in popular deeper level of awareness, the supervillain never ‘ teen culture. Indeed, there are similarities between had the opportunity to merge with the warmth of antisocial teens and these fictionalised creatures. a good-enough other and heal his wounds. Instead, And it would be foolish to deny the existence of he remains stuck in the nightmare of his painful an animal instinct, with which many troubled past. From the sinister Darth Vader to the sadistic adolescents appear to be driven. But we must not Joker (Batman’s nemesis), the supervillain’s alliance confuse behaviour and identity. These adolescents with the darker side, his need to constantly disrupt were not born evil. The ‘monstrous’ behaviour social order, and his rigidly worn mask are nothing exhibited by challenging young people often but a false front, an omnipotent and domineering conceals a deep and painful emotional wound; façade that hides any trace of vulnerability, allowing 6 CCYP September 2011 adolescents DAVID TARANSAUD CCYP September 2011 7 adolescents him to conceal his real identity and thus protecting ‘I was the slave, not the master, of an impulse, his Self from further potentially traumatic and which I detested, yet could not disobey … I had painful experiences. Sadly, like the antisocial cast off all feelings,’ laments Dr Frankenstein’s adolescent, the archaic coping strategies upon creature5. Similarly, for most troubled teens, their which the supervillain relies obscure his view of monstrous behaviour is nothing but the remnants the world and cut him off from sources of support of a traumatic early history when the world only and emotional closeness. contained two polarised positions: strong and all- Arguably the most famous angry superhero, and powerful, or weak and helpless. definitely one of the most popular with teenagers, The child deprived of love, empathetic attunement is The Incredible Hulk. Originally inspired by the and appropriate maternal care experiences acute narratives of both Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and helplessness. In the process, he develops a fearful Mr Hyde, the graphic novel of the The Incredible view of the world, which he perceives as being Hulk5 and, more recently, the Ang Lee movie6 both populated by dangerous creatures, where the weak tell the story of Bruce Banner, a socially inept is at the mercy of the strong. In such a Darwinian scientist who, after being exposed to gamma world, he quickly learns that the only way to radiation, transforms into a raging green behemoth survive is by being on top of the food chain, a each time he feels threatened. Frequent flashbacks, king amongst beasts. But there is a price to be though, show a haunted past full of domestic paid to attain such a powerful position. In order violence, and severe physical abuse. Thus, the gamma to survive, he must tuck away key elements of his rays are not solely responsible for his unstoppable real Self, the parts that have not been welcomed rage but merely amplify the fear and hurt Banner by others and that he perceives as shameful and experienced during his early life. too weak to survive in such an oppressive world. Again, like the antisocial adolescent, this fictional In other words, his vulnerable, needy and love- green monster is not just a mindless savage, but a seeking Wounded Self. His rage is not the wounded survivor and a misunderstood outcast Unable to escape from the harsh reality in which rage of a monster, unleashing his inner beast whenever he is reminded he’s living, the frightened and emotionally starved but that of a of the unbearable feelings of insecurity and child takes refuge in fantasy. He lays aside his need vulnerable, vulnerability he experienced in his early years. His to love and be loved, banishes his relational needs frightened, and rage is not the rage of a monster, but that of a to an emotional wasteland, and, to compensate, helpless child vulnerable, frightened and helpless child. It is the unconsciously signs over all control to a mighty inner rage to feel alive, a desperate way of coercing rescuer, a controlling and false Omnipotent Self. others into a) helping him heal his wounds and b) Once ‘he’ has been invited in, this Omnipotent providing him with the parenting he never received. Self takes over the inner world and quickly builds So the journey and the hurt of the monster emotional contact boundaries that protect the ‘ parallel in many ways the experiences of the child against further potential hurt, rejection or antisocial adolescent. And the increasing presence humiliation. This is a relief for the terrified child, of such creatures in youth culture provides us with as, through this alliance, he gains the illusion of a valuable tool for finding a way into the troubled safety, believing his powerful new-found saviour adolescent’s inner world and helping him return to will protect him against the evil of his world. a more creative way of living. But this is nothing more than a Faustian bargain, for his survival has been purchased at an extravagant ‘Omnipotent Self’ versus ‘Wounded Self’ price: the inability to live a full and creative life. As we have seen, the monsters on our screens The Omnipotent Self initially provides a source of thrive on a seemingly inexhaustible supply of comfort for the frightened child, and allows him omnipotence that drives them to boundless to survive emotional starvation and intense distress; destruction. Yet, when we look at the backgrounds but in exchange, he demands total control, forbidding of these creatures, we can see that these gruesome relational needs, while keeping the wounded parts displays of omnipotence are nothing but the of the individual well hidden under a cloak of shame. outgrowth of a painful past. The antisocial teen So, in order to survive, the child not only also shares this desire for omnipotence, a mask of disowns aspects of his Self and surrenders to a power that he puts on when he feels threatened.

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