At the beginning of the book, Patrick Ness effectively presents the monster as an enigmatic force of nature who is very assertive. Towards the beginning of the book, Conor asks the monster who he is, the monster declares: “Who am I?” The monster repeated, still roaring. “I am the spine that the monsters hang upon! I am the tears that rivers cry! I am the limb that breathes the wind, I am the wolf that kills the stag, the hawk that kills the mouse, and the spider that kills the fly. I am the stag, the mouse, and the fly that is eating! I am the snake of the world, devouring its tail. I am, everything untamed and untameable. It brought Conor up close to his eye.” I am this wild earth, come for you.” We can see that the monster is presented as …show more content…
It is the persona that people show to the outer world while concealing their true selves. The monster uses imagery to present his mask as being fierce to conceal its true reasons and motives. The monster's mask represents its primitive and wild qualities, which make it appear bold and powerful. The monster's description as "everything untamed and untameable" emphasises its qualities, this is associated with the shadow archetype. The shadow is the wildness and chaos, of one’s own identity. The monster is “everything untamed and untameable”. In this specific quote, the monster reveals its shadow self to Conor. Some may interpret this as the monster influencing Conor to reveal his shadow self (which we see later in the book). The monster is a destructive and powerful force. The evidence shows the fluidity of the monster. We see that the monster unravels his mask and shows us its shadow, making the audience feel more subject to the monster. This is relevant to Jung's theory that the process of developing your identity involves confronting the shadow aspect of yourself. The monster wants Conor to confront his shadow self to help him through his grief. This influences the reader to also confront their shadow self, to develop their character. Towards the climax of the quote, the monster exclaims: “I am this wild earth, come for you” shows the monster's self-revelation and asserts itself over