Summary Of Monsters Are Due On Maple Street

Polar bears are considered one of the cutest animals in the world and are adored by thousands of people. Not only are they adorable, but they are also going extinct because of the warming temperatures in the Arctic. But what mankind does not know is that warmer climate isn’t the only thing killing off these animals; it’s truly cannibalism. This surprising truth is revealed in a similar way in Rod Sterling's short story, “Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.” The story takes place in an ordinary neighborhood that is supposedly being attacked by aliens. But Sterling is not writing about cute bears killing themselves, he is showing people that aliens and space is not their enemy, but really themselves. Likewise, mankind’s worst foe is mankind itself.

For instance, at the start of “Monsters Are Due On Maple Street,” Steve looks up into the sky and hears a roar, in which he concludes is a meteor. After hearing this, the neighbors believe that aliens caused the blackout, even though they betray each other in the end. Another example, when Les Goodman’s car works by coincidence, Charlie, a paranoid man, infers that Goodman, “always was an oddball. Him and his whole family.” This inference causes the crowd to conclude that Les caused the whole blackout, turning them turn against each other. Lastly, near the end, when Charlie accidently shoots a man, Goodman backfires by telling Charlie, “You were so quick to kill... and you were so quick to tell us who we had to be careful of. Well, maybe you had to kill.” This brings about a huge dispute between the neighbors and themselves as they go crazy. For this reason, people destroy one another by making

For instance, in the beginning of the story Steve believes that a meteor flew by despite the truth that he really just heard a roar. Soon the whole crowd believes this as evidence for aliens making them turn against each other. Another example, Tommy, an over imaginative boy, joins the neighbors and says that, “They don't want us to leave…. It's always that way, in every story I ever read about a ship landing from outer space.” Afterward, the neighborhood accept this comic plot even though it will cause them to destroy one another. Lastly, later on in the story, a man from the group accuses Steve of commuting with the aliens with a radio set. The whole neighborhood starts narrowing down on Steve until they go insane, accusing everyone they see. For this reason, people will ruin each other because of they