The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street Essay

Where Did the Monsters Come From? We all know that there is a monster due on Maple Street. But is it really a monster? Or is it just humankind’s heinous reflection? These are questions that we must ask ourselves as we partake in this classic episode of Rod Serling’s: The Twilight Zone. Having first aired in 1960, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” is set in a typical suburban neighborhood, where the residents begin to suspect one another of being aliens in response to a power outage. The paranoia amongst the residents begins to heighten as they slowly fall into mass hysteria. The episode explores themes of paranoia, prejudice, and mob mentality, and has been interpreted as a commentary on social and political issues during that time. In

Fear is the main theme in this episode. As it was during the Post-World War II- Era as well. Though this kind of paranoia wasn’t the typical type that one feels when placed in a fearful scenario. This type of terror was deeply rooted in the American people during the Cold War era. The threat of nuclear demolition loomed over the heads of United States citizens, and it made for a terrifying 44 years in this country. This was all foreign to American citizens as we were one of the most powerful nations in the world at this time. This kind of danger was never impending as most felt it was during those years. This intense conflict with the Soviet Union caused Americans to act in ways that were not only off-putting, but also violent. Some people going as far as to threaten their own kin in the name of patriotism and fear of the unknown. Rod Serling’s vision here seems to highlight his belief that if we were to only accept people’s strange eccentricies instead of assuming the worst then the conflicts created due to this fear could’ve been avoided completely. In the episode they begin making accusations based off of a boy who claimed to hear aliens (and had only really read a story about them) and a man who built a radio in his basement. These kinds of baseless accusations were constantly fueled by propaganda on both sides of the political spectrum outside of Maple Street. Ordinary people morphed into callous beasts at the first red flag. That is why Serling wrote this episode the way he chose to. The street name “Maple Street” is a common one. There’s most likely a “Maple Street” in just about every city or town. That small detail added another level of realism to the episode. Because anyone could live on a “Maple Street”. The name is a metaphor for how this type of atrocity could happen to anyone, anywhere. For the Americans who believed it was