Stefan Langenbach 
The role of monstrous bodies in Tod Browning’s FREAKS [PDF ebook] 

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies – Comparative Literature, grade: 1, 7, University of Cologne (Englische Seminar 1), course: The films of Tod Browning, language: English, abstract: Table of contents
1. Introduction……………………………………..…………………………………..……3
2. Freaks….…………………………………………………………………………..……..4
3. Monstrous bodies …………………………………….………………….………………6
4. Outlook …………………………………………………………………………………13
5. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..…..14
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………..16
List of references…………………………………………………………………………..20
1. Introduction
“I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.” (Radiohead – Creep, 1993)
Since the beginning of mankind there have always been a few humans who differed from the vast majority. They showed (and still show) various features which separated them from “normal people”. These characteristics can be caused by genetic defects or other, medical reasons and lead to a life “outside of the boundaries of ‘normal’”. Physically and / or mentally they differ from the majority. Some are taller than average people, some are smaller. Some are hermaphrodites. Some have missing or extra body parts, some lack extremities at all. These so called “freaks” are defined by freedictionary.com as having “an abnormally formed organism” and “regarded as a curiosity or monstrosity”.
Tod Browning’s film Freaks deals with handicapped people, who comply with this definition and will be the core theme of this term paper, so that the role of monstrous bodies in this specific movie will be explained and analyzed. In order to do that, it will be started with a rendering of the movie’s content, important basic facts about it and its’ effect on the viewers and the critics, before the analysis will be focused. Are the “freaks” in the movie creeps and weirdos or aren’t they and if so, what else are they if anything? What was Browning’s aim concerning the role of the “freaks” in his movie and did he reach the goals he had in his mind or didn’t he? Questions like these shall be discussed and answered, followed by an outlook, whether the circumstances have changed today or if they are still the same as they were in the early 1930s. Therefore other kinds of media like youtube-videos and songs will be included and compared with scenes and /or the meaning of the movie. You will get into contact with such “freaks” as the role of them in the movie will be the major topic of this term paper. “If you don’t feel at ease with abnormality please step out, otherwise try to understand and let the freak flag fly”.