In Stephen Kings horror novel It, Pennywise the clown is an evil shapeshifter who has been terrorizing children with his powers. The shapeshifting capabilities of Pennywise make it easy for him to embody what his victims may fear most. This allows for him to change his appearance in order to fit with the changing fears of the culture over time. Many children in the 21st century are afraid of clowns, so it would make sense that this would be his primary form. This fits in with Thesis I: the monsters body is a cultural body, as Pennywise’s appearance is purely based upon the current culture of fear. We are unsure of how old the creature really is, or for how long he has existed, but one can assume that overtime he has updated his appearance many times to keep up with the modern ideas of fear.
Pennywise is different from any creatures known on earth with his shapeshifting powers and ability to go unnoticed by adults. His powers and appearance may lead some to believe he may come from another world or place unknown to us, making this creature also fit in with Thesis IV as well as Thesis V. The dissimilarity from humans is another aspect which is made to make us fear Pennywise as he is something we are incapable of understanding. Cohen brings in the example of some of the first monsters- giants described in the Bible. These creatures are humanlike in many aspects besides their size, so they may not be seen as something so scary because of our alikeness to them. Fast forward to the 21st century, many of the fictional monsters in our world are extremely dissimilar to humans. The exaggeration of this difference between Pennywise and humans would install fear into anyone, especially with his supernatural-like powers we are unable to understand. In this way, Pennywise also border the edge of what we believe to be possible. His ability to manipulate his own appearance as well as what others may see around him makes him capable of almost anything.
Cohen states how the monster may be pushed away but then come back stronger, bringing better knowledge of humans and how we operate. When Pennywise was temporarily defeated, he would use the opportunity to learn from it and grow stronger so he can win. This is how the creature is able to stay culturally significant with his victims, by learning what the current children would be afraid of. Pennywise asks how children perceive the world, each time coming and going gaining a better understanding of how they think and operate. By learning to understand how children think, he learns how to draw out and embody what any child would fear most, therefore increasing his strength. This is what makes him grow stronger and capable of living, so it makes sense Pennywise would be an extremely intelligent being.
Great job! Looking back on the theses, I am in 100% agreement with you. Additionally, I’ve noted that Pennywise also “polices the borders of the possible” by discouraging childhood curiosity, as with the unfortunate tales of the children he captured, particularly Georgie. Interestingly, Pennywise appears to be one of the few monsters to which Thesis II: The Monster Always Escapes,” doesn’t apply, as he is killed in the end.