Compare Chinese monster and American monster Essay

Compare Chinese monster and American monster - Essay Example Chinese holds the Spring Festival to commemorate Nian Monster. Besides, they consider the Spring Festival as the grandest, most magnificent festival in the history of the country’s culture. On the other hand, Momo the Missouri Monster is a hairy, foul-smelling monster. According to Taylor (130), Momo, in simple term refers to Bigfoot. It was first reported in 1971 and identified to live in Missouri. Since that time, the monster has been spotted up and down the Mississippi river. In the first scenario, two picnickers asserted that they saw the monster come out the woods nearby. The foul-smelling creature allegedly ate their food while they locked themselves inside the car. In the second scenario, local children (Doris, Wally and Terry) reportedly saw Momo walk regally past them hauling a dead dog. The fundamental differences between the two legends, Nian and Momo, highlight the deep-seated cultural variation and beliefs between Chinese and Americans. In this regard, this paper tries to compare the existence of Nian vs. Momo the Missouri Monster and their importance to Chinese and American cultures respectively. Nian was a furious monster that allegedly descended from the mountains or under the sea to hunt people every 1st and 15th of the lunar month. Thus, people locked their doors very early before nightfall on the days the creature was likely come (Wong 27). Although the monster attacked anyone regardless of gender, it mainly preferred children. Parents were terrified of a possible fatal attack on their children who often played outside their homes. The old man in the village thought the panic in people perhaps made the monster furious and so bold. He asked the people to come together and find a way of conquering the monster. According to the old man, burning of bamboo, beating gongs and drums, lighting off fireworks would be an effective approach to conquering Nian (Wong 27). He believed that large noises would threaten and scare away the horrible monster.