The Monster as Other, as Self

Abstract

To look at Jeffrey Dahmer I could not tell he was a monster. His finely chiseled chin, neat hair, and quiet demeanor belied the hatred he had for himself. As the son of a fundamentalist, it is believed that Jeffrey repressed his homosexuality, and so this hatred turned inward to self-loathing projected onto those who were openly homosexual. True, most of the photos I saw and the clips on television when I watched the trial showed him with downward turned face: I could not see the eyes to his soul.