English 1108 July 19, 2018 Splash : Mermaids and Monsters Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s “ Monster Culture (Seven Theses)” describes seven different views of monsters and how these views reflect society’s culture and fear. Cohen’s theses state that: monsters are symbols of the current culture; can never be killed or caught permanently; are neither human or a known animal; are considered not normal; often are warnings of some pending doom; demonstrate society’s or people’s hidden desires; and force us to look at our assumptions about other cultures. This essay examines the movie Splash (1984) in the context of Cohen’s seven theses. Splash is a romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks as Allen, a man who cannot find a woman to love him. And Daryl Hannah, plays Madison the mermaid. Allen runs a family produce business, and Madison comes to New York to be with him. In the film, Allen does not know Madis...