Some stories start with danger—a terrifying villain, a mysterious creature, or even an internal battle the hero must face. This structure, known as ‘Overcoming the Monster,’ gives students a gripping way to explore conflict, courage, and resolution. From folklore to fantasy to realistic fiction, this lesson helps students recognize this powerful plot pattern in action.
Categories
- evil humans – Boogies, Bunce, and Bean from Fantastic Mr. Fox, Miss Trunchbull from Matilda
- mythological creature – Cyclops, Kronos from The Lightning Thief
- folklore – vampires, witches, werewolves
- religious monsters – demons
- aliens – Predators, Megamind
- wild creatures – bears, sharks
The “monster” may even be a problem that the main character has to overcome. The battle becomes an internal struggle. An example of this is The Goldfish Boy. Matthew suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He refuses to go to school. Matthew doesn’t even leave the house. Matthew struggles with overcoming his OCD to help find a lost toddler. He battles this internal monster and wins.
Project
Students create a staggered flip organizer that explains Booker’s plot ‘The Quest.’ The organizer also contains a page for students to list examples from literature or pop culture. Next, students answer a ‘Digging Deeper” question. For this lesson, the question asks students to think more about the quest plot. Finally, three outline pages provide practice.
Overcoming the Monster Examples
James Bond
Jack and the Beanstalk
In this classic fairy tale, Jack climbs a giant beanstalk to confront and defeat a giant who is terrorizing the village.
The Dark is Rising
Will Stanton is a young boy who discovers he is the last of a group of ancient warriors known as the Old Ones. He must confront and defeat the forces of the Dark, led by the Rider, in order to save the world from eternal darkness.
Jaws
The protagonist, Chief Brody, must confront and defeat a great white shark that is terrorizing the beach and killing people.
King Kong
In this classic tale, a giant ape named King Kong must be captured and brought back to civilization but ultimately escapes and wreaks havoc on the city.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The three goats must overcome a fearsome troll in order to safely cross a bridge and reach their destination.
Star Wars
The protagonist, Luke Skywalker, must confront and defeat the evil Darth Vader and the Empire in order to save the galaxy.
David and Goliath
In this biblical story, the young shepherd David defeats the giant Goliath in a battle, against all odds.
Coraline
Coraline must confront and defeat the Other Mother, a terrifying and manipulative entity that wants to trap her in an alternate reality forever.
Avengers
The Avengers, a team of superheroes, must confront and defeat powerful villains, such as Thanos and Loki, in order to save the world.
The Witches
The protagonist, a young boy, must confront and defeat a group of witches who are plotting to turn all children into mice.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Baudelaire children must overcome various villains, such as Count Olaf, who is after their inheritance and trying to harm them.
In each of these stories, the protagonist is faced with a powerful and threatening monster or antagonist that must be overcome in order to achieve their goals and save the day. These stories often involve a lot of action, suspense, and excitement, making them popular among young readers and viewers.
Here is the link to the handout again.
Jump to the plot you are interested in using these links.
