The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What do you think of when you hear the word “monsters”? What kinds of monsters are popular in current books, films, and television shows? What underlying fears or anxieties might these monsters tap into for readers or viewers?

Teaching Suggestion: This question prepares students for the tone of pervasive fear that characterizes this teleplay from the first moments of the action. It also prompts them to investigate how certain monsters, such as zombies, are more prevalent in the culture today than others, such as vampires or ghosts, and reveal anxieties about the culture that creates them.

• This article from USC Today investigates humanity’s fascination with monsters and investigates the current prevalence of zombies and the undead in popular culture.

Short Activity

With The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling created what is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. As early as 1961, the show was singled out as a shining exception to the substandard entertainment on television described in FCC Chairman Newton Minow’s famous “Vast Wasteland” speech. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it the 12th greatest series ever. Working in a small group, research an additional Twilight Zone episode written by Rod Serling (of the 156 episodes, he wrote 92 of them!) to share with the class. Many episodes deal with socio-political issues, and The Twilight Zone is known for its characteristic shocking endings in which characters experience twists of cosmic irony. In your presentation, present the episode’s premise, a summary of its plot, and whether it contains any elements of science fiction, the supernatural, or cosmic irony. You may include relevant visuals, as well as any significant references to your episode in the culture at large. After listening to your classmates’ presentations, consider the presence of the themes Fear of the Unknown and Mob Psychology & Mass Hysteria.

Teaching Suggestion: To steer students toward some of the most loved episodes, many of which are available for streaming, you may suggest “Time Enough At Last,” “To Serve Man,” or “The After Hours.” As all episodes are standalone narratives, each one allows for a complete and rewarding literary analysis. Students may want to view some of the most interesting episodes together and discuss what made this series unique among its peers.

• This article in The New Atlantis gives an in-depth look at Serling’s career and references many of the show’s well-known and lesser-known episodes.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with processing differences who would benefit from a multimodal presentation of information might read the script of an episode with a teacher or in a small group, choosing roles and rehearsing the piece (or an excerpt) several times until smooth. Then, they can perform for their peers and begin a discussion about themes present in their chosen episode. 

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the play.

How do you respond when crowds get out of control? Do you panic easily? Do you stay calm? Do you like to take leadership and direct others, or do you prefer to wait and see what the crowd wants to do? How else might you describe your response?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students to the theme of Mob Psychology & Mass Hysteria and prepares them for the central conflict in the narrative: the tragic human tendency to fall back on prejudices and petty jealousies during times of conflict. Within the constraints of a 25-minute television episode, Serling creates a cast of characters with several different reactions to the crisis on Maple Street. Reflecting on moments when they’ve felt a crowd get out of control will help students connect their own lived experience to those of the characters. After students consider the most rational ways to respond to fluid situations, they will better understand the consequences of the characters’ reactions in “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.”