Henry Johnson is the catalyst for raising the social monster's head in "The Monster". When he becomes deform by losing his face after the saving Jimmie form the Trescott fire, he is seen as repulsive. Judge Hagenthorpe discusses the creation of the 'monster' is entirely Dr. Trescott's doing. In reply, Dr. Trescott calmly assures the judge that this monster "will be what you like" (The Monster, 100). Trescott is asserting that he did not create a monster, he merely saved the man who saved his son's life, meanwhile, everyone else is making Henry out to be Frankenstein's monster.

The idea of the people making Henry the monster continues between Martha Goodwin, her sister Kate, and Carrie D discussion. Carrie rushes over to announce the fight that Dr. Trescott refused to get into with Mr. Winter over the supposed sickness that the monster instill upon Mr. Winter's daughter when she saw Henry. None of the ladies have seen Henry for themselves, however, both Kate and Carrie swear that he is indeed a monster, stating that everyone says so. Martha believes that he is not all that scary as everyone makes him out to be. She questions the other ladies on what he looks like and they reply they don't know. The only thing that they know about Henry is what everybody is saying. Martha raises the question about who is 'everybody' and is it just the people who are afraid of Henry Johnson or are there others who make up its population (like Hagenthorpe, Trescott, etc.) (The Monster, 130-132).


Another thing that the stories have in common is that they both involve another type of monster: society. Though this monster is not as prominent in Red Badge, it is still alluded too when Henry thinks about why he left for war. Originally, he thought it was something that happened in the past as a Greek and ancient idea, and that people were better than that. He flickers between this idea as well as the idea perpetuated by the media: that war is glorious. Choosing the media and popular culture, Henry ignores his mother and signs up. Society thought that it was best for a young boy to enlist and join the military while his mother and others thought differently.

Those who are different (the out group) are shunned: just as Dr. Trescott and Martha Goodwin are in "The Monster". They both do not see Henry Johnson as the monster but instead insist that everyone else has created this 'monster'. Dr. Trescott immediately begins to see the repercussions inflicted by the people around him. No one will have him as their doctor (the Winters refuse outright) and the town threatens a mob. His wife is even shunned and cannot receive any lady callers because the other women are too 'afraid' of the monster living at the Trescotts'. Martha has an alliance drawn immediately against her by Kate and Carrie. Both these women try to thwart Martha's attempts to prove that they are making a big fuss out of something it is not. She explains that Sadie Winter has passed the window each day with her lunch box and that not everybody is equal to the town. However, the women just ignore what she has to say and move on to spread the gossip.