Final answer:
The modern-day monster is commonly used as a metaphor for societal issues, challenging readers to reflect on larger themes and personal fears within a cultural and societal context.
Step-by-step explanation:
The modern-day monster in literature often serves as a mirror to society, reflecting deeper fears and societal issues. In this context, the best statement to represent the power of the monster on readers may vary based on the work in question and the individual reader's interpretation. However, historically, monsters such as those in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Dracula have been used to explore the themes of duplicity within societal elites and the darkness lurking beneath the surface of Victorian respectability. This aligns most closely with option d) The monster serves as a symbol of societal issues. This type of monster can challenge readers to confront their own fears and to consider the impact of societal issues on individuals and culture.
Monsters can provoke a range of emotions and thoughts, from fear to critical reflection, and they often carry rich symbolic weight. For example, the contradiction between the monsters and human characters in Beowulf provides an avenue to explore themes such as the deterioration of warrior kingdoms or the play between good and evil as it pertains to God's creation and diabolic forces. Additionally, the treatment of Frankenstein's monster interrogates the intersections of environment, race, and societal acceptance—or lack thereof.