In this essay I will analyze both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and how they use similar techniques of emotional dissimulation and unjust rejection throughout their stories in order to show how two strange “monstrosities” try to come into a culture. For instance, how seeing Gregor’s reaction to his sudden transformation, in metamorphosis, where instead of shock at how unreasonable it is, he simply remarks at the new tendencies the transformation has come with. We can best see the purpose on why Frankenstein’s monster was so obsessed with trying to integrate itself into human society. While these details at first glance might seem to be nuances of a much bigger picture they hold great importance to these characters …show more content…
Although, he did succeed in creating life the monster he created only served to disgust him. He abandons his creation to its own devices and although the monster is a kind, gentle soul, the repeated rejections by society and his creator only cause it pain and eventually it lashes out, first by murdering Victor’s brother, than his best friend, and finally his wife. The creature, however finds no solace in any of this for even though he has gained his revenge, he also destroyed the only connection to society he ever had. The creature leaves society and travels towards the north pole, where victor per sues to his death, causing the monster to weep for his creator before also traveling to his …show more content…
The scene of the monster 's creation isn’t about the monsters coming into being more or less, but rather Victor’s success in giving life to an abomination “but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”(Frankenstein Chapter 5). This is similar to how Gregor’s scene of waking up isn’t about Gregor’s transformation, but rather the worries he has for his job and providing an income for his family. The feelings of the outsider, the monster in Frankenstein, and Gregor in the metamorphosis, are highlighted through the fact that they are ignored. So ignored in the case of Gregor he is actually himself completely unaware of the transformation. This focus in metamorphosis, where Gregor even after realizing he has transformed, is to wonder what’s going to happen to his family after losing his job. Which leads us to Frankenstein, he has literally just been created his life is something completely new to the world and his feelings and thoughts on his creation seem like something that might be important and yet they are not the focus, these feelings like with Gregor are expressed by the fact that they are ignored in favor of the human characters in Metamorphosis, Gregor’s family and in Frankenstein, Frankenstein
Frankenstein is a horror movie that tells the story of Dr. Henry Frankenstein’s experiment. In search for the fame and glory of playing to be god, he reaches a point where he is able to revive dead people. In this version of Frankenstein’s monster we see a selfish and careless scientist that created a creature with his intelligence. The way the character is shown reflects how ambitious someone can be to reach to be known in the world. This movie makes the people who are watching to feel empathy on the poor creature. This poor creature that did not want to live in a life where everyone is going to hate him for having a horrible aspect and not following rules that he has no idea about.
After abandoning the Creature, it vows “eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” which ends up being in direct correlation with Victor’s life (Shelley 143). The Creature is able to carry out this deed by not directly attacking his creator and abandoner, but the one’s of his creator’s affections. The Creature not only makes Victor feel pain through the killings, but also through the guilt that Victor experiences since he knows that he (Victor) is the reason that all the people are now dead. After all the killings had happened, “yet one duty” remained for Victor, to silence the Creature and all feelings of sorrow rooted from death (Shelley 176). This was Victor’s act of revenge in which only one of the two could live while the other was dead. Victor was so influenced by all the death he had experienced, that his revenge took him to his deathbed. The ending years of Victor’s life had been spent focusing and caring for the matters concerning the Creature and himself, which differs of how Zeus felt about his revenge, as it was only of current importance and had no impact on his
As he goes off to college, interested in the science behind life and death, he ends up going his own way and attempts to create a living being. Victor “had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (Shelley 43). The being Victor has created does not by any means sit well with him. As victor is away from his family and for six years, he is neglectful to them, which only adds to his sorrow and misery. Victor’s isolation is brought upon him because of himself, however his creation, or “the monster”, is isolated from any connections with humans against his will. To start out, the monster would have had Victor there with him, but Victor is ashamed of what he has created, and abandons the monster. The monster is a very hideous being, which sadly is a contributing factor to his isolation. With nobody to talk to at any time, naturally this will be condescending and frustrating. Although the monster is able to
After the day that Victor’s monster comes to life his creator runs away in disgust at the creation he has made, leaving behind a lost creature looking for its place in the world. As the monster
The creature later went on a journey looking for his creator, he wanted partner to be with him since he was the only one of his kind plus the people hated him. He wanted a partner whom he could live with and not feel alone in this world. When they first encounter themselves victor was amazed by his creation but once again victor did not wanted to see.” Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence, which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants
James Whale's Frankenstein is a VERY loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. The spirit of the film is preserved in its most basic sense, but the vast majority of the story has been entirely left out, which is unfortunate. The monster, for example, who possesses tremendous intellect in the novel and who goes on an epic quest seeking acceptance into the world in which he was created, has been reduced to little more than a lumbering klutz whose communication is limited to unearthly shrieks and grunts. Boris Karloff was understandably branded with the performance after the film was released, because it was undeniably a spectacular performance, but the monster's character was severely diminished from the novel.
The creation then spends a year wandering searching for companionship, but everywhere he goes he is shunned and feared. Hating life, the creature turns its misery on its creator, killing off Victor's family. Frankenstein chases the monster to the North Pole, in an attempt to kill it. Weakened by the cold and long chase, a dying Victor is taken aboard a ship, where he relates his tale to the captain and dies soon after. The next night the monster visits the ship and looks upon Victor's body, ashamed by all of the killing he has done the monster flees into the Arctic Ocean, never to be seen again.
The Metamorphosis is said to be one of Franz Kafka's best works of literature. It shows the difficulties of living in a modern society and the struggle for acceptance of others when in a time of need. In this novel Kafka directly reflects upon many of the negative aspects of his personal life, both mentally and physically. The relationship between Gregor and his father is in many ways similar to Franz and his father Herrman. The Metamorphosis also shows resemblance to some of Kafka's diary entries that depict him imagining his own extinction by dozens of elaborated methods. This paper will look into the text to show how this is a story about the author's personal life portrayed through his dream-like fantasies.
In the stories of the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, there are events of magical realism and marxism that occur. In the Metamorphosis, Gregor had to adapt to his new environment and also deal with the financial crisis from his family. In the Elephant Vanishes, the people in the city, had to deal with the disappearance of the town’s symbol, the elephant.
In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the transformation of the character Gregor from a man to one of the most hated insects, a vermin, may seem exaggerated and ridiculous, becoming more so over the course of the story the action builds and the emotions and ideas of the characters in the story begin to change and become more prominent. Kafka’s intention, however, is to expose and explore the impoverishment of human psychology with respect to the ways in which changes in one’s circumstances and conditions reshape notions people have of the way they believe in justice and mercy which will be explore further in this analysis of Gregor Samsa.
The monster does not resemble Victor physically; instead, they share the same personalities. For example, Victor and the monster are both loving beings. Both of them want to help others and want what is best for others. Victor and the monster try to help the people that surround them. Victor tries to console his family at their losses, and the monster assists the people living in the cottage by performing helpful tasks. However, Victor and the monster do not reflect loving people. The evil that evolves in Victor’s heart is also present in the monster.
He had asked Victor to create him another monster as a companion and if he doesn’t keep his promise, then he will be miserable. When Victor goes to England with the intention of creating this promised monster, his friend Henry follows him. After several months, Victor destroys the half created creature and this upsets the monster very much so because he wants this companion. When he kills Henry, the monster distinctly planned it so that Victor would be blamed for the murder. Through all this confusion on who killed Henry, Victor knew all along that the monster did it. At this point, Victor knew that he must return to Geneva to protect his family whom he loved very much (Shelley 181). Since this monster killed Henry, Victor knew that his family was now is in danger. The monster is very happy that Victor is having to suffer because, Victor is now feeling the loneliness that he feels all the time. Though the monster’s character is not evil, the pain he feels is what he wants his creator to feel. His revenge only increases throughout the book because he is only longing for a fellow companion that Victor can only give him, but yet he is choosing not to create it. The anger that is within the monster is only growing and this is increasing the possibilities of him hurting more
Victor has a lack of respect for the natural world that leads him on the path to becoming a monster. In creating the monster Victor is trying to change the natural world. He is trying to play the role of god by creating life.
As a result, the Creature becomes a wretched monster, who now has no sympathy for anyone or anything. The Creature becomes fixed on the idea of needing a companion, and due to this obsession, he turns Victor’s life upside down. The Creature is able to torment Victor by killing his family members, then quickly vanishing so Victor can not tell who or what he saw. The Creature and Victor finally meet again, and the Creature tells Victor of his stories and struggles. Throughout the novel, the Creature remains in the same state of being, he persistently harasses Victor and maintains a watchful eye on him.
Franz Kafka’s stories and novels contain such disturbing situations that the word Kafkaesque has been created to define the most unpleasant and bizarre aspects of everyday modern life. A master of dark humor and an artist of unique vision, Kafka captures perfectly the anxiety and absurdity of contemporary urban society (Norton Anthology 1866). In 1912, Kafka produced his longest, as well as his most famous novella written, The Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis means change, which is something readers see a lot of in this novella. It is about a young man, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up and sees that is has been transformed into a bug. He, as well as his families, lives are completely turned upside down. They had all depended so heavily on Gregor, and