Metamorphosis and Frankenstein
No Eve soothed my sorrows, nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me: and, in the bitterness of my heart, I cursed him." (Marry Shelly Frankenstein)
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Frankenstein by Marry Shelly perhaps two of the most brilliant stories in English literature, Shelly and Kafka touch the sensitive issue of human relationship and human ability to confront an unusual situation. Both the stories tell us about the complex situation in which the individuals are thrown in, and their ability to overcome the situation. Most of all, it tells us about the human struggle, tragedy and despair in the face of failure. Though both the stories are different in their plot there are striking similarities between the themes of both the novel. Frankenstein is anything but a common novel; many lessons are embedded in the story, including how society acts towards the 'different'. The monster fell victim to the system, which commonly characterizes a person by his or her outer experiences. Whether people like it or not, society always summarizes a person's characteristics by his or her physical appearance. Similarly in Metamorphosis we see modern man's sense of isolation, after Gregor's transformation into an insect, his entirely family rejects him. It tells us about societies attitude towards the different, Gregor is first feared, then ignored and finally rejected. Both the stories depict the extraordinary situation in which the protagonist is thrown in by fate, their struggle and tragedy when they are unable to overcome the situation.
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." (Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis)
On the other hand the two stories possess a sharp contrast, Kafka's main idea is the enslavement...
Frankenstein and Enlightenment The Danger of Unregulated Thought in Frankenstein Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus, considered by many to be one of the first science-fiction novels written, is rife with anti-Enlightenment undertones. Shelley's novel, first published in 1818 and republished in 1831, examines the roles of science and religion, and provides a commentary on the dangers of playing God. Considering that Mary Shelley was the daughter of two prominent Enlightenment
Frankenstein An Analysis of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote in her 1831 introduction to the reprint of Frankenstein that "supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world" (x). These words not only indicate the manner of her thought on the night she conceived the idea for her gothic novel, they also reflect, as she notes, the ideas
Her list includes the following: culture / Nature reason / Nature male/female mind/body ( Nature) master/slave reason/matter (physicality) rationality/animality ( Nature) human / Nature (non-human) civilised/primitive ( Nature) production/reproduction ( Nature) self/other At first glance, this list seems to capture the basic groupings and gender associations that are at work in Mary Shelley's novel. The Creature exemplifies animality, primitiveness, and physicality, whereas Victor represents the forces of civilization, rational production, and culture. Victor is part of a happy family
Frankenstein's creation of the monster is rendered as a kind of horrific pregnancy; for example, where a pregnant woman expands with the child she is bearing and usually eats more, Frankenstein wastes away during his work, depriving himself "of rest and health" (Shelley 43). Rather than expressing any kind of paternal (or maternal) love for his creation, Frankenstein recoils, as "breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart" (Shelley 43).
Frankenstein & Romanticism How Romanticism is Demonstrated in Frankenstein In less than six years, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will be 200 years old. This novel, indicative of the romantic period, is a compelling narrative with numerous themes and vivid imagery to consider. In the context of romanticism, Frankenstein is a worthwhile piece of literature to examine. Literature and art of the romantic period is characterized with an emphasis on intense emotional reactions, specifically
Frankenstein Geneticists are the modern-day versions of Victor Frankenstein, maverick scientists who, in pursuing their personal dreams and ambitions cross over ethical lines. Mary Shelley was deeply concerned about the potential of science to blur humanitarian issues. In her classic novel Frankenstein, Shelley depicts a driven scientist who, for the love of knowledge and power, creates life. The ramifications of what is commonly called "playing God" include an inhumane mistreatment of
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