Frankenstein vs. the Metamorphosis - 704 Words

In Mary Shelly’s epistolary Frankenstein and Franz Kafka’s novella â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† the authors explore the dangerous impact of society and rejection. Both creatures are rejected and isolated by their families have been defined as monsters. But, the authors force the reader to look past physical appearance to uncover who the real monster is, society; it defines what make us human. Society defines others solely based on what they see, disregarding any humane characteristics they may possess. To fully understand how society impacts the creatures in each story the reader must look at their actions before they were defined as monsters. Frankenstein’s creature wanted affection, love and attention from none other than his own creator†¦show more content†¦The creature in Frankenstein was good-natured until those he held dear to him, such as the family in the woods and Victor, repeatedly rejected him. Any being that is not shown love and af fection at a young age is more likely to be deviant and violent, which is how the creature begins to act when he is rebuffed. Society made him out to be a monster and that is when he began his monstrous habits, taking his revenge against Victor and killing those who Victor loved. Likewise, Gregor is physically transformed into a bug, losing his human capabilities to provide for his family. His worth was determined by how much he provided for them. After his transformation, he is no longer wanted or needed by his family and he becomes more of a burden. Grete is the only one willing to look past his insect body and she sees her brother, the human being, not a grotesque insect. But, once Gregor loses his ability to communicate and function like an ideal human, not even Grete can stand to look at him. Neither Frankenstein’s creation nor Gregor met the standards set by society and they were punished for it. However, both creatures were valuable to their creators at one point. Frankenstein wanted to create a beautiful life but once he saw that it was hideous, he only wanted to get rid of it. The Samsa’s relied on Gregor to pay off their debt and provide their basicShow MoreRelatedHomosexuality in Victorian and Elizabethan Literature.6608 Words   |  27 Pagesand managed to reverse them, making men faint like women, and making women powerful like men, and called it Dracula. Mary Shelley created a a physical being out of a mans suppressed homosexuality due to his Victorian male upbringing; a man named Frankenstein. Robert Stevenson described what happens when a homosexual male attempts to live double lives to cover up his true feelings, and entitled it The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Elizabethan era, like the Victorian era, had its own viewRead More How to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pageseither in plot or theme or both. Examples: i. Hamlet: heroic character, revenge, indecision, melancholy nature ii. Henry IV—a young man who must grow up to become king, take on his responsibilities iii. Othello—jealousy iv. Merchant of Venice—justice vs. mercy v. King Lear—aging parent, greedy children, a wise fool 7. †¦Or the Bible a. Before the mid 20th century, writers could count on people being very familiar with Biblical stories, a common touchstone a writer can tap b. Common Biblical stories