Sean O’Bryant
Dr. Scott
HUMA 2225
4 Dec 2017
Comparative Analysis of Frankenstein and The Metamorphosis When an individual does not meet certain societal norms and values, they may be rejected by society and seen as an outcast. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the realm of the outcast is explored through the lives of Gregor Samsa and Frankenstein’s Monster. Although the plot lines and time periods of these two literary works are different, there are striking similarities in the major themes throughout the text. The themes of nature vs. nurture, alienation, and hopelessness permeate throughout the stories and portray the main characters as outcasts. Both Gregor and the Monster are faced with multiple obstacles which they must attempt to overcome. The long-running nature vs. nurture debate explores if a person’s development is a predisposition in their genetics (nature), or if it is a product of the individual’s environment and personal experiences (nurture). In both The Metamorphosis and Frankenstein, both main characters are born into the world free and uncorrupted by society. They then go through a series of changes in their lives and are shaped and influenced by their environment. In the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein portrays the brilliant scientist, who grows up in Geneva learning about alchemy and medicine from his father. He later attends Ingolstadt, where he prefects his studies and uses galvanism to create a monster
Nature (our genes) and nurture (our environment) affect our individual differences in behavior and personality. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley addresses the conflict of nature vs. nurture. Victor Frankenstein creates a "child" whom he abandons upon birth. This brings up questions such as, was the creature genetically inclined to be evil, or did the hostility he encountered turn him evil? Are one's surroundings determined by who they become later in life? Does nurture form one's characteristics that will determine who someone is later in life? Mary Shelley used these questions as an approach to show that the monster is intelligent, but destructive, and had guilt due to his environment and isolation. The monster’s guilt due to its
In Mary Shelly’s epistolary Frankenstein and Franz Kafka’s novella “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.
When individuals are rejected by family and society, they tend to feel abandoned and unloved. In Franz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation into a “monstrous vermin” (Kafka 1) results in him being psychologically and even physically abused by his family. Rejection from his mother, sister, and father leave Gregor feeling unwanted and feeling as if he is a terrible burden on the family and their well being.
In Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, has a passion for learning new things, and goes off to Ingolstadt, Germany, leaving his family behind in Geneva. He then meets professor M. Waldman who introduces him to chemistry and other subjects that Victor later then became interested in, that is when Victor was set on creating a creature from death and giving it life. At
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a reflection on how alienation and isolation begin and develop in a society by employing the characters in his novella as a representation of society as a whole. Using Gregor’s manager to demonstrate the initiation of isolation and alienation of a person, Gregor as the person being isolated and the inhabitants of the Samsa household as the other members of society, Kafka creates an effective model to represent the hierarchically structured effect of isolationism and alienation in society on a larger scale.
Philosophers and scientists alike have debated for centuries whether a person’s character is the result of nature or nurture. In the writings of Thomas Hobbes, it is expressed that humans are endowed with character from birth, and that they are innately evil in nature. John Locke’s response to this theory is that everyone is born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate, and then develops character after a series of formative experiences. The idea that true character is the result of experiences and societal interaction is a theme deeply explored throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Through different interactions with the monster, Shelley attempts to express that it is because of Victor’s failings as a parent and creator, because of the
In psychology, the nature versus nurture issue can be defined as the debate over the relative importance of biological predisposition (what a person is born with) and environmental influences (society and parents) as determinants of development. Often genetics and environment are treated as different factors, but in actuality, they are closely tied together. Each person’s genetic makeup influences the kinds of experiences they seek out and actually have, and these experiences can strengthen or weaken genetically based tendencies. A person’s biological makeup can influence environmental response. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein abandons his creature in
Nature versus nurture has been a popular topic of discussion among psychologists, scientists, educators, and parents. The main focus of the nature versus nurture debate is how it affects human behavior and development. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley emphasises the idea that parents and families have a powerful influence on human behavior, which is demonstrated in the relationship between Creature and Victor. “Folding Beijing” written by Hao Jingfang takes a different perspective on the idea. Through her story she highlights the idea that economic forces shape who we are. Based on information from both Frankenstein and “Folding Beijing”, Mary Shelley’s novel demonstrates the more influential and powerful force of human behavior to
In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka conveys the series of emotional and psychological repercussions of a physical transformation that befalls the protagonist, a young salesman called Gregor Samsa. As the story progresses, Gregor finds himself unfairly stigmatized, cruelly rejected because of his clear inability to financially support his family, and consequently increasingly isolated. Through extensive use of symbolism, Kafka is able to relate the surreal and absurd, seemingly arbitrary events of this short story to a general critique of society-particularly on the alienating effects that conformity generates. On a broader level, the combined themes-which include the themes of conformity, freedom, and alienation--found throughout The
The novel “Frankenstein,” written by Mary Shelley in 1818, suggests that nurture has a stronger influence on a life form than nature. The nature vs. nurture argument is said to be one of the oldest in the history of psychology and is also one of the most widely debated. It argues whether we are influenced by our genes and hereditary (nature) or our surroundings and upbringing (nurture). I will be investigating whether or not a person is influenced more by nature or nurture and how each one is capable of impacting a person’s life, mental outlook, or actions. Opinions on this topic vary from person to person and critic to critic.
The argument of “nature versus nurture” has been discussed again and again. This argument debates whether a person’s development is in their genes or in their environment. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Shelley’s side of the dispute becomes evident. The use of way the creature is made, the weather, and the impact the environment has on the mind show that Shelley believes nurture is more important than nature.
Victor Frankenstein a handsome well-fit man, born in Geneva, Switzerland where his father Alphonse Frankenstein was well-known; Aides to make sure he was feed, clean, and satisfied with life. Frankenstein was interested in the works of alchemists and he discovers the fabled elixir of life. He then loses interest in these pursuits and in science as a whole after seeing the remains of a tree structure by lighting. Frankenstein attended the University of Ingolstadt to study natural science in chemistry also became obsessed with the idea of creating life in an inanimate matter through artificial means, meanwhile, that took two years to complete his vision of creating the monster. Victor falls in love with Elizabeth Lavenza who was his adopted
Nature v.s. Nurture is one of the strongest debates that raises strong arguments from different viewpoints. In this essay i will describe whether nature or nurture had an impact on who i am today in this society .
Percy Shelley uses ideas or nature or beauty to describe the human mind. Shelley compares humans and things that we experience to nature by showing the similarities. At times his poems seem very dreamlike and very thoughtful. Shelley is different from the earlier Romantic poets because at times his poems seem to get a little dark and his not scared to talk about death. He really bounders on the idea of death and life. Like his weighing their value and he at times make death sound beautiful.
The metamorphosis is an article about the literary work done by Franz Kafka. It is sometimes translated to “the transformation”. It is studied in many universities and colleges across the western world due to the fact that it is one of the formative literal works of fiction in the 20th century. The story starts with Gregor Samsa, a salesman who travels waking up one day to find himself transformed or rather metamorphosed into huge, monstrous creature with similar features to an insect. The cause of the transformation is never revealed in the novel. The rest of the novel as will be seen below deals with Gregor’s attempt to adapt to his new form as he deals with the being a burden to his sister and his parents who hate the horrible creature he has become (Kafka, 2012).