Dehumanization and The Human Experience In Isolation

The decay of humanity can be seen through the main characters: Gregor and the monster, in Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The authors detail dehumanization and the human experience in isolation. Kafka uses a distortion of reality and the alienation of his main character in his story, The Metamorphosis, in order to emphasize a theme of isolation and rejection. Mary Shelley expresses these same themes through a similar story of total isolation.

In Metamorphosis, the human experience in isolation is seen through Gregor’s transformation into an insect.

This transformation into an insect acts as a metaphor for his human life. His family treats him as a worthless insect, and forces him to support them through a demanding job as a traveling salesman. It is clear that the family does not appreciate Gregor, and just tolerates him as long as he serves the function they desire of him. This becomes evident, as soon as Gregor transforms into an insect and is no longer able to perform his human duties.

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Once the family realizes they have lost their sole provider, Gregor instantly becomes a repulsive insect and they refuse to acknowledge him. By allowing this transformation to occur, Kafka portrays how others truly view his human existence.

The family’s immediate change in actions and attitudes toward Gregor sparks the beginning of the experience in isolation for Gregor. For instance, Kafka points out that the family completely eliminates communication with Gregor. Kafka writes, “In the living room, at this time of day the father was accustomed to read the afternoon newspaper in a loud voice to his mother, at the moment not a sound was audible.

..But it was so still all around, in spite of the fact that the apartment was certainly not empty” (Kafka 28). As shown, the family goes as far as to not even speak in his presence. This behavior eventually creates a horrible environment for Gregor, and is nothing less than dehumanizing. Another example of the immediate change in attitude in behavior can be see through Gregor’s father. Although the nature of Gregor’s prior relationship with his father was not healthy, this behavior affirms how Gregor’s father truly feels about his son. In an article by Walter H. Sokel, their relationship is further discussed: “Gregor’s father, before he can know of Gregor’s metamorphosis, assumes that Gregor’s room is untidy. He assures his son that the chief clerk will excuse the disorder in his room- a disorder expected of someone whom one would call “alter Mistkäfer.” Gregor‘s metamorphosis into a disgusting insect seems to confirm the father’s opinion of his son” (Sokel 203-4). Clearly, Gregor’s father has never been loving towards Gregor. It seems that Gregor had been no stranger to isolation from his family. The disgust of his father is evident as Kafka writes, “Then his father gave him one really strong liberating push from behind, and he scurried, bleeding severely, far into the interior of his room. The door was slammed shut with the cane, and finally it was quiet” (Kafka 26). This quote details Gregor’s point of view, after a run in with his manager at work. This interaction resulted in Gregor practically losing his job, and the realization from his father that he could no longer support the family. Gregor’s father reacts furiously, shoving Gregor into his room and locking him in all alone. This moment is truly a turning point in Gregor’s life moving forward. The closing of Gregor’s bedroom door serves as a metaphor for Gregor’s new life. His father is “closing the door” on Gregor’s old life/relationships, and forcing Gregor to enter his new world in isolation as an insect.

Gregor is further alienated by his sister Grete, as she removes all the things that once made his human. For example, Gregor’s furniture in his room served as a major symbol of his previous humanity. This was the very last sign of his previous life, so he held onto it tightly. She eliminated his last connection to reality by removing the furniture out of his room. Once Gregor realizes his sister’s plans, he gives an immediate response to readers. Gregor recognizes that these last few pieces of furniture function as his sole connection to reality. By removing his furniture, his sister is completely erasing the human life he lived before. This shows how Grete now views her brother: as a repulsive insect with no human quality. This is complete dehumanization to Gregor, and pushes him towards alienation. Another aspect of Gregor’s humanity that his family takes away from him is his name. Kafka draws attention to the audience to notice the new name Grete uses to refer to Gregor. Grete says, “... so all I say is: we have to try to get rid of it. We've done everything humanly possible to take care of it and to put up with it' (Kafka 3.17). As shown, Grete calls her brother “it” as if he were an inanimate object. This is especially hard for Gregor, as he is completely dehumanized by possibly the only family member that ever appreciated him. By referring to her brother as “it”, Grete is removing any memory of Gregor as her human brother.

Finally after continuous mistreatment from his family, Gregor’s insect self is fully presented in isolation and his humanity is forgotten. The effects of isolation on Gregor can be seen by his change in appetite and behavior. He begins to behave as an insect, and acknowledges that he as forever lost his humanity. Kafka first details the change in Gregor’s taste and appetite after his metamorphosis. Previously, Gregor displayed no problems with food or his diet. In fact after his metamorphosis, he jumps at the sight of food. But, Gregor finds that he no longer desires human food or food he found desirable in his previous life. This can be seen when Grete sets down some milk for Gregor to have. To his shock, Gregor hated the taste of the milk and preferred a rotten piece of cheese instead. Kafka writes, “ Quickly and with his eyes watering with satisfaction, he ate one after the other the cheese, the vegetables, and the sauce; the fresh food, by contrast, didn’t taste good to him” (Kafka 31). Along with adapting the appetite of an insect, Gregor began to take on the behaviors of one as well. Gregor can be seen taking on an instinctive reaction as Kafka writes, “With a half unconscious turn and not without a slight shame he scurried under the couch” (Kafka 29). As shown, Kafka uses descriptions like “half unconscious” and “scurried” to express to the audience the specific aspects Gregor is possessing of a bug.

Overall, Kafka dehumanizes his character Gregor through the sudden change in behavior of his family, and details Gregor’s point of view to express a theme of isolation and dehumanization. The family completely rejects his humanity and isolates him from the real world, by physically secluding him. However, the alienation by Grete, Gregor’s sister, is specifically significant to him and is ultimately what drives him into isolation. She removes all the things that once made his human, and forces him to be forgotten.

In Frankenstein, the human experience of isolation is portrayed through main character, Victor Frankenstein’s, creation. Similarly to the Metamorphosis, the creature is forced into alienation by his family, in this case his inventor Victor. The only thing the creature desires is to feel accepted by society, but after several attempts to interact with others he comes to the realization that he will never be able to fit in. The novel begins as the monster’s inventor immediately rejects his creation, and leaves him isolated in the world from the very start. This forces the creature to explore the world, his senses, and identity all on his own. Mary Shelley details each interaction the creature encounters with humans, to display his experience in isolation.

The first human experience that the monster encounters after fleeing from Victor’s apartment, symbolizes how alienated he will be from that point forward. The creature comes across a hut and begins to explain what happens, “An old man sat in it, near a fire, over which he was preparing his breakfast. He turned on hearing a noise; and perceiving me, shrieked loudly, and quitting the hut, ran across the fields with a speed of which his debilitated form hardly appeared capable” (Shelley 108). This scene truly demonstrates the monster’s longing for a community and human connection, and the instant rejection he receives. The old man in the hut was the very first human he encountered, and his immediate reaction was to shriek and run after taking one look at the monster. In fact, Shelley notes that the man was running at a speed faster than his age would have allowed him to be capable of. However, this horrifying experience did not seem to phase the creature. He does not appear to be upset and proceeds to eat the food inside of the hut. It is clear that the creature does not understand the meaning behind the man’s reaction. His lack of human understanding is due to his isolation, which he experienced since birth. With no one to guide him, the creature is left isolated from the world with no basic knowledge of human nature. Mary Shelley writes about the creature in an “innocent” light, blaming his abandonment by his creator for his feelings of isolation. In an article by Laura Claridge, she discusses how Mary Shelley relates to this isolated feeling that the creature is experiencing. She writes, “That an author’s life becomes translated into her fiction is hardly news on any account. But what has somehow eluded proper treatment is the resultant real subject of this “monster tale”: the failure of human beings to “parent” their offspring in such a way that they will be able to take part in society rather than retreat into themselves” (Claridge 14). Relating to Gregor in Metamorphosis, the misguidance of a parent to a child results in total seclusion and a “lost” feeling in society. This “lost’ feeling continues to affect the creature as he continues to his next encounter with society.

In his next experience, the monster goes on to discover a village, which entails a spark of realization for him. The monster explains, “The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country and fearfully took refuge in a low hovel, quite bare, and making a wretched appearance after the palaces I had beheld in the village”( Shelley 108-9). The moment the creature is seen by the villagers, they are frightened and attack the creature. It is after this experience that the monster realizes this reaction is not normal, and there is something wrong. The sense of community is all he desires, and he still does not understand why he was not welcomed by the villagers. This second experience of human neglect makes the creature feel even more alienated, and the worst part is he isn’t sure why. In another scene, in an attempt to save a life, this feeling of isolation is elevated even more. The creature successfully saves a young girl from drowning as he saw her slip into a river. Unfortunately, this heroic act took a dark turn for the creature. He explains, “I rushed from my hiding-place, and, with extreme labour from the force of the current, saved her, and dragged her to shore….but when the man saw me draw near, he aimed a gun, which he carried, at my body, and fired” ( Shelley 143). This is one of the worst reactions the creature receives from society. He explains that it was his immediate instinct to save the young girl, which showcases his sense of humanity. A man assumes that the monster is attacking the girl, and fires his rifle at him. Even after this, the creature continues to follow after them in confusion and search of acceptance. The creature does not understand that it is his physical appearance that scares society away. But, how would he know this? He was abandoned by his creator and left to survive on his own.

The creature’s final human experience with a family of cottagers reveal the harsh reality that the creature may never fit in with society. From its first moments of creation, the monster learned that it can only observe the world from afar. When meeting the family, the creature protects himself from rejection by observing them in “the sheltering darkness” (Smolka 19) of the woods nearby. He listens to them outside of doors, and watches the, through the woods. His awareness of his horrific appearance prevents him from pursuing any human contact, and creates a lonely future for himself. At this point in the novel he can be described as “full blown form of humiliation and mortification”- a description of the state of mind of an observer (Smolka 10). The only obstacle hindering him from approaching the family is caused by his loneliness, created by his isolation.

Overall, the horrid reality caused by Victor’s failure to provide guidance for the monster to a home and society create “progressively damaging results upon the creature” so that “everything it does or feels relates directly to its emotional seclusion” (Smolka 11). He becomes an unnurtured child, searching for some source of meaning. This serves as a cautionary tale, in which the pain of a life in isolation and loneliness is delivered.

Biblipgraphy

1.Sokel, Walter H. “Kafka's ‘Metamorphosis’: Rebellion and Punishment.” Monatshefte, vol. 48, no. 4, 1956, pp. 203–214. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30166165. Pg. 211

2.CLARIDGE, LAURA P. “PARENT-CHILD TENSIONS IN ‘FRANKENSTEIN: THE SEARCH FOR COMMUNION.’” Studies in the Novel, vol. 17, no. 1, 1985, pp. 14–26. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/29532322.

3.Smolka, Michal. “An Echo of Social Alienation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” Thesis.

4.Masaryk University Brno, 2007. Web. 23 November 2013.

5.Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, Leonard Wolf, and Marcia Huyette. The Annotated

6.Frankenstein: With Maps, Drawings, and Photographs. New York, NY: Potter,

1977. Print.