What does it mean to be Human? ...hmm, what does it mean to be a Homo Sapien? Wait one second before answering this question. What was different from the first sentence compared to the second? The word Homo Sapien vs. Human. As a casual reader, the difference between the world Human and Homo Sapien can not be differed, but as an analytic reader, there is a clear difference between the two; that is, the biological connotation. The noun "Human" does not hold a biological rather definition, rather a philosophical or ethical connotation contrary to the noun "Homo Sapien" which has an organic connotation. This slight difference is wording contributes to a large part of understanding the aspects of the verb "to be a Human."
Seen through the work of Frankenstein, is Mary Shelly's search for such a question. Through the character of the creature/ the monster, Shelly defines a Human as a form of life that has emotions and feelings for not only himself, but for the world, nonetheless, society as a whole. The term humanistic perspective of life, often deals with collectivist and the external locus of thinking- the views of society being superior to that of one's self.This definition clearly fits the creature- this is because he holds the ability to introspect and feel for him and his surroundings/ environment. This can clearly be seen following the creation of the monster, when he is found roaming the forest, and sees a cabin- the De Lacey house hold. This is his first step in understanding emotion-as he is observing the family through the peep in his wall, he becomes immune to the feelings of poverty and sorrow (over all sadness). In fact, his ability to relate to Felix proves that he is truly Human. Even though the monster has not yet experienced the emotions of reuniting and love, he is able to comprehend true love when Felix reunites with Safie. At this moment, the monster reaches a state of introspection, stating: "of my creator, I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends no property. I was not even of the same nature. Seen in this excerpt is the ability for the monster to comprehend the meaning of life, essential to what a human's goal is. Later on in the novel, we see that the monster really characterizes himself as human when he talks to victor in anger and sorrow about his betrayal; he says: "God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours" (154). The fact that he considers him self to be a form of Victor, indicates that perceives himself as human and regards Humans through an emotional sense. He believes that a Human is not one that is given birth by a mother, but one that is created and has the ability to feel for the world.
Seen through the work of Frankenstein, is Mary Shelly's search for such a question. Through the character of the creature/ the monster, Shelly defines a Human as a form of life that has emotions and feelings for not only himself, but for the world, nonetheless, society as a whole. The term humanistic perspective of life, often deals with collectivist and the external locus of thinking- the views of society being superior to that of one's self.This definition clearly fits the creature- this is because he holds the ability to introspect and feel for him and his surroundings/ environment. This can clearly be seen following the creation of the monster, when he is found roaming the forest, and sees a cabin- the De Lacey house hold. This is his first step in understanding emotion-as he is observing the family through the peep in his wall, he becomes immune to the feelings of poverty and sorrow (over all sadness). In fact, his ability to relate to Felix proves that he is truly Human. Even though the monster has not yet experienced the emotions of reuniting and love, he is able to comprehend true love when Felix reunites with Safie. At this moment, the monster reaches a state of introspection, stating: "of my creator, I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends no property. I was not even of the same nature. Seen in this excerpt is the ability for the monster to comprehend the meaning of life, essential to what a human's goal is. Later on in the novel, we see that the monster really characterizes himself as human when he talks to victor in anger and sorrow about his betrayal; he says: "God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours" (154). The fact that he considers him self to be a form of Victor, indicates that perceives himself as human and regards Humans through an emotional sense. He believes that a Human is not one that is given birth by a mother, but one that is created and has the ability to feel for the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment