##canny : An Analysis Of Jean Rhys 'Mannequin'

Frankenstein is an early depiction of the creation of artificial intelligence, an idea with great significance today. While artificially intelligent beings such as golems exist in myth as the product of magic, scientific progress has the true potential to make such beings. In modern times, the subject is frequently discussed with regard to computers being programmed to think, in an imitation of the human brain. In Frankenstein, the medium used is recycled human body parts stitched together to create a new human-like entity. Whether or not this entity,

(ii.) ‘Machines mercilessly thrummed around me’ is a personification because it is a direct comparison of human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

The symbols and imagery used by Kate Chopin's in “The Story of an Hour” give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s new life appearing before her through her view of an “open window” (para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a “comfortable, roomy armchair” (para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The author's use of Spring time imagery also creates a sense of renewal that captures the author's idea that Mrs. Mallard was set free after the news of her husband's death.

The fashion industry plays a huge role in portraying bad images of ideal beauty, which in turn affects today’s society perception of their own body image. Not only are women affected by what is seen and heard about how the perfect body should appear, children of young ages are now feeling insecure and obsessed with their bodies before they reach teenage years. This ‘ideal image’ the fashion industry continues to enforce only focuses on very thin models who seem to be in shape and are very healthy. Furthermore, many people think of the influence from the fashion industry as being human representations (models). Because of the rising problem with the image of beauty within the fashion industry, it is shown that even mannequins and non-human representations (mannequins, dolls, photoshopping) of bodies play a significant role in women’s body image; which causes problems to the individual. (Anshutz & Engels, 2010). Body image and self-satisfaction, eating disorders and non-human representations all can cause harm to the individual, if prolonged.

When a person experiences chills or goose bumps as a reaction to something strange or unusual, they are being affected by a sense of uncanniness. The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud endeavored to explain this feeling of uncanniness in his essay entitled “The Uncanny”. Freud’s theory focuses around two different causes for this reaction. Freud attributes the feeling of uncanniness to repressed infantile complexes that have been revived by some impression, or when primitive beliefs that have been surmounted seem once more to be confirmed. The first point of his theory that Freud discusses in the essay is the repression of infantile complexes that cause an uncanny experience.

Carr utilizes the program ELIZA as an example of technology numbing human’s ability to differentiate man and machine. The connection between man and ELIZA goes so far as to cause humans to “imbue ELIZA with human qualities.” What’s easy to miss is that ELIZA was designed to be a therapist, and a key necessity of therapy is a seamless connection between the patient and the therapist. Thus ELIZA’s value as a therapist is established through this example. The imbuing of human qualities allows a deeper connection between man and machine, and actually points to a strength, not a weakness. The fact that man can begin to blur the edge of himself and his creation shows that man is capable of flawlessly integrating his creation in order to better utilize the machine. If man were always conscious of the numbing effect of technology, and thus stayed hesitant to integrate fully with the machine, man would be too worried to properly use the machine. Carr loses sight of this fact as he worries that human’s “wanted” to give ELIZA human qualities. His worry is ill place, as Carr fails to acknowledge the purpose behind

Frankenstein had the idea that creating these creatures was not just an advancement in his knowledge but an advancement to nature around us, because of this everyone should “owe [our] being[s] to [him]”(55). With Frankenstein’s technological point of view, he fails to see the horror he is about to animate. Before the monster had been brought to life Frankenstein had suppressed his repugnance for his monster. Frankenstein ignores his repugnance all the way til “the dull yellow eye of the creature open[s]” and “breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart”(58). Frankenstein finally regains his repugnance after months of ignoring it, but in order to see his repugnance, he had to create a monster of “breathless horror and disgust”(58). Frankenstein is the fictional example of his warnings of the repugnance of cloning come to life.

The form of a young woman now stood before her, garbed in a diaphanous gown of flowing reds, golds, blues and greens, and close enough to touch. She walked gracefully in darkness, each footstep alighting an invisible path that Ashe could not

“Anything with a highly human-like appearance can be subject to the uncanny valley effect, but the most common examples are androids, computer game characters, and life-like dolls”(Lay, Stephanie). In modern society the ongoing growth of artificial intelligence has skyrocketed like never before in history. While science continues to advance in greatness, media in form of film and television, has taken the thought of science to monstrous heights. Wether science try to replicate art or vice-versa is debatable. Irrational fears of inanimate objects could be perpetuated by media or can it be an underlying fear that dates further back. A significant amount of scientist have explored the thought of concluding wether uncanny valley exists at all. “Raised eyebrows and wrinkled foreheads are easy to spot and interpret, but the human ability to perceive nonverbal emotional is much more finely tuned […] the latest animation tools could not capture or replay the slight and subtle details […] and many other emotions” (Eberle Scott G.). Humans are afraid or phobic of robots and dolls arriving from inability to predict emotional response or intention. The furthering of technology enables the mechanic ingenuity, creating close to life artificial intelligence. The resemblance of human-like androids pushes the envelope. However, programming androids to experience and understand human emotion raises the questions for many of, what makes us human? Dolls, throughout history dolls have had a place in every home. The phobia of dolls still remains. Unlike androids, dolls which do not resemble human-likeness does not affect the fear they project. Studies have concluded childhood phobias are generated by three pathways; direct conditioning, vicarious conditioning, and information. Scientist and psychologist have also hypothesized in some children fears and phobias have always been

Often times in literature the body becomes a symbolic part of the story. The body may come to define the character, emphasize a certain motif of the story, or symbolize the author’s or society’s mindset. The representation of the body becomes significant for the story. In the representation of their body in the works of Marie de France’s lais “Lanval” and “Yonec,” the body is represented in opposing views. In “Lanval,” France clearly emphasizes the pure beauty of the body and the power the ideal beauty holds, which Lanval’s Fairy Queen portrays. In France’s “Yonec,” she diverts the reader’s attention from the image of the ideal body and emphasizes a body without a specific form and fluidity between the forms. “Yonec” focuses on a love not

The first incident when the reader witnesses a passage of judgment that is based on one’s appearance is when the Frankenstein family adopts Elizabeth Lavenza. Elizabeth is found living in the streets with a poor Italian family and Caroline Frankenstein adopts Elizabeth because she is a very pretty girl. Elizabeth’s beauty allowed people to judge her as pure and worthy so, despite all the other children in the streets, Elizabeth is given a great education, a wealthy family, and a beautiful home. On the contrary, when Victor creates his creature, Victor is so horrified by his ugliness that he flees his apartment. When Victor later returns and finds that the creature is gone, Victor has the audacity to celebrate and call the creature his “enemy”. It is true that in nature, the creature would be a great predator. The creature is great in stature, incredibly fast, incredibly strong, and exceedingly intelligent. Weaker animals would be smart to run from this animal. However, Frankenstein’s creature is not an animal. The creature was comprised of the most perfect human limbs, organs, and bones that Victor

This example of the significance of appearance in modern society is also echoed in Frankenstein. The parallel between the society in the novel and modern society is that of snap judgements based solely on appearances. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a perpetrator of such judgements. Victor “selected his features as beautiful.” Here it is seen Victor’s shallowness as he picked the most perfect body parts and beauteous features, all to be pieced together in great anticipation. However as one can see, the result is horrific and due to the hideousness of the wretch that he has created, he abandons him. This same shallowness of judgement due to appearance again surfaces when Victor accuses the creature of murdering William

Art is experienced best on an emotional level rather than just the beauty, pleasure or understanding of it. Artists will use their form of artwork to pass along their views and feelings. Teresa López’s and Wendy Ewald’s “The Phantom” is a piece of art that invokes many emotions. It simulates both the possibility of comfort or fear of the unknown and the anxious waiting of the known through its immaculate composition. This is done through its use of dense distortion and contrasting colors. Through distortion the artists get us to focus on the phantom that is the only source of light and the contrasting colors make us realize how contrasting our perceptions can be.

In “Barbie Doll”, the speaker is fighting herself with accepting who she really is versus who society wants her to be. Piercy uses exaggerated diction and is very sarcastic with her writing. This shows readers that it is a silly thing to feel so unaccepted because of physical appearance but the reality of it is that these things do actually happen to people. And this is a major issue in society as a whole. The writer tells a story of a girl who is born just like any other girl but grows into this body that is so unaccepted by

Christopher Johnson McCandless graduated from Emory University in 1990. The son of well-to-do parents, it appeared that Chris was prepared to embark on the next chapter of his life. He had been editor of the student newspaper, earned honors with a double major in history and anthropology, and seemed destined for law school. Determined to rewrite his story, Chris eschewed conventional expectations. He divested himself of money and possessions and immersed himself in a new identity: Alexander Supertramp, Alaskan Adventurer. Four months after beginning his trek into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley, Chris's decomposed body was found. When the details of his story emerged, many people thought Chris was mentally disturbed, calling him a "kook," a "nut," and "a half-cocked greenhorn," among other things (Krakauer, 1996, pp. 71-72). Had Chris's story had a happy ending, he would probably be described differently. He brought the tragic ending on himself, and people called him crazy. "Crazy" is a non-clinical word often used to describe someone with an underlying pathology. In this sense, there was nothing wrong with Chris McCandless. What he did suffer from was the enthusiasm and over-confidence of youth. Combined with poor planning and insufficient skills and experience in the outdoors, his "affliction" became fatal. McCandless made bad decisions, but he was not crazy.