Are The Themes Of Manipulation And Social Standards In The Shape Of Things

  The  absence  of  dialogue  accentuates  that  conformity  leads  to  the   dehumanisation  of  humans,  a  notion  heightened  through   the  ominous  synthetic  music.   Paradoxically,  once   the  protagonist  creates  a  product  utilising  his  individuality  and  is   labelled  the  “GREATEST  INVENTOR  EVER!”

It is no secret that the socially constructed concept of deviance is a label that is able to form a certain stigma to those who the label has been applied. Deviance is simply a violation of any societal norm. Any behavior that is deemed odd or irregular by the majority may be considered deviant. These behaviors and actions may produce different reactions from outsiders, or possibly none at all, depending on the audience or norm that had been broken. Anyone who decides to go against these norms will not only receive such a label, but will most likely be casted out or punished in some way by the public.

In Frankenstein, the use of symbolic imagery helps Shelley present various key themes instrumental in deepening the reader’s understanding of her novel. One of the more prominent themes portrayed in Frankenstein, is that of an individual versus society. Throughout the tale, Victor’s grotesque creation, to which he had “so miserably given life” (Shelley 59), struggles to find a place in a world determined to ostracize him due to his monstrous appearance. The creature’s hideous features both literally, and symbolically, label him an outsider to society, which leads to him being mistreated by all those whom he encounters; this demonstrates Shelley’s idea of how sometimes, it is “the terrors that stem from our elaborate civilization [that] may be far more threatening than those that primitive people attribute to demons” (Jung 63). Another major theme expressed within Frankenstein, was that of the duality of progress and innovation, symbolized by the recurring image of fire. For Frankenstein’s creation, the discovery of fire granted him blessed warmth and security, that is, until he drew too close: “I found a fire...and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy, I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain”

The film’s introduction paints the small town in pastel tones, perfectly mowed lawns, where the women spend their days as housewives and the men are off at work, a simple yet perfect depiction of a 1950’s American dream. In contrast to Edward’s isolated, gothic castle, the epitome portrayal of the archetypal ‘other’. Although the positive and negative connotations, respectively, of these appearances poorly describe those who actually inhabit them. Behind the mask of a perfect suburban life lies repressed drives, explosive cruelty, and a threat, while under black leather and sharp blades is a boy whose scissors hurt himself more than anyone else. A prominent instances of this is Joyce, a sexually seductive manipulating woman, with her toe curling orgasmic experience of Edward cutting her hair, to her sexual assault on him, her sexual desires arise, something typically looked negatively on by conservative societies. Edward's hair cutting skills also ignites similar response from other women as well. This leads to the exploitation of Edward and his abilities, his talents in cutting stylish hairstyles and artistic garden hedges are objects of praise almost immediately after he is brought into the ‘normal’ world. At first Edward and the town come to see his scissorhands as a creative gift, although the initial pleasure from his deformity quickly turns into an abuse of his body, asking Edward for favours here and there, for which he is later repaid for with an angry, witch hunt like mob chase. Edward’s gift becomes once again a curse, proving that once the circus like allure of something strange and ‘other’ wears away the elitist society will remind itself that it does not fit into their system. Although suburbia feels a threat from anything different to the norm, itself is a threat

“In a world where we are forced to conform to society, it is necessary to have personal chaos”, said Alan Armstrong. The movie Edward Scissorhands spotlights society’s structured rules and one man who refuses to be like the rest. Edward and I are comparable in the sense that we’ve both suffered conformity, been swallowed for our diversity and shocked by the intensity of love.

Huxley only conveys the negative effects of the idea that outside forces such as advertisements, institutions and our peers through the characters in Brave New World. However, through research, manipulation has been proved to have some positive effects on our mind despite the negatives that the role of manipulation plays on us.

In today’s society, people have become accustomed to the norms of society. The question is and will continue to be: Will we ever accept or overcome our differences? We spend more time judging anything out of the norm then we do bettering ourselves for a greater tomorrow. Fear should not be a result of these differences, society needs to embrace our forever changing society for the better. The works that are connected with this idea are Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Beloved by Toni Morrison and Edward Scissorhands by director Tim Burton. Each work has a unique representation of the global theme of our society associating differences with monstrosity moreover, reflecting the theme of appearance vs. reality. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein

In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein creates a monster whose appearance brings ineffable terror and destruction into his life. However, the monster’s appearance and actions are not an accurate representation of the monster and are influenced by many outward factors that ultimately trace back to his creator. The monster’s grotesque outward appearance acts as a mirror as it reflects the true inward qualities of Victor as well as shows the flaws and abnormalities of the relationship between Victor, society, and the monster.

Conversely, in parts that Shelley wrote herself, she says that book was conceived in a dream in which she saw a "pale student of unhallowed arts putting together the hideous phantasm of a man." She continues, "the idea so possessed my mind that a thrill of fear ran through me, and I wished to exchange the ghastly image of my fancy for the 'realities around.'" Ultimately, the entire story symbolically represents some of the pressures on a woman writer during the Romantic period in Europe and Shelley's critique of the culture that has created her but sees her as its "monster."

“Your appearance shouldn't define who you are, and that's what I like, the contrast between people looking like the opposite of what they truly are deep inside” (Matthias Schoenaerts). In past and current societies, appearance has always played an important factor in the way people perceive one another. Throughout the novel, the creature’s actions change in relation to the way others see him, he sees himself and eventually him falling into the label society had provided for him. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley exploits the human obsession with physical appearance to share the story of an outsider, alienated because of his physical deformities.

Is someone’s appearance an accurate definition of who they are? Do people’s circumstances affect the way they interact with themselves and others? Are we products of our environments? Arguably, it is human nature to be shaped and formed by our surroundings, to be changed by our environments in ways that we may not expect. The same can be seen in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson, and Psycho, a film directed by the renowned Alfred Hitchcock. The basis of both stories is the duality of the mind, and how society molds the alter personality. Thus, in both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Psycho, Robert Louis Stevenson and Alfred Hitchcock use diction and symbolism to illustrate how society shapes an individual’s mind, leading to the creation of two personalities.

The BAEC theatre company’s production of Neil LaBute’s, The Shape of Things, was a great adaptation of the original production that touches base on social problems of personal image, the pain of love, gullibility, and even manipulation. All of these aspects of the play appear, change, and develop as the production goes on. The gradual change of Evelyn from a character that is unknown, to a pure, to finally an image of someone that creates pain ultimately guides the play from beginning to end. As Evelyn changes, each of the characters that are around her change as well. First Adam, who looks comfortable but internally feels insecure and seeks out someone of guidance (which is Evelyn), to a physically fit and internally confident individual. In comparison, Jenny and Phillip act as the only two stable characters in the play. This is especially seen in the living room scene as Phillip argues with Evelyn over her opinion that is obviously off in comparison how the other characters react. This event foreshadowed future problems. Conflicts continue to arise through the proceeding scenes, ultimately reaching a climax with the thesis

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been passed down for centuries and is still a widely known tale. This classic has become a common childhood tale, but in its’ day was a truly creative piece. Frankenstein challenges the common and standard beliefs of religion, race, creativity and even challenges what the mind cannot fathom as a reality, in the 1800’s. There a lot of symbolisms that I found while reading and trying to understand the content.

Often, one’s perception is their reality; while something may be positive and beautiful, no one will ever convince you it is if you perceive it as harmful or negative. This is evident in Mary Shelly’s famous novel, Frankenstein. In this novel, we see the dark and biased side of society, as humanity shuns Frankenstein’s monster due to an assumed link between deformity and monstrosity.

In Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, she tales the tale of what occurs whenever one achieves what one has desired, but is dissatisfied with the results. Shelley utilizes many methods to convey her tale, one of which involves the protagonist Victor Frankenstein and the thing he worked tremendously on to create. The usage of these two characters emphasizes a redundant theme in the story. In the book Frankenstein, there is a recurring exhibition of the tight bond between Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, comparable to that of a mother and a child.