There are many differences between Shelley’s Frankenstein and the clips of the Frankenstein movies. The book follows an intimate story about a man and his quest for the unknown. Early on in the novel he’s speaks about how since he was a boy he wanted to discover the “secret laws of nature”. In the novel his name is Victor but in the movies his name is actually changed to Henry. In fact one of the only similarities between the books and the movies is that Dr. Frankenstein grows to hate his creation. In the book Victor experiences pure disgust toward Frankenstein. He wants nothing to do with it he won’t even go near it. However in the movies the response is one closer to awe and a the Dr. provides some compassion toward the monster even eventually building him a mate. Another difference between the movies and the book is that in the book there is a really long backstory and we find Dr. Frankenstein a man in complete isolation with an obsession. In the movies very little backstory is provided and we begin right before the awakening of the monster. The movie also attempts to be more grandiose in his appearance and insanity. In the movie he is even given the brain of a murderer. Why? I would assume these changes were made to sell tickets. Everyone loves a scary movie.

As I walked into the Moma on a cold Friday morning. I must admit I did not expect to enjoy myself. I walk in half heartedly wanting to just take my picture and be done with it. However, once I entered the second floor my mindset started to change. I ended up walking around the entire museum and I was a lot more enamored by the art work than I thought I’d be. It may have been because of the modern aspect of it. I think it had a lot to do with that.

One painting that really stood out to me was Agrarian Leader Zapata by Diego Rivera. I saw and instantly became interested in the detail. I could tell that there was a conflict that had just occurred. As there was a dead body on the floor. I also suspected that although the “leader” was wearing white he had a certain amount of rebelliousness within him. I think that white horse represents power and nobility and he was taking the horse. It turns that this man was a key figure in the Mexican revolution and he was in fact a very controversial figure. He lead a group of peasants to gather weapons and seek revolution. In this portrait he is standing beside the body of a Hacienda owner with pride. He was demonized in his day as a treacherous bandit. Despite this, today he is immortalized as an important figure in Mexican history. I’m really happy I was able to visit the Moma.

It’s difficult to understand just how hard life can be for someone who is different. A novel that helps personify this idea incredibly is the “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. It describes a man named Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning and discovers he’s been transformed into a “monstrous vermin”. He is forced to live life as bug for the rest of his life. Gregor questions his own humanity because of the massive change. Is Gregor still Gregor? His transformation also draws attention to the ways that people around him change under pressure, not just physically but psychologically and emotionally as well. Imagine that happening to you? Waking up one morning and suddenly looking like a complete monster. I can’t even fathom how hard it would be to go through something like that.As I analyzed Gregor’s character I began to realize that his fate was sealed not merely because of his actions but also because of the actions of those around him. He wasn’t evil and worthless it was just that he was treated that way. When we’re different from those around us society paints pictures of something totally different from what the facts dictate. This causes the perception to be completely different than the intended idea, change or lifestyle. Obviously in this case it was an extreme change that definitely could not have been easy to accept. The point remains. Do we all need to be a little more open minded?

“Abbey in the Oak Forest” is 19th century painting. At first glance it as a very ominous vibe. When I first looked at it. It immediately caused me to the of death. It also caused to think of loneliness, emptiness and other negative traits. Upon looking further, I see that it was once a church that is now in ruins. I think its trying to portray something that once was and now lacks what it used to be. Possibly this meant to illustrate the power of religion in modern day culture. Once a force to be reckoned that everyone followed. Now only a fragment of that power really remains, we now have separation of church and state. This site has been abandoned for many years maybe even centuries. What now sits on its remains appears to be a cemetery. For some reason this all seems very mystical to me. As I look at I see themes of horror and possible magic. I half way expect to see a dead body rise from the ground. Why is that? it is because of the perfection of it. Everything looks so organized. The perfect shape of the remaining tree branches, the lack of leaves. The contrasting colors that start from light and deepen into a dark shadow. I think that represents what is down below. What was once a shining light is now covered in darkness and plagued by death. All thats left now is the memory of what once.

In “Family Romances” Freud argues that at a certain point freedom and individuality are inclinations we all share.  According to Freud as young children, we grow up thinking that our parents encompass all knowledge and greatness because they are the direct source of our belief system. Before we come into contact with any others our parents represent perfection and we seek nothing more than to emulate that. However, as we grow and begin to develop our intellectual capabilities expand and we begin to compare our parents to those around us. It is then when a deviation originates.We see this concept explored in Faulkner’s Barn Burning. Sarty begins as a complicit child who seeks to protect his father at all costs. However throughout the story we see a change in him.A growing admiration of Mr. de Spain. One might say he even wishes to be part of that type of family. Eventually he lets go of his stake in his fathers shenanigans. He decides that it is time he do whats right.Freud would argue that that this phase would explain when a child hopes to release itself from its parents and proclaim independence, this often leads to children imagining themselves as part of a another family. Usually one of a “higher social station”.  For some these daydreams become a routine, providing an outlet into a universe of “the neurotics family romance” where they have that better life they feel they deserve. This is exactly what Sarty experiences, he is relieved by the death of his father.

At 6:50AM vexing howls chimed throughout the Brooklyn home. It was sound of Irving’s mother trying to wake up his noncompliant younger sisters so they could get ready for school. He immediately thought to himself “I need to move out already”. As he looked at his phone he realized that he had slept through his alarm and was going to be late for work. He dashed into the shower then hopped in a Cab using a free credit he’d received in order to get there on time. During the ride he gave the driver specific directions to avoid any standstills in traffic. The driver told him that he seemed to have “a strong sense of urgency”. He snickered and replied that it wasn’t the first time he’d been told that; he was often in a rush to get somewhere or to get something done. That morning It was a lot chillier than the day before but it was alright because Irving enjoyed the brisk chill. He got to his morning job at his former school with less than a minute to spare. This made him was really anxious, however, ironically he had a peculiar sense of excitement realizing he would get there just in time. At 9AM he finished up and headed to the subway station. The walk was a bit long but luckily he had his favorite app Spotify to shuffle his favorite rap playlist. He then entered a brief state of tranquility, the first since he had woken up.

Although Descartes theories weren’t perfect by any means but given the time period when he came up with them, they were really advanced and showed a complex understanding of the human mind. During the era of Descartes, people didn’t really seem to question nearly as much as we do now. Ideas were just accepted as truth, rarely based on logic or fact. What was the reason for absolute monarchy? Why were women treated as if they were less important than men. How come those of different races were treated so badly? These things were rarely questioned, they just were. A “thats just the way it is and the way it’ll always be” type of time period. So when descartes published ideas about the need to think critically and the need to doubt almost everything he’s ever encountered he was extremely ahead of his time. I don’t agree with all of his philosophies however there is definitely truth spoken in his words. I agree on the need to order thoughts from simple to complex and to analyze heavily as to not have any oversights. Unlike descartes however I wouldn’t deem my senses and perception unreliable simply because I have no proof they really exist. To the best of knowledge I trust in my senses because without them I feel I really wouldn’t have anything to count on. I find it kind of ironic how Descartes was a firm believer in god because many people who’ve studied his theories and came after reject the notion of a god. I think this proves that Descartes had faith in something in some form and didn’t truly rely on logic for everything, even thats the way it seemed.

Story telling through fiction is an extremely important component of society. It allows us to us to encapsulate and express certain ideas, archetypes , themes and feelings in a wildly entertaining way. Throughout history stories have been essential, providing insight and entertainment to those who come across them. As Descartes famously proclaimed, Cogito ergo sum; I think therefore I am. The most important part of being human is the ability to think and to be able to come to different and unique conclusions. When we read or hear a story it gives us a chance to step out of our own box and have a completely objective experience, have a the ability to be a bystander in a tale that has little to do with us. In my personal opinion this makes us a whole lot better at critical thinking. During the course of own stories (lives) we tend to be a lot more subjective based on our personal experiences as well as our emotions such as greed, fear , jealousy ,love ,belief amongst many more. We have a tendency to view things from a certain lens/ angle, our angle. However, fiction allows to break through this barrier because there are no strings attached. We no longer feel the need to see things through our lens, there are no consequences. Instead, we out ourselves in someone else’s shoes and we try to understand their point of view and situation. This helps give us a much more broad outlook and can help in all areas of life by giving insight into things that we have never personally encountered. This is just one glimpse of the reason fiction and storytelling is an essential aspect of society.