Loneliness and desertion are signs of our time. We live in big cities with skyscrapers, along with millions of people around us, but we get less sociable by the day. We alienate from our neighbors,our family...even our own personality in the end. A quick review in 2009 statistics will reveal that the number of divorces increases,the number of suicides has reached an alerting level the past years and more people have (or choose) to live alone. What the statistics can't show though, is the inner loneliness. The loneliness we face,when we return home, even when around us there are people who love us. It is also a sign of the times. Depression is the new trend. It is justifiable though? Technology has taken away most of our time,leaving less and less time for our friends,our family,our acquaintances and our self in the end. We need to be together with people. It's in our nature. But we tend to run away from them. Cause we haven't learned how to approach them. But sometimes, (and that is a fact) the others chose to run away from us.
Being a lonely creature myself, I've been thinking lately the reasons for all these. I had to check back in time. Loneliness is not a new thing. Obviously it walks hand in hand with humanity from the beginning of time. The truth is though that do not have many written facts about loneliness through time (psychologists where too busy healing the mental traumas of the ones in battle back in the ancient days). I decided to analyze the portrait of the three most famous lonesome "monsters" of classic literature. Their cases are totally different from every aspect. But they join in the very same point. They were all rejects of society. They were outcasts, because of what they looked like and not what they really where.
Here's their life stories.....
Pinocchio - Pinocchio is the main character of Carlo Collodi's book "The adventures of Pinocchio". Pinocchio is young boy made out of wood. In the first version of the book her was created by his "father" Geppetto by a magic log. In the newest kids version's along with Disney's animated movie, he was given life by a fairy. No matter what gave life to Pinocchio though, his
story is remarkable. He is a little hell raiser, playing naughty whenever he can. But not always out of character. Since he has been "magically" brought to life, he spends his childhood exploring. He is a bit naive, since he hasn't lived before. His character is not of a bad one though. Whenever he commits a bad deed he understands and regrets it. He is a conscious puppet, and that always gets him in trouble. His nose gets longer when he lies, only to remind him to be humble and righteous. Later in the narration it becomes obvious that Pinocchio feels lonely. He is often being mocked of being a wooden puppet. He gets in trouble for being only what he was "born" to be. We find Pinocchio wanting to become a real boy. He denies his nature, wanting to become "normal" like all the other kids. Although he seems to have many friends and colleagues from the animal kindgom, nevertheless he wants to become a "real" boy in flesh and bones. This is the real message of the book. To show the loneliness that one can feel, when he lives in a place where he is different. Pinocchio is a real example. Cause he is just a kid, but he gets to know the pain of disertion even in this fragile age. The story of Pinocchio is full of surprises. He goes to the circus, being chased by police, being threatened. He even becomes a donkey as a punishment for his behavior. But in the end, even over his restless reckless way of living, his innocent childish world colides with the world of an adult. He has to deal with situations an adult would face. And in the end, to fight his own "wooden" lonely way of living to become a real boy.
Frankenstein - Frankenstein is the name of the book created by Mary Shelley back in 1818. Wrongfully everybody assumes that Frankenstein is the name of the "monster" created in the book. Actually it is the name of the scientist who created this "monster". In the novel it is called simply "the monster" or "being". That creature is being disrespected even to his own name. The scientist Victor Frankenstein gives life to a creature made of body parts from deceased people. He uses a self made machine to breath life to creature. And in the end he manages to create life. The creature is born. "It'sAlive". Soon after the scientist realizes his mistake. Playing God has always been a taboo in novels. He understands that he has to destroy his own creation. The creature is naive and gullible.That creature with no past, no education..has feelings. He is being abandoned by his creator, something which makes him become independent and also teaches him about life and humanity. But It understands the danger he is in and tries to save his life. The creature progressively understands that it is being feared because of it's appearance. It gets more and more alone. The scientist embarks in a manhunt against it (monster-hunt would be the exact phrase), when he finds our that he is responsible for his borther's death. . The creature is fully aware of it's situation. Although in the book his actions and feelings are not exactly followed, we can perceive that it feels lonely and abandoned. The creature has no intentions for it, but it becomes a murderer. He has full cognition of his action though. And even promises revenge on his creator when the latter refuses to create him a female companion. In general we could say that the monster, is not a monster at all. He is a lonely creature, created with a despicable appearance, but inside it seems to be a human after all. More human than humans.
Quasimodo - Quasimodo is the main character in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo is the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He is an orphan which was abandoned by his parents in the doorstep of the cathedral when he was a baby. He was raised and protected
by Claude Frollo. He is being treated with dignity and care by his "alleged" father. But Quasimodo is an "abomination" in the eyes of the people of Paris. Actually he has spend almost his whole life living in the shadows of the great cathedral. He is a hunchback. His body as well as his face are deformed. He is considered a "monster". But he is kind hearted. He has a lonely soul, hidden behind his appearance. He is devoted to the job he was given, to ring the bells of Notre Dame. And that task cost him his hearing. Quasimodo's story begins to unveil when in one of his few visits outside the church he ends up in a huge carnival being crowned king of fools. Of course it all happens because of his hideous looks, but for the first time in the novel (and his life obviously), poor Quasimodo is accepted by other people. And there begins his beautiful and tragic journey. He meets and falls in love with a mesmerizing gypsy called Esmeralda. Later he saves her from execution. They get to briefly know each other. And while she understands the kind heart of Quasimodo and the love that he feeds for her, still she is in love with the "handsome" Phoebus who is the leader of the guards. After a murder, the death of Esmeralda and a series of events Quasimodo ends in the cemetery, where he dies next to the dead body of his first and only love in life.
Those three "monsters" are different in many aspects. Pinnochio and "Frankenstein" are being magically (or scientifically) enchanted with life. Quasimodo is the only one born like a real human being. The first two also have no past or memories. They were only awaken and have to learn about the world in very short notice. Quasimodo on the other hand has lived a full childhood and adulthood (I don't remember if his age is ever mentioned in the book), although it was not of a real human's life, since he spent most of his life locked inside the darkness of the Cathedral away from prying eyes. Also Quasimodo is the only one who has a job. His task is to ring the bells of the church and he is very devoted to doing it without complain. While the other "two" monsters search for answers and experiences in life, he spends his life in the cathedral without complaining. Until love strikes him, and gives him the initial urge and will to break all his unwritten promises to his protector Frollo and even kill him in the end for the sake of a woman's heart. Frankenstein also becomes a murderer but for completely different reasons, and driven by other emotions. Pinnochio is a child and although he is forced to swim in a world of adults, nevertheless he never loses his childhood innocence. Even after he has faced challenges far beyond his own perception and powers. All three have a fathering figure to consult, but in the end they tend to run far from them. They rebel as their own existence and behavior contradicts of the reality.
Despite their differences all three character of those novels have some common features. They are all outcasts of the "normal" society. They are hated. They are mocked and feared because of their outside looks. The prejudism and the derision of the world around them never asked or cared of who they really were inside. Their looks are enough to bring fear and loathing. And along, they bring pain and desertion to those "otherwise" poor creatures. They are hunted, they hide in the shadows. They all wished that they could lead the "normal" life of others. They all have some unique abilities though. They have a charisma. And above all they all have a tender heart. They are victims. They crave to live life, but life is too cruel to allow to such personalities have a "normal" way of living. All three have a fathering figure to consult, but in the end they tend to run far from them. They rebel as their own existence and behavior contradicts of the reality.
It's been over 100 years since the time all three novels were written. Have we changed from then?? Of course there are no monsters nowadays (?), buthas prejudism been completely eliminated? Far from that I'd say. Things are even worse today. Cause we are witnesses of a strange phenomenon. Completely normal people, working, being part of society, at the end of the day live in their lonesome world. Away from what we would normally call socialization. They are completely cut from the outside world, having no one to speak to. No one speaks them. It is tragic, in the age of universal communication, that many of us (if not all) have times when we hide in our shell. In a shell where we render others unable to understand us, and we are rendered unable to understand the world. There is no guide line to tell us whether we are lonely or not. Even when we live among the millions of people, we still have a dark spot where loneliness prevails in our soul. And the worst of all, we probably are unaware of that whole concept.
Frankenstein - Frankenstein is the name of the book created by Mary Shelley back in 1818. Wrongfully everybody assumes that Frankenstein is the name of the "monster" created in the book. Actually it is the name of the scientist who created this "monster". In the novel it is called simply "the monster" or "being". That creature is being disrespected even to his own name. The scientist Victor Frankenstein gives life to a creature made of body parts from deceased people. He uses a self made machine to breath life to creature. And in the end he manages to create life. The creature is born. "It'sAlive". Soon after the scientist realizes his mistake. Playing God has always been a taboo in novels. He understands that he has to destroy his own creation. The creature is naive and gullible.That creature with no past, no education..has feelings. He is being abandoned by his creator, something which makes him become independent and also teaches him about life and humanity. But It understands the danger he is in and tries to save his life. The creature progressively understands that it is being feared because of it's appearance. It gets more and more alone. The scientist embarks in a manhunt against it (monster-hunt would be the exact phrase), when he finds our that he is responsible for his borther's death. . The creature is fully aware of it's situation. Although in the book his actions and feelings are not exactly followed, we can perceive that it feels lonely and abandoned. The creature has no intentions for it, but it becomes a murderer. He has full cognition of his action though. And even promises revenge on his creator when the latter refuses to create him a female companion. In general we could say that the monster, is not a monster at all. He is a lonely creature, created with a despicable appearance, but inside it seems to be a human after all. More human than humans.
Quasimodo - Quasimodo is the main character in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo is the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He is an orphan which was abandoned by his parents in the doorstep of the cathedral when he was a baby. He was raised and protected
by Claude Frollo. He is being treated with dignity and care by his "alleged" father. But Quasimodo is an "abomination" in the eyes of the people of Paris. Actually he has spend almost his whole life living in the shadows of the great cathedral. He is a hunchback. His body as well as his face are deformed. He is considered a "monster". But he is kind hearted. He has a lonely soul, hidden behind his appearance. He is devoted to the job he was given, to ring the bells of Notre Dame. And that task cost him his hearing. Quasimodo's story begins to unveil when in one of his few visits outside the church he ends up in a huge carnival being crowned king of fools. Of course it all happens because of his hideous looks, but for the first time in the novel (and his life obviously), poor Quasimodo is accepted by other people. And there begins his beautiful and tragic journey. He meets and falls in love with a mesmerizing gypsy called Esmeralda. Later he saves her from execution. They get to briefly know each other. And while she understands the kind heart of Quasimodo and the love that he feeds for her, still she is in love with the "handsome" Phoebus who is the leader of the guards. After a murder, the death of Esmeralda and a series of events Quasimodo ends in the cemetery, where he dies next to the dead body of his first and only love in life.Those three "monsters" are different in many aspects. Pinnochio and "Frankenstein" are being magically (or scientifically) enchanted with life. Quasimodo is the only one born like a real human being. The first two also have no past or memories. They were only awaken and have to learn about the world in very short notice. Quasimodo on the other hand has lived a full childhood and adulthood (I don't remember if his age is ever mentioned in the book), although it was not of a real human's life, since he spent most of his life locked inside the darkness of the Cathedral away from prying eyes. Also Quasimodo is the only one who has a job. His task is to ring the bells of the church and he is very devoted to doing it without complain. While the other "two" monsters search for answers and experiences in life, he spends his life in the cathedral without complaining. Until love strikes him, and gives him the initial urge and will to break all his unwritten promises to his protector Frollo and even kill him in the end for the sake of a woman's heart. Frankenstein also becomes a murderer but for completely different reasons, and driven by other emotions. Pinnochio is a child and although he is forced to swim in a world of adults, nevertheless he never loses his childhood innocence. Even after he has faced challenges far beyond his own perception and powers. All three have a fathering figure to consult, but in the end they tend to run far from them. They rebel as their own existence and behavior contradicts of the reality.
Despite their differences all three character of those novels have some common features. They are all outcasts of the "normal" society. They are hated. They are mocked and feared because of their outside looks. The prejudism and the derision of the world around them never asked or cared of who they really were inside. Their looks are enough to bring fear and loathing. And along, they bring pain and desertion to those "otherwise" poor creatures. They are hunted, they hide in the shadows. They all wished that they could lead the "normal" life of others. They all have some unique abilities though. They have a charisma. And above all they all have a tender heart. They are victims. They crave to live life, but life is too cruel to allow to such personalities have a "normal" way of living. All three have a fathering figure to consult, but in the end they tend to run far from them. They rebel as their own existence and behavior contradicts of the reality.
It's been over 100 years since the time all three novels were written. Have we changed from then?? Of course there are no monsters nowadays (?), buthas prejudism been completely eliminated? Far from that I'd say. Things are even worse today. Cause we are witnesses of a strange phenomenon. Completely normal people, working, being part of society, at the end of the day live in their lonesome world. Away from what we would normally call socialization. They are completely cut from the outside world, having no one to speak to. No one speaks them. It is tragic, in the age of universal communication, that many of us (if not all) have times when we hide in our shell. In a shell where we render others unable to understand us, and we are rendered unable to understand the world. There is no guide line to tell us whether we are lonely or not. Even when we live among the millions of people, we still have a dark spot where loneliness prevails in our soul. And the worst of all, we probably are unaware of that whole concept.
P.S................. While writing this article I felt a very strong bond with each character. A deep sympathy for them. Sometimes I wished that I could meet them in person, and see myself if I could offer them a different approach to their "unique" physique, and of course their unique personality... Who knows, maybe I've met such "monsters" and treated them badly without knowing and understanding it. Maybe we all did.
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