“The uncanny derives its terror not from something externally alien or unknown but -on the contrary- from something strangely familiar which defeats our efforts to separate ourselves from it”
Sigmund Freud, ‘The Uncanny’ (1919)
‘Uncanny’ has always been a concept difficult to describe, it exists as a combination of both regular and fantastic elements that merge together and blur the line between reality and fantasy. This element is paramount in horror, due to the powerful feelings it evokes on the audience. In Frankenstein, the creature -as from its conception- is the epitome of uncanny, possessing both familiar and unfamiliar characteristics. In robotics, the concept of uncanny is used to refer to robots which bear quite a close resemblance to a human. Therefore we could draw similarities between such robots and the creature of Frankenstein. …show more content…
The spectrum of eerie would then begin with a simple mechanical robot and end with a living human being; the more anthropomorphized an object becomes, the closer it creeps towards the uncanny valley. Accordingly, the first element of this ‘uncanny valley’ is appearance. Objects created with the intention to look as human-like as possible can never be completely human. The creature presents this characteristic, it was made of human parts, but Victor chose mismatched parts: elongated limbs, a wide frame and high stature, he purposefully designed it to not quite fit the image of a human. Therefore, Victor condemns the creature to the uncanny valley, and thus, marks the destiny of the creature: never accepted due to its looks, the creature is forced to live a reclusive life away from
Sigmund Freud, ‘The Uncanny’ (1919)
‘Uncanny’ has always been a concept difficult to describe, it exists as a combination of both regular and fantastic elements that merge together and blur the line between reality and fantasy. This element is paramount in horror, due to the powerful feelings it evokes on the audience. In Frankenstein, the creature -as from its conception- is the epitome of uncanny, possessing both familiar and unfamiliar characteristics. In robotics, the concept of uncanny is used to refer to robots which bear quite a close resemblance to a human. Therefore we could draw similarities between such robots and the creature of Frankenstein. …show more content…
The spectrum of eerie would then begin with a simple mechanical robot and end with a living human being; the more anthropomorphized an object becomes, the closer it creeps towards the uncanny valley. Accordingly, the first element of this ‘uncanny valley’ is appearance. Objects created with the intention to look as human-like as possible can never be completely human. The creature presents this characteristic, it was made of human parts, but Victor chose mismatched parts: elongated limbs, a wide frame and high stature, he purposefully designed it to not quite fit the image of a human. Therefore, Victor condemns the creature to the uncanny valley, and thus, marks the destiny of the creature: never accepted due to its looks, the creature is forced to live a reclusive life away from