What does it mean to be human? Being human and what it takes to be human is often taken for granted. This question is not something we question daily, monthly, or yearly. We often just accept that we are human and leave it at that. In both Alan Moore’s Watchmen and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, at least one character in each work face an extreme transformation that challenges or questions, the qualities and attributes of humanity. It is only after the transformation in both cases that the individuals who experienced these transformations have to experience life in ways they may never have thought of before. Due to the transformations, these characters question and endorse, or at least attempt too, what it means to be human. Jon Osterman
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Whereas Jon could accomplish everything physically that a human being could accomplish, Gregor was challenged with his inability to perform physically as a human would. One of the first example of this is Gregor’s inability to open a door. While doors are designed for humans to simply spin the knob and push the door open due to Gregor’s transformation he had difficulty with this task that would be completed with ease by a human. He was able to comprehend what needed to be done, his body however wouldn’t allow him to do it. To unlock the door he “...threw himself against the door, held himself upright against it… Then he mad an effort to turn the key in the lock with his mouth (Kafka, 21-22) Not with the ease of a human at least. Life is definitely different for humans than it is for other lifeforms and Gregor now, unfortunately gets to experience life as a lifeform that is not human. Had he started his life as another lifeform this would not be an issue. But starting life and living most of your life as a human you develop a social space, which was his home and his work place. You also develop a personality, attribute thinking and the ability to reciprocate appropriately with the actions other human beings. Changes to any of these things cause discourse between the humans that expect these things of you. Not being human and not being able to be consistent with these four qualities of being human causes Gregor a lot of anguish and pain. It is almost certain he would want nothing more in the world than to be human
Whereas Jon could accomplish everything physically that a human being could accomplish, Gregor was challenged with his inability to perform physically as a human would. One of the first example of this is Gregor’s inability to open a door. While doors are designed for humans to simply spin the knob and push the door open due to Gregor’s transformation he had difficulty with this task that would be completed with ease by a human. He was able to comprehend what needed to be done, his body however wouldn’t allow him to do it. To unlock the door he “...threw himself against the door, held himself upright against it… Then he mad an effort to turn the key in the lock with his mouth (Kafka, 21-22) Not with the ease of a human at least. Life is definitely different for humans than it is for other lifeforms and Gregor now, unfortunately gets to experience life as a lifeform that is not human. Had he started his life as another lifeform this would not be an issue. But starting life and living most of your life as a human you develop a social space, which was his home and his work place. You also develop a personality, attribute thinking and the ability to reciprocate appropriately with the actions other human beings. Changes to any of these things cause discourse between the humans that expect these things of you. Not being human and not being able to be consistent with these four qualities of being human causes Gregor a lot of anguish and pain. It is almost certain he would want nothing more in the world than to be human