Dehumanization In Literature

Literature throughout time often features characters who are similar for a variety of reasons. During the nineteenth century many works of literature featured characters who were devalued, exploited, or dehumanized and how they achieve or transform status and gain self respect and/or freedom. These works emphasize the importance of the common man. This trend in print could be attributed to the political climate throughout the nineteenth century. This was a time of turmoil as many people began to rebel against traditional ideas in the hope to extend their rights and freedoms. Many countries and people were moving in the direction of democracy through the process coined democratization. People around the world began to encourage and promote the …show more content…
Alfred Prufrock.” Gregor Samsa had to work a job he did not like to pay of his father’s debt and provide for his family, and, in turn, they repaid him by throwing him in the trash after he died. Gregor allowed his family to treat him horribly and never did anything about it. His family was dysfunctional to say the least and he accepted everything they did to him. Gregor did not recognize the dark aspects of both his life and family. His family sucked the life out of him and in turn he became less human over time both figuratively and literally. Kafka’s character features a character who the audience can connect to because it features a common man who experiences something extraordinary. Kafka writes a character who is exploited much like many groups of people were in the nineteenth century. This goes right along with the main character from Dickens’ “The Signal-Man”. The character only known as the signal-man had an important job involving the railway system. He gave the signal that determined if it was safe for the train to continue on. Despite his key role, he was forgotten and left alone. He had little contact with the outside world, and when he died he did not have anyone who truly cared apart from the narrator. The narrator from Eliot’s poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” shared this …show more content…
They are entirely average and ordinary. They have no characteristics, physical or personality wise, that stand out to the audience and are in no way unique. Gregor, Prufrock, and the Signal-Man are not heroes, and they do not triumph over some malicious villain and save the day. They are instead the antihero. Each of them make their own mistakes and, more often than not, fail. The Signal-Man fails to figure out the ghosts purpose, and actually dies trying. Prufrock fails to better himself and his life, and Gregor fails to see the dark aspects of his life and family. Their failures ultimately lead to each of them living unsatisfactory lives, and even to some of their deaths. They were not courageous or brave like the stereotypical hero, instead they were cowardly and lacked confidence. Prufrock did not have even enough confidence to carry on a conversation with a person from the opposite gender. Gregor was unable to stand up to his family. The Signal-Man lacked the confidence it took socialize with people, and, in turn, led a very lonely life until he met the narrator. Each of these characters were unable to protect or save anybody. In all honesty they could not even make their own lives better. They are all stuck in lives that they do not like and can not change. Each of them are longing for something, whether it be a better life or a goal, but it is unobtainable to them. They are instead, stagnant. Despite the fact