Touching the Void "Beware that, when fighting monsters," These first few lines made me wonder what Fredrich Nietzche meant. What reminded me of was Joe Simpson'sfight with his own monsters. When Joe fell into the crevasse after Simon Yates cut his rope, he was fighting the monster within him. It made me recall how helpless Joe felt, and how he thought someone was going to be there for him but no one showed up. He was down there alone; fighting himself thinking death was at his doorstep. He had a broken leg and was unstable; he was suffering until the end. Another monster he fought down there was the mountain itself. Siula Grande was a beast …show more content…
and Joe was in the belly of the beast. He fought tooth and nail until his escape. The next part of the quotation, "You yourself are not transformed," foreshadows all the trauma and hardships that both Simon and Joe went through. As I read this part what reminded me the most was in the end credits that said after a few surgeries and therapy Joe kept climbing. Deep down I think what happened to Joe did traumatize him but not to the point where he led the darkness in his mind envelope him. He knew that after all those events he could keep going. His soul wavered but, never fell. The last part of the quotation hit me the most, "For when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."For me, this line meant that Joe survived as he looked the abyss right in the eye. He was scared and being down in the crevasse was as daunting as climbing the mountain. Joe was isolated and his thoughts dwelled on dying alone, and the abyss was pulling him in. With a spark of hope, he pulled out and put his mind to survival. In that moment of weakness, I think that's when the abyss really took a peek at Joe's soul basically telling him death is waiting. Without his brain wired to think, "I don't want to die alone" the darkness that was in him would've never let him go. The title "Touching the Void' was a very poetic title to give the events Joe went through.
To him, this title had a meaning. I think it takes us back to his near-death experience in the crevasse. He had so much hope and optimism but all that hope and optimism got crushed as his sense of survival was fading. He skimmed the darkness of death as if he touched a void that no one wants to enter. Joe knew if he let himself stay there and die if he fell into this void there was no coming back. He was alone, but Joe said no to that void. He took the risk and went further into the crevasse. To me, I think he named it ‘Touching the Void' because he almost let himself drown in that darkness but came back. I felt there was another moment where he wanted to give up but his goal of not dying alone kept him going. During the film where he first broke his leg, he said himself that he saw death. With his broken leg, Joe thought, there was no way I can make it down. Simon said otherwise. I definitely think the title has a connection to Simon. Without Simon, Joe wouldn't have gotten as far down as he did. Simon took the risk of dying on that mountain as much as Joe did. A void is an empty space, with Joe I think he meant by touching that void, that empty space is to see if someone was there for him. Simon was there even if it looked like to the climbing community that Simon abandoned Joe. To Joe, Simon was there for him, in that void Joe was desperately trying to get
through. The story tells us a lot about the instinct of survival that both Joe and Simon went through. It told me that when you take a risk, and fear is put into the mix your survival instinct will naturally come out. The story showed there are many decisions to make, either right or wrong you have to go with your gut, your instinct. Joe was in a sense of fear and panic. At first, all he did was scream and cry but his survival instinct told him he needed to stop and survive. He was left feeling isolated and vulnerable, naturally, as humans, we have a need to either fight or flight. In that moment Joe wanted to fight. He got up and surveyed the situation. His need to survive and to not die alone pushed him to make that notion on going into the depths of the crevasse. The survival instinct in the both of them tells us, no matter what situation you're in you have this kick, this pull in your head that's telling you, it's either you survive or you die trying. Simon did try to die surviving but in the situation, he chose the survival he needed. In the end, the instinct to survive is purely yours. In the film, this was the climax. Where Joe was so close to the site, his grasp on hope was pulling hard. Then it happened. He knew he couldn't go any further and that grasp of hope was slipping away. That night Joe did lose something, after 2 days crawling back with a broken leg, grasping on the little hope he had. Joe was losing himself slowly. The pieces of his sanity, his hope, and his humanity were breaking away slowly but, surely he finally shattered. In the film and I quote he said "I had lost something. I lost me." He was yelling so hard in desperation, to Simon so that he can find him. When no one replied that was when he lost it. His sense of hope, all the motivation thrown out the window. He was so close yet so far away, Joe was trying so hard to go further but, he couldn't. He was losing himself without even knowing. He even stated there was a song he could hear playing his head. Slowly his sanity started to slip out. He started to see things, which was no one was there for him. He kept telling himself that they'll come referring to Simon and Richard. He yelled with all his might, what could be his last few breaths for someone to save him. Character Profiles: Joe Simpson Simon Yates Siula Grande - Stubborn - Courageous - Brutal - Hopeful - Level-headed - Deadly - Motivated - Flexible - Unforgiving - Optimistic - Equivocal - Cruel - Determined - Quick-witted - Mysterious Out of three big decisions, I thought a big decision Simon made was when he told Richard the truth about Joe. After letting his partner go Simon knew he had to tell someone if they didn't go back together. Although on the walk back Simon held against telling Richard. With the guilt and trauma eating him out, he told the truth. I think if Simon never told Richard, he would've been less sympathetic and they could've left earlier. This definitely had an impact on the events that took place. Another decision that left an impression on me was when Joe went the further into the crevasse that was a decision that surprised me the most but it was a choice that had the most impact. If Joe didn't decide to go down and kept trying to climb up, I don't think he would've made it out. Lastly, I would pick the moment Simon chose to leave the tent the night they found Joe in the latrine. Simon could've chosen to ignore the shouts but he chose to bolt out of the tent and see who it was. These are the three big decisions that left me astonished at how much it changed the plot. The film pointed out several decisions that could've been either right or wrong. Morally a lot of people have different opinions. In reality, it is up to the person in the event to make the decision. ‘Touching the Void' really emphasized on decision-making and whether it was a right or wrong. In the film going up Siula Grande and everything they did after was either a bad decision or a good one. It matters to the person but, consequently, the odds could go against you. It definitely says you should choose carefully, clearly, and never doubt yourself. If it were the other way around and it was Simon who broke his leg, I think Joe would have that sense of panic the same way Simon felt when he broke his leg. In the film, Joe did say he would've done the same thing. I believe Joe would've helped Simon down the hill in the slowest yet fastest pace to make sure nothing bad happens. Joe had a lot of hope in him and so did Simon but trying to think what Simon would've done under that pressure n the crevasse thinking of ways to get out. I think at some point Simon would have gone down the crevasse also and made it out. The film showcased both Simon and Joe had strong survival instincts so, it wouldn't have surprised me if Joe did all the things Simon did in the film. What I wouldn't know is about Simon. Would he have gotten out of the darkness in his mind, and the hope-crushing weight of death at his door? Simon was indeed brave out there and very level-headed. In any situation that their places were switched, I do acknowledge that Simon might not have made it out. We don't know for sure if he had the same motivation as Joe. It would have been the same process but maybe a different attitude to the characters especially Richard. He said, he would rather it be Simon then Joe. The biggest major plot difference I think would happen is Joe and Richard would've left earlier. In my thoughts, Joe is considering how to tell anyone what had happened and I solely believe that Joe would keep the clothes rather than burn them like Simon had done. When thinking about how the story would turn out I believe it would be the same but with a few twists and turns because I do believe that Joe and Simon had a good partnership during their climb and that's why I think only a few minor events would change.
In society, there have always been different roles in defining the boundaries between right and wrong; Monsters take a big part of that role. In Jeffrey Cohen’s “Monster Culture,” Cohen explains seven theses which provide a clearer explanation of how monsters take a part in establishing these boundaries. The oldest Anglo-Saxon story written- “Beowulf”- provides three different monsters which all connect to Cohen’s seven theses. In the older version, however, the monsters do not relate to humans in any way, except that they are enemies. The modern version of Beowulf portrays Grendel’s mother to still be evil but also have relations with the humans in the story.
In Ted Genoways’ article “Here Be Monsters,” written in 2005, he elaborates that minds will envision the unfathomable visions regardless. He later supports it by saying that it will lead to creating the fear that monstrous events will happen. Genoways believes that we must grasp the realism of the problems that consume this world to overcome them. This short story comes from the “Virginia Quarterly Review,” which is a magazine created for discussions, reviews, poems, and more. This specific, analyzing article intends to inform and spur discussion. It focuses on improving the world rather than within the self. “Here Be Monsters” is an agreeable writing. The point made is that if there is no action taken, then we will unfailingly fear the threats and retract from those whom we distinguish as dangerous. This piece of writing is a valid impression with supporting philosophies that contains relevant explanations.
In most novel and movies monsters are known to be evil, committing numerous crimes against humanity and are normally the ones that we don’t sympathize with. However, this novel carefully shows the reader that monsters can be good creatures, with a decent heart and act based on the actions of others. The novel shows how the monster should be pitied, rather than criticised. Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” manages to create sympathy for the creature through speech, actions and mistreatment the creature suffers.
Asma, Stephen. On Monsters :An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Finally, the irony of Paul's name comes from his death scene, in which he says, "I raise my eyes, I let them move round, and turn myself with them, one circle, one circle and I stand in the midst.... ... middle of paper ... ..." With a crash something black bears down on us"(69) The coffin is protecting Paul, but at the same time, it is a symbol of Paul's death.
In "Monster Culture," Cohen widely talks about and investigates monsters regarding the way of life from which they climb. Keeping up the formal tone of a scholastic, he battles that monster climb at the intersection of a society, where contrasts develop and nervousness increases. The beast is an exemplification of distinction of any quality, whether it be ideological, social, sexual, or racial, that rouses trepidation and instability in its inventors. The creature or monster is habitually an irritating half breed that challenges categorization its hybridism defies nature. Yet despite the fact that there are unreliable monsters, real individuals can get to be monsters as well. Keeping in mind the end goal to bring oddity under control, the individuals who submit to the standard code of the day bestow huge personalities to the individuals who don't. Nervousness is the thing that breeds them and characterizes their presence. In this manner placing the beginning of creatures, Cohen strives to uncover our way of life's qualities and inclinations. For the larger part of the article, the monster is just the subject of our examination, an extraordinary animal under our investigation.
As Simon was trying to tell the boys that the beast did not exist, his death symbolises that mankind can’t face the truth about their inner desires.
Nevertheless in a glimpse, he seems to be utterly examining the existence of monsters; however he is urging his readers and others to completely question everyone and everything. Cultural anxiety signs that prevail society and its behavior are scrutinized for example when Cohen metaphorically compares the monster’s body with the cultural body. We find our true belief as we are invited by those monsters to explore their minds. We are invoked by monsters to have our own culture examined. Cohen’s argument is compelling as he convinces the reader to want to be on his side by using one’s emotion and anxiety to rule over their reason. He creates the reality that everyone is a monster, and coaxes the reader to accept that. As the New York novelist Colson Whitehead once said, “We never see other people anyways, only the monsters we make of them.”
... the creature after being born and rejected from his creator escapes to the woods were he is classified nothing more than a monster, an animal. He then embarks upon the Delacey family, he studies them for many months learning of love, passion and stability. After being discovered he is forced to flee, and again he comes across rejection, pain and suffering. Not only emotionally is the monster rejected but physically too, having been made from corpse’s body parts he is made out of the dead, the forgotten. The point of no given name to the creature adds to the denial of individuality a personality. So to every aspect to a being the monster is denied to almost all of them which led him to self destruction emotionally and physically.
One of the many staples of horror fiction is the employment of a monster to aide in the fear the reader experiences. A monster gives the protagonists a tangible object to fear. When the fear is tangible the protagonists are able to be drawn into the story in a more concrete manner. The reader is also able to be included in the fear because they can get a full picture of what is scaring the main characters. Unlike ghosts or spirits, monsters provide a visual representation of the fear to be experienced. One pair of monsters stand out from the others, this is the wolfman and the werewolf. On the surface, both are seemingly the same character with a different name, but this paper is going to explore the differences between the wolfman and the werewolf as they appear in fiction and how their different manifestations relates to the characters in the story and those behind the fur. This writer believes that although there are many similarities behind the werewolf and the wolfman, there are a few differences in how the characters are portrayed. This difference is shown primarily in The Wolfman by Jonathan Maberry and The Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen king.
Although the immediate rejection of the creature serves as the basis for his dehumanization process, the creature’s alienation from society is confirmed when it is constantly referred to by the pronoun “it”, and called “monster” and “wretch” by his creator. These words immediately marks the creature as inhuman. In truth, the creature is rejected by his creator for no other reason that his unnatural features, which causes the creature to become void of any real human emotions from another human being. Because of this, the creature begins to learn on his own, and like Victor finds solace in nature. For the monster, nature is his only place of acceptance. Because of his grotesque outward appearance, he is shunned by towns and villages and must escape to the mountains for protection. Nature serves to humanize him. While the cold temperatures of the Alps serve Victor as solace, the monster finds comfort in the forest during spring. The creature states: “Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them; and, forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy.” In nature, the creature begins to educate himself; one crucial turning point for the monster’s pursuit of new knowledge is when he finds the book “Paradise Lost” while in the forest. The monster compares himself to that of Adam and Eve and
The quote shows the creature’s feelings towards humanity. He believes that it is not his fault for acting like a monster but humans' fault for they refused to accept him. By isolating the creature they turned him into a monster who wanted revenge against the person who brought him into existence only to suffer. The creature only wanted to belong but when he was continuously treated terribly he saw that it would never happen and became the monster everyone expected him to be.
A common way to describe a modern day monster can be described within the soul and mind. Many people have a complex and confused mind. Stephen King states, “ I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside asylums only hide it a little better- and maybe not all that much better, after all.” Monsters can overpower the mind. Many people struggle to listen to themselves, and they let their monstrous conscience take over their actions which will cause harm to them or people around them. It is common for people to battle monsters within their souls. Many people feel too weak to stand up and be free from
Overall, the film The Elephant Man gives us a new aspect about “monster”, and how people think and react to this topic. Besides, Jeffery Cohen’s Monster Theory brings us a more scientific about monsters, and the effects of them in real life. In fact, thesis 1 – Monster’s body is the cultural body, thesis 6 – Fear of the monster is really a kind of desire, and the last one – Monster stands at the threshold of becoming have the significant relationships with the explanations of the life of John Merrick, and the society in which he lives. The argument about monsters will be continued all over again, but at least the film and the theory helps to introduce a much more different ways to look and recognize the real monsters in the real world.