The Uncanny

According to Merriam Webster, Uncanny is defined as “seeming to have a supernatural character or origin. Another definition is “being beyond what is normal or expected”. The word uncanny relates to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This is mainly because of Frankenstein’s creation, at the hands of Victor. From the beginning of the novel, we can consider Frankenstein’s creation to be uncanny. This is because he is made from an assortment of deceased human body parts, giving a supernatural aspect to his existence.

Aside from the fact that Frankenstein is made from the limbs of deceased humans, his disturbing appearance lends to him being considered uncanny. Generally, we can look at something as uncanny when it is beyond the scope of our wildest imagination. I am huge comic fan, and one of my favorite teams of super heroes are considered uncanny by the “normal” human population in their comic universe. This team is the “X-Men”, often being called “The Uncanny X-Men” The X-Men are referred to in this way because they possess the appearance of a human, however they possess abilities that a “normal” person in their comic cannot begin to comprehend. Each member of the X-men has a specific ability that allows them to be distinguished from the other members. The members who possess a human appearance include but are not limited to: Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X, Storm, and Jean Grey. These characters relate to Frankenstein because they bear a strong sense of familiarity, yet surpass the scope of human compression. These characters are all uncanny.

Uncanny.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncanny.

“Uncanny.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/uncanny.