6 Storytelling meets rationality

The transition into the Age of Reason fundamentally reshaped human existence, replacing religious reliance with calculated, scientific, and rational decision-making. This shift, while empowering humanity to tame nature and foster individual autonomy, introduced a double-edged sword of anxiety and dehumanization. Early literary works like *Hamlet* and *Robinson Crusoe* celebrate the rise of the strategic, self-reliant individual, yet later narratives such as *Frankenstein* and *The Metamorphosis* expose the dark consequences of this obsession with control and productivity. Modernity’s drive for efficiency often reduces human value to one’s utility as a provider, creating a paradox where the tools meant to liberate humanity instead trap individuals within rigid, cold systems. Ultimately, the evolution of literature reflects a persistent tension between the benefits of rational progress and the fundamental human need for meaning beyond mere survival and economic output.