Mystical worlds in literature and movies have always attracted readers and viewers. For this reason, multiple new stories are rewritten or based on older ones. The same story is connected with Golem and Frankenstein, where two different characters carry the same ideas.
A Golem is a creature created by Jewish medieval mystics to approach God and combine power and control. When it comes to X-Files, the fifteenth episode, called “Kaddish,” was inspired by the story of Golem, where racists killed a Jewish man, who was later darkly killed by this man (Kaddish (The X-Files), 2023). Here, the points of mysticism and Jewish discrimination are combined to show revenge through a specific kind of power, similar to Golem and Frankenstein’s ideas.
Another outspoken character in this topic is Frankenstein, an “individual” created through the technologies of that time. Here, one of the main distinguishing features appears – the way of creation. Golem was made by magic, whereas Frankenstein is a creature of science. However, both beings’ existence emphasizes imagination and the meaning of technology. They can be helpful, but their control is significant. The same story is in The X-Files, where the mystery and imagination go beyond the borders and commit dreadful murder, leading one of the investigating agents to believe that Golem is a true killer (Kaddish (The X-Files), 2023). Here, the idea of power control is represented and shows the negative consequences; however, it aims to battle evil deeds.
Conclusively, the character of Golem was created to protect and save Jewish people from the evil of racists. At the same time, Frankenstein was meant to prove the power of a single scientist who brought an artificial monster to life. Consequently, Jewish protection and psychological issues played a role in creating these two characters. Both old stories, with standard features, inspired the director of The X-Files, who highlighted the power of psychology and mysticism in one episode. Such a plot of the mentioned pieces proves that human morality and power can cross the borders of normality, which should be controlled.
Reference
Kaddish (The X-Files). (2023). Wikipedia.