An illness has the ability to take over the life of human beings, in severe cases it can also destroy the life of an individual physically, mentally and emotionally. People tend to deal with illnesses in various ways, depending on how bad their situation is and how strong they are as an individual. An illness can take away the idea of normality because it can make an individual seem or act senseless. An illness can also be seen as nothing but a disease because of how it affects individuals. The idea of this can be seen in the film, Nosferatu by F. W. Murnau. The film is a silent horror film in which one of the characters, Nosferatu, has the nature of a vampire and he is at harm to the main actress, Ellen. .
In the film, Nosferatu, Nosferatu shows a relationship of normality with the character Ellen. He is a stranger, an incarnation of the great death and he is also a part of civilization. The character Ellen is drawn to him and sacrifices herself to the community. This means that she shows a sense of desire as well as showing that she has no control of what she does when she interacts with him. Nosferatu is seen as a "dark mirror" which makes him an interesting monster. The film represents illness and it illustrates that the night sole of life is more of an honour ship. In Susan Sontag's work she speaks about illnesses such has cancer and tuberculosis. In her work, Sontag wants to prove that these illnesses are not in individuals because they deserve it or because they are being punished for something. She believes that it is simply in these individuals because it is a disease that is inside of them. People are dealing with illnesses because of effects and problems that are happening inside of their body. She wants to destroy the ideas behind all these myths and metaphors because she wants individuals that are suffering from whatever illness they have, to not be fearful of what they are suffering from and to be accepting to what they have.
