I found it interesting that in section, when asked who we most identified with in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, almost everyone in the class said the monster. Don't get me wrong, I am one of those people, but I was surprised to see that I was not the only person who felt this way.
We were then given a quote saying, "The poor monster always, for these reasons, touched me to the heart. Frankenstein ought to reflected on the means of giving happiness to the being of his creation, before he did create him. Instead of that he heaps on him all sorts of abuse and contumely for his ugliness, which was directly his work, and for his crimes to which his neglect gave rise." Anonymous from the Knights Quarterly (Aug-Nov 1824)
The quote made me laugh out loud, because it is almost as though the opinion reflects anger towards Frankenstein, as though he is a real person who actually did create a monster. Nevertheless I was lead to explore my own feelings about the monster. There were plenty moments during my reading of this work that I felt a similar anger towards the man. Why did he bother to make the creation if he was not going to attempt to connect with it? And for that matter, how did he not see that the creature was going to be ugly once it was given life? I mean I am certain that he saw every part of it while he was doing this project.
Then there was the lack of compassion that Frankenstein's Monster constantly had to face. People were incredibly unkind to him, even when he saves a little girl from drowning. Any other man would be treated as a hero upon such an occasion, but the vanity of human nature persists. He is left feeling inadequate and alone, every time he interacts with people. I think that if I were ridiculed to such a degree, I would feel equally detached and angry towards the human race.
Of course, if I am going to look at the situation through the eyes of the monster, it is only fair to take on the perspective of the assholes that are so cruel to him. It is hard to say that if there was a disgusting eight-foot-tall man trying to interact with me, I wouldn't be repulsed. That being said, Shelley really does make it easy to sympathize with the monster over the other characters in the book. He is, ironically, the only one she gives a shred of humanity to.
Showing posts with label Frankenstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frankenstein. Show all posts
Can't Find an Other? Make Your Own!
It worked for Frankenstein didn't it? Well...worked is relative here, but he certainly did it!
We are introduced to Victor through his letters at the beginning of the novel, in which he tells the reader of his childhood and his family life. It is clear that he has love for his mother, who dies just as he is going away to school, however he does not entirely connect with her on any intellectual level.
He then goes on to talk about his introduction to science and his growing infatuation for the subject. This is where we first see the emergence of M. Waldman as "a true friend." Seeing as how Victor quickly surpasses the masters, it can be said that he is not looking for an equal, but someone who will "express the most heartfelt exultation in [his] progress" (Ch.4) He does not necessarily need him to understand the work that he is actually doing so much as how excellent and important his findings are.
Frankenstein's description of, "one of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted [his] attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life," is particularly foreshadowing of the events to come. In the same passage he talks about how the "fine form of man was degraded and wasted," which is another moment that implies how he might feel about the monster he has yet to create (Ch.4).
Frankenstein's reaction to he man he makes later on in the book shows how he is very much Waldman's opposite. He takes no pleasure in the development of the creature, nor does he make any attempt to understand it. He simply flees at the sight of "the wretch -- the miserable monster whom [he] had created.". This is an interesting outcome considering the project was aimed at manipulating the human body, which he found so fascinating and beautiful.
He looks into, "his eyes, if eyes they may be called," and this moment he faces his other, which he never intended, or wants, to see (Ch. 5). This is a pseudo Mirror Stage moment in Shelley's novel that gives the reader their first glimpse into Frankenstein's true nature. Here we have an unreliable account of our protagonist, because he has been the one telling his own story. The ugliness that is seen in the monster acts as a physical manifestation of what he has been holding within himself.
The action of running away from the monster serves as a representation of Frankenstein's repression of his own id. The monster within him has now been unleashed into the world and even after being forced to face the creature, Frankenstein still wishes to pretend as though it does not exist. As Professor Moglen likes to remind us: the greater the repression, the greater the eventual explosion is bound to be. Thus is the case as the monster continues to roam about the world, and eventually seeks its revenge on Frankenstein.
In his vengeance, the monster kills several of Victor's loved ones, but what serves as a concrete action of "otherness" is the murder of his father. Victor, who for all intents and purposes is the monster's father, was never active or present after it was "born." The monster takes from Frankenstein exactly what was deprived of him. Now, they are both orphaned.
Frankenstein continues to repress the monster that he has let out into the world and the matching id still within him rages on as he keeps the secret of his science project to himself. In the end, he reveals this secret and it is not he who works out his own unconscious, but rather it is left to Walton to unravel the story of Frankenstein's id: his monster.
We are introduced to Victor through his letters at the beginning of the novel, in which he tells the reader of his childhood and his family life. It is clear that he has love for his mother, who dies just as he is going away to school, however he does not entirely connect with her on any intellectual level.
He then goes on to talk about his introduction to science and his growing infatuation for the subject. This is where we first see the emergence of M. Waldman as "a true friend." Seeing as how Victor quickly surpasses the masters, it can be said that he is not looking for an equal, but someone who will "express the most heartfelt exultation in [his] progress" (Ch.4) He does not necessarily need him to understand the work that he is actually doing so much as how excellent and important his findings are.
Frankenstein's description of, "one of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted [his] attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life," is particularly foreshadowing of the events to come. In the same passage he talks about how the "fine form of man was degraded and wasted," which is another moment that implies how he might feel about the monster he has yet to create (Ch.4).
Frankenstein's reaction to he man he makes later on in the book shows how he is very much Waldman's opposite. He takes no pleasure in the development of the creature, nor does he make any attempt to understand it. He simply flees at the sight of "the wretch -- the miserable monster whom [he] had created.". This is an interesting outcome considering the project was aimed at manipulating the human body, which he found so fascinating and beautiful.
He looks into, "his eyes, if eyes they may be called," and this moment he faces his other, which he never intended, or wants, to see (Ch. 5). This is a pseudo Mirror Stage moment in Shelley's novel that gives the reader their first glimpse into Frankenstein's true nature. Here we have an unreliable account of our protagonist, because he has been the one telling his own story. The ugliness that is seen in the monster acts as a physical manifestation of what he has been holding within himself.
The action of running away from the monster serves as a representation of Frankenstein's repression of his own id. The monster within him has now been unleashed into the world and even after being forced to face the creature, Frankenstein still wishes to pretend as though it does not exist. As Professor Moglen likes to remind us: the greater the repression, the greater the eventual explosion is bound to be. Thus is the case as the monster continues to roam about the world, and eventually seeks its revenge on Frankenstein.
In his vengeance, the monster kills several of Victor's loved ones, but what serves as a concrete action of "otherness" is the murder of his father. Victor, who for all intents and purposes is the monster's father, was never active or present after it was "born." The monster takes from Frankenstein exactly what was deprived of him. Now, they are both orphaned.
Frankenstein continues to repress the monster that he has let out into the world and the matching id still within him rages on as he keeps the secret of his science project to himself. In the end, he reveals this secret and it is not he who works out his own unconscious, but rather it is left to Walton to unravel the story of Frankenstein's id: his monster.
The Moral of the Story
Taking AP Lang in high school, I found myself laughing at the teacher's analysis more often than not. "By describing the sky as misty, the author was clearly trying to convey the ambiguity of the protagonist's feeling toward mornings." Give me a break.
Since beginning my college studies in literature however; I have come to look at this type of interpretation in a new light. It does not necessarily always have to be about what the author absolutely meant to show, but rather what we, as readers, can obtain from studying a piece of writing. So when we are asked in section: "Does Frankenstein have a moral?" I am compelled to say yes. Now, I cannot pretend to know exactly what lesson, if any, Mary Shelley was intending to teach in her story. I can however; say that there are several to be discovered by its readers.
We are presented with the ramifications of "playing God"- a phrase that today's right-winged loonies are fond of using in an attempt to scare us away from stem-cell research. Although I think these people are crazy, there is no denying that this is a theme shown through Frankenstein's messy attempt at playing creator. He makes a man that not even a mother (or in this case a "father") could love. Shelley implements moments of the sublimity and beauty in the novel when Frankenstein visits the mountains to try and relieve his stress. There is also the monster's peaceful reaction to the arrival of Spring. These things, unlike the science that caused the whole mess in the first place, are natural and pure. Frankenstein tried to take on this role of nature by making a man, and thus inadvertently and indirectly causes the deaths of five "innocent" people.
Which brings me to the next lesson that is touched on in this narrative. There is the perceived innocence of people in general. It is fair to say that almost every human in this novel can be construed, to some degree, as a monster him/herself. Victor, of course, has his vanity, which is the catalyst for the disasters that take place. Then there are the people that Frankenstien's monster interacts with, who are certainly no gems. They are incredibly uncivil to him based solely on his outer appearance, despite his efforts to be a helpful and kind creature. He is never received with kindness by anyone, so why should he act as such. They strip him of any humanity that he had within him. Murder is a pretty extreme turn to take; however it makes for a powerful argument. After all, it was teasing and cruelty in school that incited the tragedy that was Columbine.
Then there is always the concept of human connection. Victor continuously isolates himself throughout his life. He does have relationships with a friend, his family, and his future wife, but he thinks so highly of himself that he cannot truly connect with anyone on a real and intellectual level. This is his own fault as well, seeing as how he refuses to interact with his fellow scientists. His lonely lifestyle continues to grow, particularly at the loss of his family and friends at the hands of his own failed creation. He allows his life to be taken over by vengeance and exists in solitude. The secret of the monster that eventually drives him to madness. He only reveals this to Walton directly before his death. Shelley may have been hinting at the basic need for human connection. Because he has no one to talk to about his mistakes, Victor is left to deal with his guilt on his own, which essentially is his own ruin.
There is plenty more to gain from this novel and I like to think I only reached a portion of it in my reading. That being said, these are a few clear-cut and important morals that can be obtained from this story. I think that it is one of those novels that does not lose meaning with time, but perhaps takes on more. As the world changes, the story takes on new relevance that Shelley did not even have a chance to intend. Not to mention the several different publications and changes made.
So I guess the moral of my own entry is that the moral of the story is whatever the hell you take away from what you've read.
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