Category: Student posts

From our last reading, Bellocq’s Ophelia, we saw the importance in knowing someone’s background, ranging from the author to his or her characters. Once one acknowledged the characters backstory, new ideas arose from the characters interactions and the author’s intentions. Considering this fact, one must acknowledge Mary Shelly’s background, most importantly the mother that raised her. Mary Shelly’s mother was Mary Wollstonecraft, whom of which is one of the most important feminist philosophers in history. With this in mind, innocent remarks to the female gender are now weighed with more importance, since they are more than likely to have feministic intentions.

The most pivotal scene where this is seen is when Victor makes the triumphant remark that “no father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve their’s” (80-81 Shelly). This idea that the conception of this “child” is greater than that of a normal one reveals a very misogynistic undertone. Unlike a normal child, this being is a creation made by man and only man, untainted by the imperfections of a woman. Furthermore, Victor’s comment comes out as a condescending statement, since he feels that a man could not truly be proud of an offspring, because a female was required to make it. Not only that, but Victor’s act strips away a blessed trait of the female gender, the making of life. With all these notions brewed together, Victor “unintentionally” seems to be trying to do away with the female gender in general. Although the argument may seem too extreme, Victor still seems to see his creature with more respect than a regular infant, since “no other father could claim … his child so completely” (Shelly 80).

Retrospectively, had Shelly’s background gone untouched, Victor’s statement would be nothing more than a joyful remark. Still, there are other scenes of old sexist beliefs “I desired to discover… she sought to people with imaginations of her own” (Shelly 66) and “but she did not interest in the subjects [natural philosophies]” (Shelly 69), both of which show women’s apathy toward the complicated arts, but interest in simplistic duties. Though these are important, Victor’s joyous remark highlights, what I believe to be, Shelly’ feministic undertone.

Many blog posts seem to have explored the benefits and detriments of technology or science in our technologically advanced world. While most attention is immediately placed on science or technology, it is also important for us to look at human nature. This concept of human nature is expressed through the over-ambition of both Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein. The over-ambitious efforts of Robert and Victor help cause their predicaments.

Robert’s extravagant desire to venture towards the cold and bleak land of Archangel is not accepted by anyone who knows him, certainly not his sister. When he initially writes to Margaret Saville, his sister, he reminds her that she “regarded” this trip with such evil forebodings,” revealing that Margaret does not approve of this perilous voyage (Shelley 51). She believes that Robert’s voyage is too ambitious and can result in more despair than glory or success. In fact, Margaret is not the only one who feels this way. Robert still wishes that “some encouraging voice would answer in the affirmative,” concerning his excessive determination to sail to the poles of Archangel (Shelley 53). It confirms the truth that no one truly wants Robert to put himself in predicaments for his passionate ambition. Nevertheless, Robert chooses to continue on the dangerous voyage, due to his ambition and desire, knowing fully well that Margaret could “never hear from [him] again” (Shelley 56). Robert disregards the safety and importance of his life in order to fulfill his extravagant ambition. This desire causes him and his sailors to be surrounded by ice on Archangel.

Similarly, Victor becomes so enthused and filled with passion from the scientific knowledge he gains from his studies that he desires to create life. His over-ambition to create out of nothing becomes a detriment to him when his creation is finished. As he contemplates making life, he imagines that “a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source,” and that “happy and excellent natures would owe their being to him” (Shelley 80). Victor ponders on how gratifying this achievement would be for him, but neglects the despair and danger that comes from attempting to create life. He does not understand that this ambition to be father of a new species would cost him much more than he would ever gain. Thus, he becomes so engulfed in this task that he cannot stop working on it. As he narrates his past to Robert, Victor remembers “dabbl[ing] among the unhallowed damps of the grave and torturing the live animal to animate the lifeless clay,” which explains how this ambition has toiled with his sanity (Shelley 81). His mind only thinks solely on fulfilling this extravagant desire and he takes bizarre and over-ambitious efforts to achieve this desire. In addition, Victor feels the physically and mental strain of being overwhelmed by his ambition. He mentions that “[his] limbs now tremble, and [his] eyes swim with the remembrance; but then a resistless, and almost frantic impulse, urge[s] him forward” (Shelley 81). Victor seems to have lost his control over this ambition. His conscience is held captive by the passionate desire to pursue this one ambition, and this becomes highly detrimental to him.

The power of over-ambition in the text helps to explain these two characters vividly. Robert and Victor both seem to have their eyes fixed on things that are too costly to achieve in real life and this becomes a massive problem for both characters.

Close relationships can be formed between two people that find similarities in ideas or simply enjoy each other’s time regardless if they are in the same family. Our friends sometimes become an important part of our life because we spend so much time with them. When I was in high school, I spent so much time around the same people that I had friends whom I had known since the second grade. In Frankenstein, the speaker Victor expressed how he also had close relationships with his cousin Elizabeth and friend Henry Clerval.  He described his relationship with his adored cousin by saying “Elizabeth Lavenza became my playfellow, and as we grew older, my friend” (Shelley 66). Because Elizabeth came into Victor’s life when he did not have any other siblings, she was his first real friend. They played and laughed together every day. As he grew older, Henry also became Victor’s friend. With the words, “we were never completely happy when Clerval was absent” we know how important Henry was to Victor.  Their friendship brought much happiness to them both.

Despite the close relationships that Victor had with Elizabetha and Henry, he decided to attend a university in Ingolstadt. At the time of his departure, he felt lonely but his desire for knowledge was his motivation. When Victor made his major discovery, he became extremely busy that he began to isolate himself and not respond to his friend’s letters. At the beginning, his friends were one of the most important parts of his life. However, when he dedicated himself to his project, he put his friendships to the side.  When he stated “The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one spirit” we know Victor was fully engaged in his project (Shelley 81). When we find something we are really passionate about, like Victor, we can spend night and day working on it without stopping.  With a full agenda, it becomes more difficult for one to find time to spend with our friends. Many people may believe that Victor was inconsiderate by not finding time to communicate with his once beloved friends, but in my perspective, his reason for not doing so was valid. He found himself so intrigued and busy trying to complete his goals, that he was not left with any time for himself. Many college students can experience similar scenarios in which they do not communicate frequently with friends because they are extremely busy at their university. In my opinion they should not be judged because they are seeking knowledge.

While I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I noticed how horrified Dr. Victor Frankenstein acted toward the monster he created. He acts this way because of the monster’s appearance. Without knowing anything about the creature besides its looks, Frankenstein immediately fears the beast and flees. This response is common in literature and society.

Upon the creation of his monster, Dr. Frankenstein instantly fears the creature. Without giving it much time, Frankenstein’s mind begins to wander and form irrational thoughts about his creation. Before it takes life, the monster already appalls Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein, “unable to endure the aspect of the being, […] rushed out of the room” (Shelley 84). Before he was able to recognize the true value of his creation, Frankenstein already made up his mind by pure ignorance. He could not bear to look at the horrible face of the creature. He based his decision strictly off of looks. After his initial panic, Frankenstein runs to his bed and sleeps. He wakes up from a nightmare and finds the monster looking right at him with “his eyes, if eyes they may be called” (84). Frankenstein only sees the mutilated eyes of the monster he created. He does not even bother looking beyond the surface of his creation. Even when the creature speaks, Frankenstein does not listen: “[the monster] might have spoken, but I did not hear” (84). Blinded by the monster’s ghastly appearance, Dr. Frankenstein shows little interest in what the beast has to say and immediately flees. He does not even give the monster a chance to prove itself a nice, delicate being. The monster’s appearance alone is enough to drive Dr. Frankenstein away from his house in fear.

This ignorant and rash assumption can also be seen in Natasha Trethewey’s Bellocq’s Ophelia. Ophelia lives in a special brothel specifically designated for colored girls. The prostitution world is very superficial and the men regularly make decisions based off of looks. For this reason, Ophelia takes pills to change the color of her skin to appear more desirable to men. In reality, Ophelia is an educated young woman waiting to prove herself to the world. In the brothel, however, men and protocol constantly extinguish these feelings.

It is important to note, however, that I do not entirely blame Dr. Frankenstein’s decision on ignorance. A massive monster with foreign features is scary and I do not blame him for being freighted by his creation. I argue, however, that Frankenstein should not remain fearful. After all, it is his creation and he knows how the monster works. I believe Dr. Frankenstein’s fault lies in his continuation of fear, powered by a rash decision of pure judgment. This ignorance and superficial examination plagues Dr. Frankenstein, the brothels, and society in general.

Since his childhood, Frankenstein has had a fascination for science and once he attends the university he becomes fascinated specifically with the decay of the human body. However, he does not show very much emotion nor does he recognize the emotion that comes with decay and death. His lack of emotion is first evident when his mother dies and he states: “My mother was dead, but we had still duties which we ought to perform; we must continue our course with the rest, and learn to think ourselves fortunate, whilst one remains whom the spoiler has not seized.” (72) Surprisingly he has such a calm reaction and now Frankenstein obsesses over the idea of creating a human being and ultimately stopping human decay and death. Because of his lack of emotion and his inability to look at death from more than jsut a scientific point of view, he does not recognize the dangerous implications of his experiment. As he states: “I was engrossed in my occupation” (82) In which Frankenstein was so focused on his work that he was unaware of the outside world, including his family. Even once the monster was created he was not satisfied: “…the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust felled my heart.” (84)

There are several ironies in the fact that Frankenstein created one single life that resulted in the death of several people and almost his own. Frankenstein lived in fear when the monster was first created and he recognizes this when saying, “I was lifeless” as he suffered from an illness that almost took his life.  Also he realized that his longing for knowledge and discovery led to the death of his brothers and now Justine. As they awaited Justine’s trial, Frankenstein states, “It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death” of several people. (103)

It’s ironic that when life was given, life was also taken away. The author purposely created such irony to illustrate several things. One that we must not try to force what is not natural because it can cause disaster. Frankenstein tried to defy nature and create his own human being give life to an inanimate object, which instead resulted in a destructive monster. He created life in a very unconventional and unnatural way. The author is also illustrating the power and danger of science. That yes, with science we have the ability to do powerful things such as create life, make chemicals and a host of several other amazing things, yet there are negatives. Science can be used for the greater good, but when people like Frankenstein become greedy in their need for prestige and knowledge, the use of science may ultimately harm society.

A prominent theme in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is science vs. nature. It is similar to Neuromancer in that the narrator defies nature through science, just as the characters in Neuromancer reject their natural selves in favor of technology. The narrator, Victor Frankenstein, is a natural philosopher who is so fixated on the creation and destruction of life that he devotes years to discovering a way to create life in inanimate objects. Once Frankenstein accomplishes this feat, he has, in a sense, upset the balance of nature. In creating this one unnatural life, Frankenstein also destroys the lives of others.

It is no coincidence that Frankenstein becomes ill as he works on creating this unnatural life. He explains that the fever and nervousness that plagued him every night was “a disease that I regretted the more because I had hitherto enjoyed most excellent health..” (Shelley 83). Although he normally does not get sick often, Frankenstein repeatedly falls ill while working on this project. I think this frequent illness is nature’s way of urging Frankenstein to stop this pursuit. Creating life in this manner is unnatural and will undoubtedly have consequences. As Frankenstein grows closer to reaching his goal, he destroys his own life in the process.

After creating the monster, Frankenstein realizes that he is deprived of life. He has no contact with family or friends and has no regard for the environment around him. When he is reunited with Henry Clerval, Frankenstein admits “I was lifeless, and did not recover my senses for a long, long time” (86). Although in the presence of his dear childhood friend, Frankenstein’s fear of the monster he created drives him insane and he becomes extremely ill. His devotion to giving life to an inanimate object actually drains the life out of Frankenstein himself.

In addition to destroying his own life, Frankenstein destroys the lives of both his brother and Justine. The monster murders Frankenstein’s brother William, and Justine is wrongfully convicted as his murderer. While awaiting the result of Justine’s trial, Frankenstein wonders “whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow-beings” (103). He realizes that if Justine is convicted of murder, he must take responsibility for destroying her life, in addition to his brother’s life. Frankenstein is to blame for these deaths because he created the monster that caused them.

Frankenstein destroys his own life, as well as the lives of those close to him as a consequence of creating the monster. When life is created unnaturally, nature destroys lives to restore balance.

The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley tells the typical story of the dangers of technology. In a world of rapid scientific advancement, it is hard not to get caught up in the whirlwind of new and interesting discoveries. However, sometimes technological advancements are taken too far and become a detriment to society.

Although Frankenstein is a fictional story, its moral structure greatly mirrors that of many real life struggles. The protagonist Frankenstein is fascinated by science and dedicates his entire livelihood to “infusing life into an inanimate body” (Shelley 83). This is a novel technology that brings great excitement and purpose to Frankenstein’s life. However, it isn’t until after the creation of this “monster” that Frankenstein realizes the moral repercussions of his invention. Frankenstein shared, “now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 84). Along the same lines, he exclaims that this invention “became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived” (Shelley 84). He had created a demon, and there was no turning back. Frankenstein’s zest for innovation and evolution backfired, and his cutting-edge invention came back to bite him in the butt. Frankenstein’s terrible sickness and the murder of his brother both provide evidence of the fact that Frankenstein’s invention of this creature was morally wrong.

Even in 1818, Shelley was able to foresee the dangers of scientific technology. Today, advancements such as cloning and designer babies bring up identical struggles. Although these inventions are captivating and potentially beneficial, they have many moral detriments as well. The story of Frankenstein is symbolic of the universal moral struggle that scientists face when approaching a technological advancement.

The acquisition of knowledge is hazardous. Victor Frankenstein spent years focused on giving life to lifeless matter, such as a dead body, only to regret his discovery in the end.

When in the process of this discovery, Victor worked so hard that his health and his communication with his family suffered. He spent so much time “engaged in [his laboratory]” (77) that “the stars often disappeared in the light of morning” (77). Years went by and Victor “paid no visit to Geneva” (77).  Every night, Victor “was oppressed by a slow fever. And [he] became nervous to a most painful degree” (83).   Victor’s studies were taking over his life. They were destroying his health, and distancing himself from his family.

Once Victor finally accomplished his goal, and created life, he regretted it. Once Victor had finished, “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart”(84). His creation was hideous. He describes his creation as a “catastrophe” (83). Victor wanted nothing to do with the revolting creature. He fled his apartment and hoped the creature would be gone when he returned.

Furthering Victor’s remorse of his discovery, he believes his creation killed his brother, William. After realizing his creation could be the murderer, Victor “became convinced of its truth” (99). When Justine, a benevolent girl taken in by the Frankenstein family, is accused of the murder this furthers Victor’s guilt. William and Justine are casualties of Victor’s discovery. Victor can only blame himself for creating the vicious monster that killed his brother.

Victor’s discovery led to many innocent victims. He wishes he could turn back time and take back everything he has done to further science. Instead of feeling pride, “M. Waldman inflicted torture when he praised, with kindness and warmth, the astonishing progress [victor] had made in the sciences” (92). Victor’s years of discovery resulted in nothing but pain.

This bring us to the question, is furthering our knowledge worth it if it can lead to such agony? My answer is yes. While in some cases, science results in disaster, it also, in many situations, benefits us. Doctors save lives, People can communicate with family members across the country, etc. Ultimately, science is advantageous to the human kind.

Albert Einstein once said, “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”  In other words, one needs to step outside knowledge in order to explore and encompass the world beyond its boundaries.  In Mark Shelley’s Frankenstein, Robert Walton steps outside his comfort of knowledge to explore “a part of the world never before visited…a land never before imprinted by the foot of man” (Shelley 6).  When one embarks on a journey to an unknown place, the mind no longer dwells inside the boundaries of one’s knowledge, but rather, one reaches into their imagination.  This idea is evident in Frankenstein as Walton’s desire to surpass previous human explorations and discover the unknown opens his mind to his imagination.

Frankenstein opens with four letters, each written by an Englishman Robert Walton to his beloved sister Margaret describing his journey as he departs from Russia to the North Pole.  Before Walton even begins his journey, he lets his mind wonder past the limits of his knowledge, imagining the pole to be “the seat of frost and desolation…the region of beauty and delight… [where] the sun is visible” (Shelley 5).  Even before Walton enters this unknown world, he opens his mind to imagination, describing the scenery of what he envisions the North Pole to appear like.   Furthermore, “this expedition has been the favorite dream of [his] early years” (Shelley 7).  Shelley gives the readers insight that Walton has been imagining this voyage to the North Pole since he was a little boy. Despite his excitement to “fix his intellectual eye” (Shelley 7), Robert feels this “trembling sensation, half pleasurable and half fearful” (Shelley 15) of what he might encounter in these unexplored regions.  This is the result of Robert’s imagination picturing different scenarios of what might occur on his expedition.

In the fourth letter, the stranger tells Walton, “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been” (Shelley 28).   This quote leads me to ask, is it our imagination that gives us this desire to seek for knowledge?  At what point does our imagination hurt us, or better yet, disappoint us?

“Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind,” – Lilo, from the movie Lilo and Stitch. (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBois) I’m sure most of you have heard this quote, or at least heard of the Disney movie in question. For the most part, this quote rings true. Family is a very important thing in one’s life, and the same is true for Robert Walton in Frankenstein.

Robert cares a great deal for his sister, Margaret. This is immediately apparent when you realize she’s the one he’s writing letters to. And if the fact that he is writing his sister letters about his travels and his safety isn’t enough to make you think he cares for her, the way he speaks to her should be. At the very end of his first letter, he writes “farewell, my dear, excellent, Margaret. Heaven shower down blessings on you, and save me, that I may again and again testify my gratitude for all your love and kindness. Your affectionate brother.” (Shelley 54) The way he says goodbye to her is filled with affectionate words and kindness that you don’t always see amongst siblings. He thanks her repeatedly for her love and that’s not something he would do if he didn’t feel the same way about her in return. Additionally, the way he addresses her speaks volumes. He doesn’t just put one kind adjective before her name, but two. If that doesn’t say “I love you,” I don’t know what does. And once again, if this isn’t enough to convince you, his farewell in the second letter quite literally spells it out. He says “I may receive your letters […] on some occasions when I need them most to support my spirits. I love you very tenderly.” (Shelley 56) Not only does he literally tell her that he loves her, but he also tells her that her letters make him happy and lift him up when he’s feeling down, should he need them to.

All of this being said, no matter how much he loves and cherishes his sister, he still feels something is missing in his life; a friend. He tells Margaret “when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavor to sustain me in dejection,” (Shelley 54) when referring to the absence of a friend. Now, the fact that he needs a friend so desperately when he has Margaret, whom he loves so much, might seem questionable to some, but let’s be fair. No one really wants to just have their siblings as their friends. Believe me, I love my sisters to death, and I love sharing my feelings with them, but when I’m really in a pickle, the first person I go to is my best friend, so I can imagine Robert’s sadness.

When Robert pulls the stranger aboard his ship, he immediately sees him as a possible friend. The prospect excites him so much, that he writes to Margaret about it as well. However, the stranger doesn’t quite reciprocate these feelings. He has lost his friend and life, and “cannot begin life anew,” (Shelley 61) crushing Robert’s hopes of him becoming his friend.

Now, I might be jumping the gun a little bit (because honestly, I’ve never read or seen Frankenstein, and all I know about it are the stories I’ve heard of a man building another one) but could this severe desperation for friendship drive poor Robert Walton to the very last option? Is he going to have to build a friend?

I think so, folks.

P.S. How adorable is Stitch? http://www.pudgybunny.com/images/stitchbig.gif