Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein tormented like his ancient counterpart Prometheus“A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; it gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy daemon to whom I had given life.” (Shelley 48)

When Victor Frankenstein is heading back home, after his brother Williams death while in the midst of a lightning storm, he witness his creation climbing over the mountain's near his families estate. Guilt overcomes him that his creation is still alive, and he knows in this moment that his brother's death was caused by his irresponsibility and Godlike quest.He believes (later is proven) that his creation killed his brother William. Later, Victor comes to learn that Justine; his brother's nanny had been framed for the death of William. Victor knew in his heart that his Monster has committed these crimes but he would confess to any, not even to save Justine. As the story goes on, the reader learns from the Monster that he purposefully planted Victors' mother's necklace on Justine to throw suspicion on her.

I chose this passage because the inner struggle Victor has within himself, admitting to himself and to the world that he has been the catalyst of all his families woes, that Victor thought he could wash his hands of his creation. Years of working restlessly in creating, giving little if any thought to what would be the after effects or end product. Victor was driven by the need to defeat death. To play god. When life sprang to his creation he was instantly appalled and afraid of the reality of his creation. He shirks away his duty, like an unwilling father to a unwanted child. The Monster he has created has nothing but animosity to learn from because that is all he has known.

Victor later returns to his home with his friend to find his creation is gone; for awhile he treat the matter didn't existed. He tries to block the Monster out of his conscious, to go on with his own life but is constantly tormented by what he created and the endless thoughts of what could have happened to the byproduct of his malfeasance. Throughout the story even when faced with disaster after disaster Victor never fully accepts his responsibility or his duty to his creation until he has lost all others in his life. Then in the wake of his own failed life he see's it as his duty to chase down his reanimated life form and end it's life as quickly as he had given it. Victor's lack of responsibility would be his curse.

Work Cited

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. London: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1818. 48.

Lady Lazarus

While reading Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath, I found myself drawn to the sorrowful tone of the speaker. My initial reaction was that this speaker was a Holocaust survivor or remorseful perpetrator,  but as the poem went on I noticed the reference to Jewish skin on line "A paperweight, My featureless, fine Jew linen" (line 7-9, Plath). The speaker refers to herself as not only of Jewish decent but in a tone that is self-effacing. Later in the poem the speaker becomes almost frantically seeking absolution, taunting the audience with her continued efforts at death. Accidentally near death, an attempted suicide, but never does the speaker speak of her pain or cause for craving death. "So, so Herr Doktor. So, Herr enemy." (Plath) Again, the speaker taunts the audience and we learn that she is speaking to those who would try to deter her death, or stall it. The speaker again makes reference to the Holocaust when she alludes to gold babies, gold teeth being removed. The imagery of train stations at Auschwitz comes to mind and piles of Jewish possessions and valuables fill my subconcious. The helplessness of those at the mercy of Nazi Germany. This speaker must feel it impossible to live as herself but makes reference in the closing stanza of rebirth or rising again to defeat her foes. The tones of the poem change as the speaker changes from desperation of her current state to boasting about her final suppression of those who would keep her from  her goal. The deathly allusion to Nazi's and the Holocaust are a paradoxical theme towards overpowering those "doctors" who are keeping her alive and she wishes to control her own destiny. In all I felt chilled by the analogies made by the writer but see the need to make the poignant declaration of Suicide seem like a reprieve from a life not worth living.

Summary vs. Analysis

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