Assignment 5 - Frankenstein: Test of Human Abilities

Hello Readers!

This assignment is a part of internal evaluation of student's academic activity in the Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. Here is my assignment.

Name: Rohit Vyas

Class: Semester 2

Roll No: 21

PG Enrolment Number: 2069108420200041

E-mail: rohitvyas277@gmail.com

Course: M.A. English, at Department of English, M.K. Bhavnagar University

Paper 5 – Romantic Literature, Unit 2

Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad

Frankenstein – Test of Human Abilities

Introduction

Human evolution and the continuous development in every coming generation can be taken as firm proof that humans have endless capacity to think, to grow and to expand the horizons. Time and again it is witnessed that the extraordinariness of variety of people who have set the milestones in their respective fields. Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawkins, Nicola Tesla and several other scientists came up with many revolutionary theories and inventions that could change the whole way of human life. It wouldn’t be the exaggerating to state that literature is considered as mirror of society. Indeed it seems to be true in the case of the preset novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. Mary Shelly had written this novel in 1818 which was anonymous edition.

19^th century inventions (Barna, Tarlach and Scharping)

The 19^th century was full of thinkers, critics, theorists, scientists, biologists, mathematicians who were thinking something very different and ahead of their time. Many inventions came into being that amazed people with awe and set the people think that to what extent human brain can go? Charles Darwin, who was a biologist, wrote ‘The Origin of Species’ in 1859.

There were many important discoveries in 1800s which make us believe that human thinking capacity and tendency to excel in many fields is unbounded and limitless.

According to a website, in 1818, British obstetrician James Blundell performed the first successful human blood transfusion. This is only one medical discovery, but the list is very long. In a nut shell, Frankenstein is the novel written after Mary Shelley’s dream about a monster.

Artificial Intelligence and Human beings

Frankenstein keeps on experimenting with dead bodies of humans and used to join various parts with each other to make one full body. Several attempts are made for making the AI bots. The monster learns reading from the books. This can be seen as feeding of the information into a program which helps an AI to speak, to understand and to respond at sudden movement. Frankenstein understands the language and tries to speak something.

Victor Frankenstein’s caliber and his eagerness, ambitiousness to create something new, set him on a quest to the creation of the monster. He was versed with medical examinations and experiments.

To quote the extract,

Today we are constantly confronted with new developments in fertility science and new philosophical conundrums that result from genetic engineering, in vitro fertilization, cloning, and the prolongation of life by artificial means. Couples taking fertility treatments sometimes have to face the difficult choice of "selective reduction" or the possible adverse results of multiple, premature births. People wonder, has science gone too far? According to cultural critic Laura Kranzler Victor's creation of life and modem sperm banks and artificial wombs show a "masculine desire to claim female (re)productivity" (Kranzler 45). Frankenstein and its warnings about the hubris of science will be with us in the future as science continues to question the borders between life and death, between "viability" and "selective reduction," between living and life support. (Guerin, Labor and Morgan 317)

Organ Transplantation

In the novel Frankenstein, one finds that Victor’s experiments lead the readers to think of transplanting various body parts. In today’s medical science, it is possible to transplant the organs such as kidney, liver and in some cases heart also. But the case in the novel is a bit different than the real incidents. Victor tries to make a new body by joining limbs of other dead bodies and brain. Here a quote is mentioned in which Victor describes his creed to create the creature.

“I collected the instruments of life

around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the

lifeless thing that lay at my feet.” (Shelley)

This quote from the original text confirms that Victor was creating the whole new creature by joining the body parts. In the same manner it can be directly connected with today’s organ transplant. It can be stated that such surgeries were considered as major achievement for doctors when it was first introduced. There is one more reference of one journal’s article which says about Indian surgeon and medical scholar, Sushrut. He is known as father of Indian surgery. (Singh) It is believed that ‘Shalyachikitsa’ means surgery was initially laid by him. One can see the connection between Victor Frankenstein and Sushrut in terms of surgery and cutting body parts of dead bodies.

Creed for Knowledge

Humans have always a habit to know more about various things. Right from the time of evolution, Homo sapiens used to roam and travel a lot for survival and this travelling got them to come across fire, covering their bodies and crafting weapons like bows and arrows, and importantly invention of wheel. In terms of self defense, humans found themselves more powerful because of weapons and residing tools like roof, huts, and other protection elements. This laid superiority into their temperaments and thus humans started fighting with another tribes and groups, thus they became monarchs and rulers of colonies. Ego became heavier than humanity and human didn’t even look back in destroying even nature and disturbing ecology. This novel can be located with the reference of clear indication of Victor’s creed for knowledge and finding the secret of life.

One may say that Victor’s creed for knowledge leads him to destruction and ruins of his life. Although, it is also true that finding the way out for the ultimate knowledge is like walking on the double edged sward. It requires lot of sacrifices to gain knowledge and apply it in various arenas. Victor goes to Ingolstadt and joins university. He seeks for studying natural philosophy and chemistry. Thorough this one can find that how he is curious to know more about medicines and chemistry.

Fear of One’s Own

          When human goes beyond its limits, it suffers. It’s creed for gaining knowledge and power makes it unstoppable in the race of superiority and nothing left at the end. Victor also gains nothing in this lengthy and tiresome journey. After gaining such power and knowledge, it becomes difficult to handle it because power and knowledge gives us fear along with the enlightenment. Thus, through this novel, Mary Shelley gives us strict warning not to go beyond specific limits. As this novel was written in the age of Romanticism, it can be said that the novelist’s love for nature is responsible for generating this kind of literature. The novel gives the readers horrific feelings and cautionary signs for the upcoming dangers in life. The novel is still widely popular and considered as timeless because it best fits in the contemporary readings of human behavior and its creed for knowledge.

          Weapon of mass destruction and atomic science is the cautionary sign for the future of human beings, because it generates fear just the same as Victor was afraid of monster after creating it. Nowadays, all first world countries are focusing upon saving the ecology from the environmental disturbance such as pollution and wood cutting. Humans have made their houses and cars air conditioned and forgot to breath the clear air. The excessive execution of carbon dioxide made the environment polluted and the layer of Ozone around the Earth started reducing. Humans have acquired power, authority and knowledge but forgot to take care of nature. Countries are afraid of their own actions and on first place it seems that governments are taking decisions for people’s welfare. The inclusion of AI and Unmanned Armed Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in defense can be seen as the frightful invention yet meant to protect the humankind from war.

          Mary Shelley might be thinking ahead of its time because it seems to be true that the novel Frankenstein marks its impact even today’s time. The way character of monster emerges shows the other side of the coins which is harms and hazards of human abilities.

In a nutshell

“Necessity is mother of invention”

With the general overview of human behavior, right from the period of evolution till today, it can be fearlessly stated that human is having enough potential to create milestones in terms of development. It can create beautiful skyscrapers and make the best out of technology. Ranging from lifestyle to education and health sector, humans have always been in the doubt of their abilities to make and create something. This self-doubt and questioning attitude expanded human possibilities to seek beyond what is visible. In this assignment an honest attempt has been made to locate the novel in contemporary situations and discourses, where the gothic and supernatural elements reveal the reality of today’s life.

* Works Cited

Barna, Mark, Gemma Tarlach and Nathaniel Scharping. The 10 Greatest Scientists of All Time. 11 April 2017. www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-10-greatest-scientists-of-all-time.

Guerin, Wilfred L., et al. A Handboook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 5th. New York: OUP, 2005.

McFadden, Christopher. 15 Medical Inventions And Discoveries of the 1800's That Have Come to Define Modern Medicine. 22 Oct 2019.  www.interestingengineering.com/15-medical-inventions-and-discoveries-of-the-1800s-that-have-come-to-define-modern-medicine.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. 1818. PDF.

Singh, Vibha. "Sushruta: The father of surgery." National journal of maxillofacial surgery 8.1 (2017): 1-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5512402. 

Cultural Studies in Practice - Frankenstein and Writer's Market

Hello Readers!

In the previous blogs of cultural studies we have touched upon the basics of the four goals of cultural studies, five types of cultural studies and cultural studies in practice with the example of Hamlet a tragedy by William Shakespeare and To His Coy Mistress a poem by Andrew Marvel. We shall try to see the term Farnkenpheme and also see that how cultural studies works in the market of literature. When one writer publishes a work of literature s/he can't imagine how the market would respond to the literature. In order to gain eyeballs or to draw people's attention one has to work hard for marketing. One may wonder that what is marketing and management doing in cultural studies? But it is vital cultural artefact for studying culture. 

* What is Frankenpheme ?

It is the term which comprises two words, Frankenstein and phonemes. There are two terms in grammar, phonemes (sonic elements of language as used in structural linguistics) and graphemes (visual signs and elements). Timothy Morton in the Routledge Literary Sourcebook on Frankenstein has given this term Frankenpheme to highlight the elements of culture that are derived from Frankenstein. This term specifically indicates the literary and cinematic works which are produced by taking an inspiration from the novel. Generally, frankesphemes demonstrate the extent of the novel's presence in world cultures. There are many frankenphemes which have appeared in popular fiction, drama, film and television.

Herman Melville's Bell-Tower, a short tale which was published in Putnam's Monthly Magazine in 1855, was the first work which was inspired by Shelley's Frankenstein.

Peter Haining, has called Frankenstein "the greatest horror story novel ever written and the most influential in its genre."

Other fictions are  1. The Future Eve, originally published in French in 1886 by French author Villiers de L'Isle Adam. 2. "The Surgeon's Experiment" published in 1887. 3. A Thousand Deaths by Jack London in 1897.

Frankenphemes in films are as follows. Herbert West: Reanimator 1986, Terminator, Television show "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" "The Bride of Frankenstein" "Young Frankenstein" "Blade Runner" "Blackenstein"

* Writer's Market - Vikram Chandra

As made famous by a very popular web series Sacred Games, Vikram Chandra has shaken the literary market. Chandra was born in Delhi, to a father who is a retired business executive and to a mother who is film and play writer. His development

* References

(1) Guerin, Wilfred L. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature Fifth Edition. Oxford University Press, 2005.

(2) “Vikram Chandra (Novelist).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikram_Chandra_(novelist).

Thank You!

Frankenstein Worksheet - Book and the Movie

Hello Readers !

Have you ever seen a ghost ? Sounds funny, right ? But just imagine the lonely house with crooked doors with hazy yellow lights along with shiny white veils on the windows! You are all alone in that house and bats are flying to and fro with a terrible chatter and that owl on the aisle of a stairs gazing at you, the only newcomer in the house. all of a sudden someone puts a hand on your shoulder ! How horrific it would be ?

Well, stories apart, Frankenstein is a novel written in 19th century female writer Mary Shelley, wife of P. B. Shelley. Many movie adaptations have been released from the novel. The 1994 movie, with the same name, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was screened at the department of English. Through the screening of this movie students understood some basic concept like narration technique about the novel. As a part of a unit ending task, this thinking activity is given to explore the both versions of the work.

Pre-viewing tasks:

* What is gothic scientific fiction?
Ans: Gothic scientific fiction is a mixture or a sub genre of horror, death and the same time of romance also. It emerged from Horace Walpole. Gothic Scientific fiction is someway connecting with horrific elements in movie along with the elements of scientific experiments. In literature fiction The example of this genre are movies like Frankenstein, Doctor Who, Blade Runner, Dooms Day etc.

* What is a frame narrative?
Ans: Frame narrative is a style of telling story within a story. Frankenstein is a story told by s captain of the ship to her sister, in a form of letters. So the way, story unfolds in front of us, is framed. The entire story is narrated by a character who plays only the role of story teller. In other ways the novelist nullifies him/her self from the novel and the story is narrated through the mouth of a character. In the present novel, the author has given voice to a captain of a ship and he describes his experience of his journey towards the north pole, in the form of letters.

* What is the point of view of the author?
Ans: Authors point of view seems to highlight the over ambitiousness of the character Victor Frankenstein. He craves for knowledge and the wanting for knowledge is the reason for is fall. By doing research in medical, he created a monster and then nightmare begins. The monster kills Victor's loved ones and demands for a female monster. The author has highlighted the threat to society while this kind of mistake is made.


* What are the viewpoints of different characters?
Ans: The character of Victor's mother believes that apart from study, and knowledge, there are many more things to enjoy in life. Earlier the females were not allowed to study and learn to read and write. 

* Do you have confusion about the title of the novel?
Ans: No, The title of the novel is the name of a person and it gives the clear idea about what would be story inside the book.

* Who do you think is the real monster, the Creator or the Creature?
Ans: The creator is the real monster, because the very foundation of the thought of creating something unusual and different from the normal, comes with dual probability. Either the creation may be helpful or it can create havoc, and destruction. Victor's over ambitiousness and craving for knowledge is the reason for the creation of the monster. 

* What is tabula rasa?
Ans: Tabula rasa means empty slate. The term can be used for the people born without having mental ability to think by themselves. They immediately believe from whatever thing they experience or they believe everything true from their perceptions. The lack of self intuition or in-built thinking system in brain can be called as tabula rasa.

* What is the significance of the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus"?
Ans: Prometheus is a Greek myth in which Prometheus is a Titan and he helped mankind by bringing fire to them. This was forbidden. But Zeus made Prometheus immortal and tied him on a rock. An eagle came everyday to eat his lever which would grow overnight. The story is rather symbolical in meaning because the growth of lever is taken as growth of emotions and desires which never end throughout the life. Even if they are suppressed or demolished by us, they still regrow.

* Do you think Mary Shelley's Frankenstein stands on the brick of revolutionary changes?
Ans: 


While viewing the movie:


* How is the beginning and the end of the movie?
Ans: The beginning creates the suspense and horrific thrilling, and the end of the movie, the audience start having sympathy for the monster.

* Do you feel the effect of horror in the movie?
Ans: Yes, the look given to the character of monster, is horrific. The entrance of the monster creates horrific effects. Gradually, the horror becomes terror while the monster kills Victor's loved ones. He generates terror in his every killing.

* What do you think about the character of the monster in the movie?
Ans: The character of the monster is the creation of Victor's scientific experiments. The monster doesn't know any language, but he carries a journal of Victor. He learns to speak from a family, where he hides himself from the people. Because of his ugliness, he finds himself a misfit in society. Later on he vows to take revenge of this hatred and ugliness of his body. He gradually finds Victor as good character and he calls him father.

* What do you think about the conversation between Victor and the monster?
Ans: 

* Do you think that some scenes are omitted or replaced by other scene? How is the effect of these changes?
Ans:

* Do you think the director has used appropriate symbols in the movie?
Ans: The symbols like cross of Christianity, the mirror, the journal are aptly used in the movie.



Post-viewing tasks:


* What is the difference between the movie and the novel?
Ans: The movie is the adaptation and the book is the original text. Frankenstein of Kenneth Branagh and Frankenstein of Mary Shelley is different. The movie is based on the objective of entertaining the audience, in two or three hours. Though the movie has some similarities with the novel but still, movie can't replace the novel.

* Does the movie help you to understand narrative structure of the novel?
Ans: Yes, the movie, helped us to understand the narrative structure of the novel, because, the director has given justice to the style of narration. The movie has some similarity to the novel structure.

* Do you think the movie is helpful to understand the viewpoints of different characters?
Ans: Yes, the movie is much helpful to understand the viewpoints of different characters. The movie makes a clear picture of characters in mind.

* What do you think about the creation of lady monster in the novel and Elizabeth's look of a monster in the movie?
Ans: The creation of lady monster is the result of the desire of the male monster, Monster was threatening Victor to kill his loved ones if he would not make a female monster. But Victor fails to keep his promise so the Monster kills Victor's wife Elizabeth and out of pain Victor tries to give her life by modifying the body parts, and he succeeds in it.

* Think about Victor's acceptance of Elizabeth and rejection of the monster.
Ans: 

* Do you think the director is faithful to the novel?
Ans: Director has taken artistic liberty to make the movie more audience friendly. He has also modified some scenes but still we can say that in some manner director is faithful to the novel.

Thank You !