Frankenstein 4

1
Frankenstein (4)

• Revenge and the Embrace of the Double

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images/north-pole-sun-moon.jpg
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Outline

• 1. Geography and Psychological Geography
• French Revolution and the Other Functions
• Psychological Geography Frankenstein//the
  Monster
• ? Gothic Fiction
• 2. The Nature of Revenge Mutual Dependence
• 3. Filmic Variations
• 4. Next Time
• 5. References

3
Geography and French Revolution

• Ingolstadt creation of the monster // the
  origin of French revolution (thru a secret
  society)
• Plainpalais, Geneva deaths of William
  Frankenstein, Justine Moritz and Alphonse in or
  near Geneva (Plainpalais, a site of revolution
  where there was bloodshet)
• England and Scotland-- Victor's trip for "the
  most distinguished natural philosophers Oxford
  imperial England and the reformation
• Ireland-- Henry Clerval violence and mob
• Orkney Islands remote island in Scotland//the
  creation of the mate.
• Evian Elizabeths death -- absolutist Sardinian
• Russia and the Arctic an imperial/conservative
  nation or a complete wilderness (ref. Randel)

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The Monster and Revolution

• Born with good intention
• Against political/social injustice
• Turns to violent bloodshed

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Journeys Their Other Functions Meanings

• Restoration of energies, refreshment of the
  spirits.
• after the creation of the monster To Mont
  Blanc, in the black forest, back to Geneva
• 2. Delays only to strengthen the desires, or
  build up the intensity of facing the terror (of
  boundary-breaking or transgression)
• The terror
• Doing research in England and Scotland
• Creating the mate in an island out of Ireland

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Journeys Their Functions Meanings

• 3. Other examples of Frankensteins delay
• The desired Going to Ingolstadt (because of the
  mothers death)
• The apparently desired Writing home (e.g. p. 67
  He would write instantly, but felt fatigued.
  
• The apparently desired terror Going home. ("I
  slackened my progress" "I dared not advance" "I
  remained two days at Lausanne" p. 74)
• The terror In revealing the truth about the
  monsters killing
• The terror In creating the mate ("Day after
  day, week after week, passed away . . . but I
  clung to every pretence of delay" chap 18 pp.
  149-50)
• The apparently desired In marrying Elizabeth
  (chap 18 the idea of an immediate union with my
  Elizabeth was one of horror and dismay. 151)
• The apparently desired the terror In telling
  Elizabeth about the monster.

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Frankenstein as a Gothic Fiction

• The desired the feared (ref. Freud the
  uncanny)
• Shelley I must try to think of something else. I
  recurred to my ghost story my tiresome, unlucky
  ghost story! O! if I could only contrive one
  which would frighten my reader as I myself had
  been frightened that night! (10)
• Another example????? Interview With The Vampire.

8
Frankenstein // the Monster

• Fs interest in knowledge (ardent 45, 50)
• Responsiveness to nature (Monc Blanc)74
• Cannot be comforted by nature as much as
  before154, 155
• Isolated from human society (barrier 158)
• Mistaken for the monster at an Irish shore 175

• (Walton p. 16) the monster 115, 118 129.
• The moon, the birds singing, (after being
  rejected by de Lacey) 136, after knowing that
  theyll move away 140
• Labour no longer alleviated by nature 141, 142
• Barrier between him and humans 145

The monster wants Frankenstein to experience his
isolation F lets the monster feel the despair
that torments him (202)
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The Deadly Embrace of the Double

• From Frankensteins perspective
• Revenge keeps him alive (201) at the cemetery
  (202) ? the monsters response 202-3 when the
  monster is no where to be found 206
• The monster keeps him alive when he despairs or
  wants to die
• By leaving some mark 203 204-05, which
  invigorates F.
• By leaving some food? 203
• Vengeance dies in him when he thinks of his dead
  family members. 204
• Thanks his guiding spirit 205 ? the monster?
• Filled with ecstasy when seeing the monster. 207
• Still insists that the monsters soul is
  hellish and that he has to be killed.209

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The Deadly Embrace of the Double

• The monsters perspective
• Genuinely sad and remorseful when seeing F dead
  p. 219
• defends himself
• 1. his development from love and sympathy to
  revenge and despair
• 2. his regret at killing Cherval and anger Fs
  attempt at marriage
• 3. miseries lead to crime
• Feels himself degraded (like F) p. 221 211
• Desire for revenge better satiated in his(the
  monsters) life than his death.
• Still selfish my agony stronger than his.

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The Deadly Embrace and its Solution

• Deadly ?
• When love and hatred (or likes and dislikes) get
  pushed to an extreme
• Possible outcomes
• one victimized by the passion
• the two deadlocked with and in need of each
  other
• the two withdraw and their tension reduced
• Frankensteins suggestions to Walton
• 1) stay and fight Return as heroes who have
  fought and conquered (215)
• 2) dont be too ambitious seek happiness in
  tranquillity and avoid ambition (217)

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Variations in the Frankenstein Films

• Example the treatment of the monster and its
  mate
• James Whale's classic Frankenstein (1931) the
  monster has the brain of a criminal
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935) the bride (which F
  made after being forced by the mad scientist, Dr.
  Pretoria) rejects the monster. The monster more
  human.
• Branagh's Marry Shelleys Frankenstein (1994)
• the first under the request of the monster,
• the second --Frankenstein does it to bring
  Elizabeth back.

13
Next Time

• Conclusion
• The novels structure and the function of Walton
  (passion vs. humanity)
• The Romantic Hero, or the Modern Prometheus
  ideal and responsibilities
• The novel as a gothic fiction and as a science
  fiction
• The issue of human creation
• its feminist implication
• Personal implication
• The roles of Women and the Others
• Also Valediction Forbidding Mourning

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Reference

• Randel, Fred V. The Political Geography of
  Horror in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein ELH 70.2
  (2003) 465-491.
• For definitions of the gothic
• see My Hideous Progeny http//home-1.worldonline.n
  l/hamberg/
• Further studies Individual and Social
  Psychologies of the Gothic http//www.engl.virgini
  a.edu/enec981/Group/chris.social.html
• Films
• Resources for the Study of F http//www.georgetow
  n.edu/faculty/irvinem/english016/franken/franken.h
  tm
• Frankenstein http//hermes.hrc.ntu.edu.tw/lctd/as
  p/authors/00180/references.htm