Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

[Teresa Edgerton]

Yes, that that was the generally received interpretation for a long time. More recently, female critics have been looking at the story with some different ideas. Mary Shelley was, after all, a woman and a mother (albeit of a stillborn child), and may have had different attitudes than a man might have about "creating life" and the responsibilities that come afterward. She also had some pretty interesting issues with her own parents, both the father who was still alive and the mother who died soon after she was born.

Anyway, the myths about Prometheus never say that he was wrong to do what he did -- just that he was punished for it. So calling Victor Frankenstein a Modern Prometheus doesn't necessarily imply a moral judgement of what he did.


More to the point, I'm not even sure what I think Mary Shelley intended; it's just, like I said, an interesting question.

 

[Foxbat]

Anyway, the myths about Prometheus never say that he was wrong to do what he did -- just that he was punished for it. So calling Victor Frankenstein a Modern Prometheus doesn't necessarily imply a moral judgement of what he did.

Very true. But he was punished by Zeus - and when we talk about 'sin' we usually refer to it as a wrong against the wishes of a divinity. It is easy to see that a connection could be made between this 'sin' and the moral standpoint of Christianity versus Frankenstein's work.

Interesting about Mary Shelley. I didn't know that about her

 

[polymorphikos]

I fall into the camp of finding that Frankenstein was a reminder that we should take responsibilities for our actions and look before we leap. This extends to science, child-rearing and many other things, and I don't think that it rested upon the "God perogative" too much, although this is the common consensus. This is why Jurassic Park is interesting (film), presenting both the moral and ethical arguments before the monsteriness is unleashed.

 

[X Q mano]

I'm under the mipression the "sin" Doctor Frankenstein committed, was trying to create life, when the creation of life is the perrogative of the Divine.

Exactly... That's why the book is actually titled "Frankenstein or A modern Prometheus".

 

[Morning Star]

This cannot be the same film I saw, which had a corny melodramatic love story wedged in the most ugly and forced manner into the plot. The movie I saw also had atrocious performances by the bulk of the cast. Even the ravishing visuals could not quite contain my distaste and disappointment with the onscreen proceedings.

Agreed that Reeve's accent was probably the worst thing ever and not just in film...and some scenes are cringeworthy. However I really enjoyed the dark surrealistic images which crop up. I could have done without the romance as I am not a fan of the whole Anne Rice concept of vampirism. I'm more of a Nosferatu or Salems Lott man myself.

 

[ravenus]

I could have done without the romance as I am not a fan of the whole Anne Rice concept of vampirism. I'm more of a Nosferatu or Salems Lott man myself.

Aha, a soulmate

If you haven't already I recommend you try out George Martin's Fevre Dream. The evil Vampires are not entirely soulless nosferatu but they're a lot more badass and genuinely scary than Rice's pouty-mouthed prima donnas. And it's a gripping story to boot.

 

[Morning Star]

Haha pouty mouthed, thanks mate I will keep a look out.