The Myth of Prometheus in Frankenstein
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as a modern day version of the legend of Prometheus. Prometheus created men out of clay and taught them the "arts of civilisation" (Webster's World Encyclopedia CD-ROM 1999). Zeus, the chief god of the Titans, wanted to destroy Prometheus' creation but Prometheus stole fire from heaven to help mankind. Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock where an eagle would feed on his liver during the day and each night the liver would grow back. Prometheus was able to bargain for his release because he knew a secret which concerned Zeus' future. Heracles shot the eagle and so Prometheus gained release. Victor Frankenstein is Shelley's modern Prometheus in that he, too, created man. The themes that relate to the myth of Prometheus in the novel are Frankenstein's torment, the monster's education, and the absolute determination of the individual spirit and how this determination can rival that of God. Shelley uses these themes to show that the human spirit is capable of many things - of noble pursuits that rival God himself, but also of the darkest of actions that draw comparisons with the acts of Satan.
Victor Frankenstein is in the first part of the book described as a very noble person, with human curiosities while not common to most people are nevertheless normal. Our sympathy is entirely with him. His desire for knowledge and his eagerness to achieve high goals and to bring the human race further in its effort to erase the pains and sufferings of mortality only make him seem more admirable. He seems to devote his whole life to the benefit of humanity. The sea captain, Walton, sums up this impression when he says " How can I see so noble a creat...
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... could find form his torture was death. It is ironic that the monster is initially kindly and good natured until the corruption of humanity seeps into his heart and he finally comes to be the monster that he is perceived as.
List of References
Webster's World Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM, Webster Publishing, Frenchs Forest
Shelley, M., Frankenstein, Aerie, USA
Boyd, S., 1984 York notes on Frankenstein, Longman Group, Essex
Bibliography
Webster's World Encyclopedia 1999 CD-ROM, Webster Publishing, Frenchs Forest
Shelley, M., Frankenstein, Aerie, USA
Boyd, S., 1984 York notes on Frankenstein, Longman Group, Essex
Griffith University Faculty 1999, Romanticism And Modern Culture Study Guide, Griffith University
Griffith University Faculty 1999, Romanticism And Modern Culture Readings Booklet, Griffith University
To begin, Frankenstein is comparable to Prometheus because of his initial creation of a living being. Victor pursues his interests in the sciences by taking it a step further trying to discover the secret of life. He decides to try and create something that can live. Once brought to life though, he is immediately repulsed by its appearance and flees, allowing the monster to escape, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart,” (Pg 42) Prometheus on the other hand was a Titan whose job was to mold mankind out of clay. After this though, he grew fonder of his new creations than the actual gods like him. Prometheus then decided to trick the g...
Victor Frankenstein may be the leading character in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but a hero he is not. He is self-centered and loveless, and there is nothing heroic about him. There is a scene in Chapter twenty-four where Captain Walton is confronted by his crew to turn southwards and return home should the ice break apart and allow them the way. Frankenstein rouses himself and finds the strength to argue to the Captain that they should continue northwards, or suffer returning home "with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows." He quite obviously has alterior motives and if he were not the eloquent, manipulative creature he so egotistically accuses his creature of being, he might not have moved the Captain and the men so much that they are blind to the true source of his passion. Unfortunately for Frankenstein, the crew, (however "moved") stand firm in their position. Yet the things he says in his motivational speech are prime examples of the extent to which Frankenstein is blind to his own faults and yet will jump at the chance to harangue others. He is so self-centered that his lack of interaction and love for others after his experiment has been completed, would barely qualify him as a person, if the difference between being human and being a person lies in the ability to have relationships with others.
Pain has been defined by Coates & Hindle as an unpleasant emotional and sensory experience which signals a potential or actual damage to tissues (2011, p. 213). Pain is a common human experience and can emanate from injury and illness. There are two main types of pain; acute pain is short-lived, lasting for minutes or several days and its onset often takes place rapidly. It results from the activation of pain nerve endings or nociceptors either by internal or external pain stimuli. On the other hand chronic pain is continuous and sometimes recurrent and can last for weeks, months or even years. Chronic pain is usually not located at or related to the tissue undergoing trauma (Draper & Knight, 2007, p. 104). Various theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism underlying the transmission and perception of pain.
Unfortunately, deaf/Hard of hearing people have long been victims of discrimination. Lacking a “voice”, hearing people have assumed that Deaf people are incapable, and have made decisions for Deaf people on their behalf. Even today the attitude toward Deaf people is that they are incapable of accomplishing anything including their own dreams. This message of incapability is sinking into the heads of many Deaf children and adults. Deaf people as a group are underemployed or unemployed period. Many community based services are unwilling to make accommodations to meet the needs of this unique population. Being deaf means that you can’t hear the conversations in supermarkets, in banks, at the post office, at work, at school, etc. All of these which hearing people take for granted. This means that a deaf person is often found in situations where they can’t follow what is being said and are often confused, scared, and isolated. The attitudes of hearing people toward Deaf people tend to pervade deaf/HOH people’s relationships with their family, educational environment, employers, and fellow co-workers. Some examples are, accepting lower expectations of themselves based on perceptions of hearing people, and lacking confidence as a result of being raised in an overprotective environment, or having things done for them.
People who are hearing impaired experience issues at school, work, and in their personal life. Although there are varying degrees of hearing impairments, there are several accommodations that could be made to support individuals with hearing loss. Each individuals is unique therefore, accommodations may vary from person to person. The March of Dimes defines a hearing impairment as “the decreased ability to hear and discriminate among sounds.” There are several degrees of hearing loss but the most important thing to remember is that any individual with a hearing impairment will need accommodations that a person without a hearing impairment won’t. People often have preconceived ideas about people with disabilities and that can cause them to overlook their talents.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
In Marry Shelly’s book Frankenstein, she tells the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein. The character of Frankenstein contains traits that parallel Prometheus from Greek mythology. Through his actions and emotions Victor Frankenstein becomes the modern Prometheus by producing ill-fated actions that carry tragic consequences just as Prometheus’ did.
J. Brabyn, "A review of mobility aids and means of assessment," in Electronic Spatial Sensing for the Blind, Proc. of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Visual Spatial Protheses for the Blind, 1984, pp. 13-27.
Rationale. Pain is one of the most common reasons why individuals seek medical attention in a health care setting. Clarifying the concept of pain will help health care providers provide the best effective care of pain and pain management.
All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course, the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein. Victor’s life starts with great potential. He comes from a decently wealthy family whose lack of love towards each other never existed. He is given everything he needs for a great future, and his academics seem to be convalescing.
Throughout Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues, with a passion lacking in other aspects of his life, his individual quest for knowledge and glory. He accepts the friendships and affections given him without reciprocating. The "creature," on the other hand, seems willing to return affections, bringing wood and clearing snow for the DeLaceys and desiring the love of others, but is unable to form human attachments. Neither the creature nor Victor fully understands the complex relationships between people and the expectations and responsibilities that accompany any relationship. The two "monsters" in this book, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, are the only characters without strong family ties; the creature because Frankenstein runs from him, and Victor because he runs from his family.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W.
...most readers tend to sympathize with Frankenstein because of the way in which he is mentally and physically harmed by his creation. However, one must also realize that while Frankenstein is a victim in the novel, he also exhibits features that make him a monster. These monstrous qualities, however, stem from his passion for science and his desire to create life. Not only does the reader criticize and pity Frankenstein, but the reader also empathizes with Frankenstein’s creation. He was unjustly shunned by society because of his physical appearance. On the other hand, the reader realizes that like Frankenstein, the creation can not be sympathized with entirely. He too exhibits traits that make him appear villainous. It is the duality of these two characters that make Frankenstein and his creation two of the most appealing characters of the nineteenth century.
Victor Frankenstein's upbringing in a perfect society ultimately led to the destruction of his life which coincided with the lives of those emotionally close to him. Victor was raised in an atmosphere where beauty and physical appearance define one's quality of life. This superficial way of life results in a lost sense of morals and selfishness, which in turn produces a lost sense of personal identity. This can cause a feeling of failure and resentment in the later stages of life which, in Victor's case, can be externalized into a form of hatred directed toward himself.
Late adulthood should be a time in a person's life where they feel fulfilled. They can look back on their memories and be happy with the way they have lived their life. Now, too many elderly people are not satisfied and look at this stage as depressing. Most fear death of either a loved one or for themselves. This topic is interesting to me because elderly people should make the best of their last stage of life. This topic discusses about getting older, the life changes that they go through physically, emotionally, and mentally. We should know more about it so that we can help our family and friends get through one of the best, yet toughest part of our mortal life.