Knowledge: Tree or Fire?

               In Frankenstein, the monster broods constantly. In Paradise Lost, Adam and Satan are the same. Their individual circumstances are different, but they're all thrown into grief that causes them to question their own creator. Why was I formed? Why am I exiled? Why can't I be higher than God?

               One instance is the monster's peripeteia after it studies Paradise Lost, Lives, and Sorrows of Werther. Like Adam, the monster bights the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Before, it just considered itself to be unlike the others; it was even pleased with the thought of having protectors that were happier than it was. The books illustrate characters that are comparable to it. Through comparison, the full situation of its abandonment by its master and the hopelessness in trying to be human hits the monster right in its stitched heart.

           Likewise, Satan is exiled. Unlike the monster, Satan has his own hubris involved. He was a top angel; his angel name, Lucifer, literally translates to his celestial work, "light-bearer".

       How did one of the most regarded and beautiful angels become estranged? He denied his creator. Much like the monster, woe changes into hatred for humanity. Unlike the monster, Satan knew exactly what he was up against beforehand, and his creator held him in high esteem. Thematically, this hubris demonstrates a large flaw in arrogance and ambition; regardless of how much he thinks one knows (which rebel angel to choose and a plan of attack), knowledge doesn't ensure success.

                Adam, one of the first humans created, was Satan's target. The forbidden fruit is bitten, and Adam and Eve are almost as woeful as Satan and the monster. Much like the monster after it is spurned by the De Lacey family, Adam questions his existence. His thought process has completely changed; before, only his environment was on his mind, but now he contemplates God, who is beyond human reach.

                 The common thread between Frankenstein's monster, Satan, and Adam is their resulting knowledge. Adam differs here because he doesn't contemplate until after he is enticed. Even then, his mold as a human isn't broken. Satan and the monster's level before their deepest inquiries afforded them a stable position in their individual lives. Between the three, knowledge completely shifted their life. Thematically, this implies that knowledge, as abstract as it is, can burn more than it can develop a person.



Definition of Lucifer courtesy of IsraelofGod.org
The Thinker image courtesy of Auguste Rodin and Chantal Powell Artists Blog
Wildfire Image courtesy of Mindspower



                

Nostalgia Journey: A Cartoon Hell

You are in a desert. It's supposed to be a town, but only one shack occupies endless, fruitless acres. The cracked ground screams for an unlikely downpour. As you approach a nearly dilapidated house, the wind spits sand in your face. You knock at the door, and minutes drag on with no one in sight. Just as a creeeeak is heard from the other side of the door, a small lilac colored dog approaches. The color of its fur isn't what makes your eyes widen: the dog is standing and holding a gun ray to your face.

      Where do you think you are? "This is Hell" is probably what you're thinking. Well, it is, figuratively. You have just been in the town of Nowhere. Those who grew up during the 1990s probably remember the children's cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog. The main character is the aforementioned dog. As the title suggests, it is easily afraid, but it nonetheless saves its owners from peril in nearly every episode.

        Despite the title of the show, Courage represents Cerberus, the mythological hellhound. Nowhere is arid and only the greediest and most prideful people enter. Courage guards the home of Eustace and Muriel Bagge. Instead of contending with living heros, Courage must fight off Le Quack, King Ramses, Queen of the Black Puddle, Katz, and numerous other avaricious villians who threaten the balance of the home.

        Regardless of how many times Courage saves the Bagges, his owner, Eustace, constantly yells at him. Also, Eustace usually tries to find a short cut or two in order to get rich. Why is this? Because in this cartoon Hell, Eustace is Hades. In Greek mythology, Hades is outshined by Zeus in the eyes of their parents, Cronus and Rhea; Eustace's dead brother outshines Eustace in the eyes of Ma Bagge. Like Hades, this parental preference turns Eustace into an irascible character.

    Muriel is the person that Courage adores the most in the series. She is a cheerful Scottish wife and homemaker of Eustace, and her optimism in perilous situations borders on oblivion. She is the only maternal figure that Courage has, and in this town, she represents Traditionalism. Muriel is the only woman in the show who cooks, cleans, sews, and other light tasks. She is in Nowhere because traditionalism is presumed to be dead, but not gone. For instance, every villian tries to reap something out of her by trying to cook her or sell her in some way. This suggests the idea that conventional manners are constantly on the brink of being taken advantage of by Greed (the villians).

          The show Courage the Cowardly Dog uses the characters of Courage, Eustace and Muriel in order to convey the idea that traditional methods are always in danger. Courage, the little Cerberus, guards them in the continuously advancing town.

For more information about the show feel free to visit the Courage the Cowardly Dog Wikia.   

Image of Desert courtesy of & Beyond Travel Blog
Black and White Image of Courage the Cowardly Dog courtesty of ssgba1380 at Deviantart.org.  

Journal #7 Revision: Orientalism

                          Victor Frankenstein's monster continues to evolve when the Arabian lady Safie arrives. Safie proves to be an important character. Not only does Safie teach the monster the fact that there are countries far from its hovel, but she brings a background story with her.
                   Mary Shelley uses Safie and her father, the Turk, in order to make some contrasting implications through Orientalism. One instance of this is the Turk's underlying plan to keep Safie from marrying Felix. The Turk goes along with the engagement only to appear as a man that is true to his word. Shelley also uses words such as "tyrannical" in context to the Turk. Shelley's usage of the Turk demonstrates the negative ideas that European cultures had of the Turks during her era.
                     Unlike the Turk, Safie is mostly a representation of positive Orientalism in the monster's story. She is described to have angelic beauty and a lovely singing voice. She is exotic to the monster, and the monster seems to show no disfavor towards her. Although she is very pleasantly mentioned, there are some implications towards her abilities that could negatively reflect the ideas that Europeans had of Oriental women. Safie's voice is described like music; there are no words and no dialogue from her in the passage. She is doted for her beauty, but she is slower in learning than the monster, which has only been alive for little over a year. The combination of exotic beauty and lack in intelligence implies that Oriental women are more accessories than they are humans.
                 Mary Shelley's views of the Orient are suggested in this part of the monster's story. Under her pen name, Shelley wasn't able to openly discuss it, but there are implications of her opinion towards arranged marriage. For instance, in the monster's description of Safie's situation, it describes arranged marriage as "walls of a harem" that only have "infantile amusements". This attitude suggests the negative view that European women of Shelley's era might have had towards arranged marriage.
                    

Journal #6: The Monster's Hierarchy of Needs and Multiple Intelligences

                     In comparison to a human child, Frankenstein's monster can be described as more of a "marvel" than a "monster". Sure, it is different due its sickly skin and black lips, but mentally the monster has a rapid growth throughout chapters 13 and 14. Within what I infer is a year after it has been created, the monster has developed multiple intelligences and has most of his survival needs met. Compared to the average human infant, this monster could be considered a prodigy.
                 One instance that demonstrates the monster's developmental speed is demonstrated when it finds food and water from the forest and from the leftover homeless camp, and a temporary homeostasis in the forest. It also forms logical-mathematical intelligence by figuring out that fire and wet lumber don't mix in order to build a sustainable fire.
                 As the monster moves from the forest, it satisfies a certain level of safety by moving into a hovel when snow begins. Before the monster moves, it displays spatial intelligence by understanding that the snow around him makes the forest less viable. In the hovel, the monster  demonstrates its bodily-kinesthetic intelligence by noting that it can only sit to be comfortable.
                As it observes the villagers, the monster also achieves a fair level of esteem by sympathyzing with the emotions that the villagers have. When it sees the young woman cry, it begins to feel emotions that it doesn't understand at first. The observation of the De Lacey family also contributes, because the monster empathizes with every emotion that the family members have, and later holds the family in high esteem by calling the members its protectors. Its reactions are signs of interpersonal intelligence growth.
                      The whole situation in chapters 13 and 14 doesn't just demonstrate how rapidly the monster develops. There is an underlying theme in this portion that anyone who is different still has very similar characteristics to the normal majority. The monster shows very human characteristics by satisfying its needs and developing intelligence. Also, Victor pieced together every part of the monster intricately in order for him to be a living human.  In other words, the monster is very human.

Journal #5: Victor Frankenstein vs. The Ancient Mariner

 

             Victor Frankenstein and the Ancient Mariner are punished for different acts of hubris. Victor's bestowal of life breaches the level amount of power a human has against Death. The Ancient Mariner's impulsive killing of the Albatross breaches the tolerable level of cruelty in the Natural World. This difference emphasizes each person's differing attitudes towards what is naturally set. Victor loathes death, while the Mariner doesn't at first value the creatures that are under humans.
            There is also a difference between the situation of Victor and the Ancient Mariner. Victor's isolation results in his act, while the Ancient Mariner is punished with the isolation that he has to to go through on the rotting ship. This suggests two differing themes of isolation. In Victor's case, isolation leads to unfavorable consequences such as the death of William. In the Mariner's case, isolation is a worthy punishment for random cruelty.
                Although their circumstances differ, Victor and the Mariner have to deal with the same long enduring punishment. The Mariner is cursed with an immortality that lasts until he has fully repaid his debt by warning others of his folly. Victor also has to warn others. As he continues to go after his creature, a symbol of Victor's pride, he is compelled to tell Robert Walton the whole ordeal in order to warn Walton. This similarity demonstrates that the theme of sin, guilt, and redemption can happen to anyone.

Journal #4 Rationalizations in Frankenstein

    

            Soon after the monster is created, Henry Clerval arrives and changes Victor's outlook away from natural science. This perepiteia occurs when Clerval influences Victor by getting Victor away from his previous apartment, university mentors, and solitude. This influence emphasizes how much of a foil Clerval is for Victor and demonstrates how deeply obsessed and solitary Victor's previous life was in comparison to the pleasant times that Victor has with Clerval.
                Victor's family does a lot of rationalizing in the event of William's death. This is evident in the letter that is writeen to Victor by his father. Towards the end of the letter, Alphonse says that everyone shouldn't spend time focusing on vengeance towards the William's murderer. There is also the rationalization that Elizabeth engages in upon seeing William's corpse. She exclaims that she is the unintentional murderer because she didn't let William wear an article of clothing that belonged to his mother. These rationalizations demonstrate how far the family is willing to go to avoid the most gruesome feelings and truths. Also, there is a suggestion of who Victor's own dismal rationalizations of his creature began.
              
              

Journal #3 Revision: The Hubris of Victor Frankenstein

            During his time at Ingolstadt, Victo Frankenstein's drive to improve human life grows due to his growing pride. As his progress improves, he becomes more bold. This is evident when Victor actually discovers ways to improve "some chemical instruments" after two years of augmenting growth at the university. As his reputation and comprehension grows, he decides to study independently.
           By studying independently, Victor also demonstrates that he is past authoritative advice. This is much like the greek Titan Prometheus's theft of fire for human use, because the hope for human kind surpasses the figure of authority. Prometheus disregarded Zeus when he stole the fire; Vicot disregarded society when he began to construct a human being. Victor overlooks society at first when he visits a church in order to analyze the "corruption of the human body". He even considers the place to be only a "receptacle", which is contrary to the belief system of the era.
             His pride grows during his pursuits, and even feeds him as he constructs a person from dead parts. As he works, this growth in pride ends up turning into a huge mistake. After he has completed his creation, he considers it to be a monster. The despair that he shows as the creature animates emphasizes how distorted Victor has become because of his pride. His philosopher's stone has changed from providing humans with immortality to proving that he can bestow life. The hubris that occurs leads Victor down a whole new path of disappointment, and demonstrates that pride is one of his largest flaws.