This anthology contains six term papers. The first paper deals with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of the “noble savage“ and the use of this concept by Mary Shelley as a main theme in her famous novel "Frankenstein".
In academia, 15 years can see a variety of interpretations of even the most famous scholarly novels. In the second text, witness the best academia has debating the gender and sexual orientation of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, along with his motives and feelings.
The third paper shall examine the way in which Mary Shelley creates an atmosphere of terror in her novel. Therefore both the preface of the 1818 version of Frankenstein, written by Percy B. Shelley, as well as the 1831 introduction by Mary Shelley shall be analyzed on the author’s original intention and the idea behind Frankenstein.
The transgression of limits is a central theme of the novels by Dostoyevsky and Shelley. The stories examine the world of thought and action of two characters feeling trapped within certain limits and trying to break through them, while in their failures other limitations manifest themselves. That's the topic of the fourth text.
Based on the thesis, that the works of James Whale and Richard Brinsely Peake use comic relief in various ways and differ amongst each other, the fifth paper attempts to investigate in which way, respectively to what extent “Presumption” and “The bride of Frankenstein” adapt Shelley’s novel whereby the emphasis will be on the incidence of comic relief and the impact of using such a rhetorical device.
The last paper answers questions like: What is Shelley's style of writing? Which elements does the novel Frankenstein consist of, and what makes it differ from other Gothic novels? The paper's aim is to answer these questions and to give information about the question: Is Frankenstein a typical Gothic novel?
Table of Contents
The Monster in Frankenstein with Regard to Rousseau’s Concept of the “Noble Savage” (2011)
1. Introduction
2. Rousseau’s Concept of a “Noble Savage”
2.1 Opposite Theory: Thomas Hobbes
3. Frankenstein’s Monster as a “Noble Savage”
3.1 Arguments for Frankenstein’s Monster as a “Noble Savage”
3.2 The Monster’s Transition from a “Noble Savage” into a Murderer
3.3 Reference to Paradise Lost by John Milton
4. Conclusion
Précis Critiques of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Was Victor Frankenstein a woman? And other post-modern literary disputes (2012)
Critique one
Critique Two
Critique Three
Critique Four
Critique Five
The Creation of Terror in Mary Shelley’s „Frankenstein“ (2011)
1. Introduction
2. Frankenstein as Gothic story
3. Terror
3.1 The Term „Terror“
4. Sublime and Obscurity
4.1 Edmund Burke on the sublime
4.2 Obscurity
5. Terror in Frankenstein
5.1 Terror within the Story Itself
5.2 Terror achieved through other Features
6. Conclusion
The Significance of Limits. The Parallels between Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and Shelley's "Frankenstein" (2018)
1. Introduction
2. Limits for the Profane Mind
2.1 Empathy and Morality
2.2 Sexuality and Mortality
3. Overcoming Limits: Self-Absolutizing
3.1 Reason and Ethics
3.2 Science and Spirit
4. Limits in a Secular World
4.1 Materiality and Immorality
4.2 Self-Containment and Death
5. Overcoming Limits: Transformation through the Other
5.1 Image and Language
5.2 Dialogue and Grace
6. Conclusion: Transcendence in-and-beyond the Embodied
The function of comic relief in stage adaptations of Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" (2019)
1. Introduction
2. Comic relief in stage adaptations of Frankenstein
2.1 A brief definition of comic relief
2.2 Primary works and their way of adapting Frankenstein
2.3 Comic relief in Frankenstein adaptations
2.4 Comparison of “Presumption” and “The bride of Frankenstein”
3. Conclusion
Is Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" a typical Gothic Novel? Context and Themes in "The Modern Prometheus" (2022)
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1. Information about Mary Shelley
2.2 The Gothic genre
3. Gothic themes in Frankenstein
3.1 Horror and monstrosity
3.2 Similarity of Victor and the monster
3.3 Sexuality and incest
3.4 Narrative style
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This anthology explores various interpretations of Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein," focusing on the character development of the creature in relation to philosophical concepts, the influence of Gothic literary traditions, and the use of rhetorical devices across different media adaptations. The research seeks to illuminate how the novel serves as a modern myth that reflects changing scientific, social, and moral contexts.
- The intersection of Rousseau’s “Noble Savage” concept with the moral evolution of Frankenstein’s monster.
- The role of "Terror" and "The Sublime" in creating atmosphere within Gothic literature.
- Post-modern critical disputes regarding gender, imperialism, and human limits in Shelley's work.
- The function and impact of "comic relief" in stage and film adaptations.
- Comparative literary analysis between Frankenstein and Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment regarding the transgression of limits and the search for transcendence.
Auszug aus dem Buch
3.1 Arguments for Frankenstein’s Monster as a “Noble Savage”
As the monster’s story begins, he comes to life just to be abandoned immediately by his creator. He knows nothing of the world he has been born into and has no idea how things work in this world. He flees into the woods, living outside of civilization , being forced to learn by trial and error, living and sleeping surrounded by nature beneath the open sky.
As Edna C. Sorber points out in her work The Noble Eloquent Savage, “the myth of the ‘noble savage’ has been related historically to the myth of the ‘eloquent savage’”9, meaning to be a “noble savage” one must acquire the ability to talk and communicate with other people. Indeed, this concept is found in Frankenstein as well, when we witness the monster learning to understand speech and speak himself. By this, the monster elevates himself from his “original state to so-called civil society”10. The monster’s acquisition of speech actually closely corresponds to aspects mentioned in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Essay on the Origin of Language (Essai sur l'origine des langues in French). As Christian Bok puts it in his essay The Monstrosity of Reprensentation: Frankenstein and Rousseau:
“Frankenstein defines a progressive series of linguistic encounters, whose structure resembles the structure defined by Rousseau, a structure in which linguistic development moves sequentially from the inarticulate speech of nature to the articulate writing of culture […]”11
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core concept of the "noble savage" in Rousseau’s work and questions its applicability to Frankenstein’s monster.
2. Rousseau’s Concept of a “Noble Savage”: Analyzes Rousseau's belief that humans are peaceful in their natural state and discusses the erroneous attribution of the term "noble savage" to him.
2.1 Opposite Theory: Thomas Hobbes: Contrasts Rousseau’s peaceful state of nature with Hobbes' belief in the necessity of a Commonwealth to restrain human aggression.
3. Frankenstein’s Monster as a “Noble Savage”: Investigates how the monster’s early existence in nature mirrors Rousseau's ideal, despite the influence of later civilization.
3.1 Arguments for Frankenstein’s Monster as a “Noble Savage”: Highlights the monster’s initial lack of knowledge and his learning process as key indicators of his "natural" state.
3.2 The Monster’s Transition from a “Noble Savage” into a Murderer: Examines how the rejection by human society corrupts the monster's innate goodness and transforms him into a vengeful being.
3.3 Reference to Paradise Lost by John Milton: Discusses how the reading of Milton's epic shapes the monster's complex self-perception and his comparison to Adam and Satan.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the finding that the monster is indeed a perfect example of a "noble savage" during the initial part of the novel, before societal contact compromises his nature.
Keywords
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Noble Savage, Rousseau, Gothic Novel, Terror, Sublime, Adaptation, Comic Relief, Morality, Limits, Transgression, Nature, Monstrosity, Literary Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this anthology?
This collection examines key literary and philosophical themes in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," ranging from its Gothic foundations to specific critical interpretations of the monster’s character and Shelley’s narrative techniques.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The chapters cover the philosophy of the "noble savage," Gothic definitions of terror and the sublime, the function of comic relief in adaptations, and the philosophical parallels between Shelley's protagonist and characters in Dostoyevsky’s works.
What is the primary objective of these papers?
The secondary objective is to provide a comprehensive analysis of why "Frankenstein" remains a relevant modern myth and how different writers and critics dissect its themes of creation, morality, and human limitation.
Which scientific or critical methods are employed?
The anthology utilizes close-text analysis, comparative literary studies, and historical-contextual research to evaluate how scientific, social, and aesthetic paradigms of the 18th and 19th centuries influenced Mary Shelley's narrative.
What is covered in the primary body of the research?
The chapters move from theoretical definitions of philosophical concepts like "innate goodness" and "terror" to practical applications of these theories within the analysis of the novel's plot, character arcs, and stage/film renditions.
What words characterize these works?
Key terms include the Gothic tradition, the sublime, monstrosity, self-alienation, narrative perspective, and adaptation theory.
How does the monster transition from a "noble savage" to a villain?
The study argues that exposure to civilized society and the resulting experience of exclusion, injustice, and lack of empathy eventually corrupts the monster’s naturally benevolent state, forcing him to adopt a sense of "honor" that manifests as a thirst for revenge.
What role does comic relief play in "Frankenstein" adaptations?
Comic relief is used as a rhetorical device to release psychological tension in the audience. In stage and film versions, characters like Fritz or Minnie serve this role, often through slapstick or verbal irony, helping to moderate the intensity of the tragic plot.
Why is "Frankenstein" considered an "untypical" Gothic novel?
The research suggests that because the novel breaks traditional Gothic tropes—such as by omitting a typical heroine or focusing deeply on the psychological introspection of the creator—it stands out as a unique, non-formulaic work within its genre.
- Citar trabajo
- GRIN Verlag (Hrsg.) (Editor), Gabriele Grenkowski (Autor), Mark Schauer (Autor), Sandra Kuberski (Autor), Céline Sun (Autor), 2024, Approaches to interpreting Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein”. Frankenstein’s monster, the creation of terror, and genre-related questions, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1507461
