No matter if one intends to study the Marvel, Star Wars, DC Extended Universe franchise, or medieval and gothic literature, one will find that there is one fundamental element that incites the...Show moreNo matter if one intends to study the Marvel, Star Wars, DC Extended Universe franchise, or medieval and gothic literature, one will find that there is one fundamental element that incites the expected tension present within all of those works: the presence of both a monster and its opponent, the hero, whose interaction serves as the baseline for the plot. In this thesis, the dynamics between the presumed monsters and heroes within two of England’s greatest literary works, Beowulf (Anonymous, ca. 8th-11th century) and Frankenstein (Mary Shelley, 1818), are explored from a number of angles. The objective of this analysis is to comprehend the dynamic between opponent and monster by exploring the notions of monstrosity, heroism, and, ultimately, the relation of both to theology. As Beowulf and Frankenstein were produced in distinct time periods, both works convey and exhibit specific cultural components with respect to these notions. Beowulf, as an Early Medieval text, is a primary example of a heroic epic poem, and is the product of a culture in which Christianity began to manifest itself as a predominant theology in traditional Anglo-Saxon society. Frankenstein, first published in 1818, is written in a tumultuous period with respect to religion and science, as the two seem to be competing in a race for credibility and moral acceptance. Comparing the two works with one another illustrates the gradual difference between the Early Medieval culture and the Late Modern English culture of the 19th century with respect to the ideologies and concerns regarding monstrosity, heroism, morality, and theology. Such a contrastive analysis of both works, to my awareness, has not been made to date. First, the theoretical framework and the historical context of both works are discussed in chapter one. Subsequently, Frankenstein is analyzed in chapter two and Beowulf in chapter three. Finally, these findings are combined and re-evaluated in order to return with a final answer to the initial question that is central within this thesis: to what extent do the dynamics between monster and hero in both Beowulf and Frankenstein reflect the contemporary concerns and ideologies regarding monstrosity, heroism, and theology?Show less
The main effort of this thesis is a detailed mapping of the hero’s journeys of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster, through Joseph Campbell’s monomyth model, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The...Show moreThe main effort of this thesis is a detailed mapping of the hero’s journeys of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster, through Joseph Campbell’s monomyth model, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Subsequently, a comparative analysis of their hero’s journeys reveals great similarities throughout the novel, mirroring their intertwined existences. Most notably, their shared failing of the Atonement with the Father stage of the monomyth model is what causes their journeys to end and causes them to become failed heroes. There are two narrative elements in Frankenstein that essentially doomed the heroes to this outcome by uniquely hampering the heroes’ agency within the monomyth model: dual protagonists and Gothic doubles. The combined presence of these elements in the same novel makes it nigh unimaginable for heroes to successfully face the Atonement with the Father, due to the hero’s agency being compromised and the default antagonism of Gothic doubles.Show less
Frankenstein’s monster, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), has often been compared to Satan as he appears in the Bible and in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667/1674). Soyka explains that “the...Show moreFrankenstein’s monster, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), has often been compared to Satan as he appears in the Bible and in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667/1674). Soyka explains that “the underlying theme [of Frankenstein] is rooted in Miltonic questions about the first creation. If God is the creator of all things, why did He create evil to ruin his creation?” (167). Unsurprisingly, in many modern adaptations of the novel, the monster is presented as a grotesque figure of violence, highlighting its “evil” tendencies. Yet this thesis will foreground how the second of James Whale’s Frankenstein adaptations, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), transforms the original intertextual relations between Shelley’s monster and the figure of Satan in Paradise Lost by alluding directly to the figure of Adam and more implicitly to his companion Eve. The creation of a female monster in this classic film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein highlights the intertextuality of Whale’s monsters with Adam and Eve in Milton’s Paradise Lost, as the female monster presents a link to this Edenic narrative.Show less
This thesis delves into the concept of the queer 'Other' in Gothic literature, using Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein', Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' as...Show moreThis thesis delves into the concept of the queer 'Other' in Gothic literature, using Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein', Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' as examples to analyse the discourse surrounding the figure of the queer Other in nineteenth-century society. Key concepts are the (sexually) queer monster and queer(ing) space and social constructs.Show less
This thesis explores the Romantic-era nature/nurture debate as represented in Gothic fiction, by examining the representation in Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s standpoint regarding the significance...Show moreThis thesis explores the Romantic-era nature/nurture debate as represented in Gothic fiction, by examining the representation in Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s standpoint regarding the significance of nurture for human mental development. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores the role of parenting and education in the formation of individual identity. Frankenstein is first analysed in relation to the work of Shelley's parents regarding parenting, upbringing and education. Shelley's representation of the malleability of children is examined, after which Frankenstein's creature is read as a Female Gothic victim-heroine, in order to demonstrate how Shelley extends existing Gothic conventions to illustrate her beliefs regarding the influence of upbringing on the formation of individual identity. Finally, this thesis explores the role of the cult of domesticity on Frankenstein, in order to complete its analysis of Shelley's intellectual standpoint regarding the importance of nurture for the formation of individual identity. Shelley is shown to take up an intellectual position between the radical egalitarianism of her parents and her husband, that stresses nurture above everything else, and the more conventional – Christian – wisdom concerning human development as exemplified in Ann Radcliffe’s Female Gothic romances. Frankenstein shows that even though sociopolitical institutions have the power to corrupt individuals, the individuals have the responsibility to act according to their conscience.Show less
This thesis explores the web-series Frankenstein, MD, an adaptation for YouTube of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein set in contemporary times. This provides the opportunity for a modern-day...Show moreThis thesis explores the web-series Frankenstein, MD, an adaptation for YouTube of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein set in contemporary times. This provides the opportunity for a modern-day interpretation of the story in which the themes of Shelley's critique on her society, the position of women in that society, the dangers of knowledge, and the idea of the 'monster' are still relevant. Although the series and its critique appears flawed, it shows that Shelley's story is still relevant today.Show less
Gothic Literature forms an important piece of the foundation of feminism and gender-equality movements that are existent today; throughout the centuries literature has been a vehicle for commentary...Show moreGothic Literature forms an important piece of the foundation of feminism and gender-equality movements that are existent today; throughout the centuries literature has been a vehicle for commentary (even in times when outright protest could be dangerous), and the Gothic is no exception. As such, Gothic Literature forms a representation of the society that formed its’ base, and a study of the gender roles as portrayed within the novels allows for an understanding of the gender roles within Gothic society- even more importantly, the novels of the time contain the bases of the changes that marked the period. The writers of the Gothic commented on the old patriarchy through their prevalently male adversaries warring against young heroines, and called for a new form of patriarchy that would rid women of the sometimes violent oppressions they suffered under outdated notions of gender roles. The heroines of the Gothic as such become the embodiment of a new generation of women that treaded outside their traditional sphere, demanding education and rights, even if remaining under the protection of their fathers and husbands. This commentary on patriarchy, and the representation of proto-feminism in Gothic Literature will form the core of my research, and this thesis.Show less
