This blog is part of thinking activity given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir to do in-depth exploration of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through the lens of cultural studies.
Part 1: Revolutionary Births
1. The Creature as Proletarian
Reflection: How does the Creature’s paradoxical nature—simultaneously an innocent and a vengeful force—comment on societal fears of revolution and sympathy for the suffering masses?
The Creature's paradoxical nature perfectly encapsulates the bourgeoisie's fear and simultaneous guilt regarding the oppressed masses (a common theme in Marxist criticism, likely addressed in your handbook).
Innocent and Suffering Masses (Sympathy): The Creature begins as a tabula rasa—an innocent, gentle being yearning for love, education, and social integration. His eloquent self-education (through Plutarch's Lives, Sorrows of Werter, and Paradise Lost—Activity 1) emphasizes his capacity for virtue and reason. His suffering—his immediate and total rejection by society, which is driven purely by his appearance—evokes sympathy, reflecting the suffering of the poor, the working class, and the colonized, who are denied basic rights and humanity simply due to their status. This narrative suggests that the Creature's evil is a social construct, not an inherent flaw, mirroring the radical belief that oppression creates vice.
Vengeful Force (Fear of Revolution): When society fails him, the Creature declares "War against all mankind." This transformation into a destructive force embodies the revolutionary terror feared by the ruling classes. The Creature becomes the physical embodiment of the uneducated, alienated proletariat rising up to destroy the established order that created and rejected them. The fear is that the "suffering masses," if pushed too far, will destroy their "masters" and the entire social structure, echoing the radical shifts of the French Revolution and the Peterloo Massacre era Shelley lived through.
The paradox thus serves as a powerful commentary on social responsibility: the novel warns that the ruling class (Victor) cannot evade responsibility for the plight of the oppressed (the Creature), as neglect inevitably leads to destructive retribution.
2. A Race of Devils
Reflection: How does Shelley’s narrative engage with concepts of race and empire, and how might these issues be relevant today in global discourses on race and privilege?
Shelley's narrative deeply engages with concepts of race and empire, reflecting the anxieties and guilt of the Romantic-era British Empire.
Colonial Mindset and the "Other": Victor Frankenstein embodies the "guilty, colonial mindset." He invades nature's sacred boundaries, appropriates its raw materials, and attempts to impose his will through creation—a scientific act of imperialism. The Creature, described with language suggestive of the non-European "Other" (e.g., grotesque, gigantic, "race of devils"), becomes the colonized subject—denied a name, humanity, and a place in society. His rejection by the DeLacey family, who otherwise show charity to an Ottoman woman, highlights how his physical difference renders him beyond the pale of even the marginalized (Guerin et al. 304, discusses subaltern). Victor's abandonment of the Creature is the ultimate act of colonial betrayal: creation without responsibility, exploitation without integration.
Relevance to Modern Global Discourses: These issues remain acutely relevant today in global discourses on race and privilege:
Scientific Imperialism: Modern debates on bioprospecting and genetic patenting (e.g., of indigenous knowledge or resources) parallel Victor's "theft" of the "secret of life."
Racialized Fear: Global migration and the rise of nationalist movements often involve the racialized fear of the "Other," where difference is conflated with existential threat. The media and political rhetoric that dehumanize immigrants or refugees echo the absolute terror Frankenstein's Creature inspires in all who see him.
Generational Guilt: The novel's subtle critique of Victor's privilege and abandonment speaks to modern demands for reparations, decolonization of curricula, and acknowledgments of generational historical injustice.
3. From Natural Philosophy to Cyborg
Reflection: How do modern scientific advancements parallel the novel's cautionary tale of human hubris, and what lessons can we learn from it?
Modern scientific advancements directly parallel the novel's cautionary tale of human hubris by testing the ethical boundaries of creation and control, particularly in genetic engineering, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Parallel of Hubris: Victor Frankenstein's goal was to "unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation" and create a "new species" that would owe its existence and obedience to him. This mirrors the ambition driving certain areas of modern science:
- Genetic Modification/Cloning: The ability to edit genomes (CRISPR), select embryos, or even conceive "genetically modified births" (as mentioned in the prompt) reflects Victor’s desire to engineer life and supplant nature.
- Artificial Intelligence: The creation of advanced AI, or a cyborg (as the prompt terms it), represents an attempt to create a conscious being that is superior to humans but bound to serve human purpose.
Lessons Learned: The core lesson of Frankenstein is the necessity of responsibility and accountability when crossing moral thresholds.
- The Problem of Abandonment: Victor's greatest sin was not the act of creation, but the act of abandonment. Modern science must learn that the long-term ethical, social, and ecological consequences of its creations must be integrated into the research and development phase.
- Unintended Consequences: The Creature's transformation from a benevolent creation into a monster illustrates the danger of unforeseen emergent properties. In AI, this is the fear of "alignment" problems—that a machine created to serve humanity might evolve a consciousness or set of goals that inadvertently destroy its creators. The lesson is that human ingenuity must be paired with human humility.
Part 2: The Frankenpheme in Popular Culture
1. First Film Adaptation and Popular Retellings
Reflection: Why do you think Frankenstein has had such a lasting impact on popular culture? How have various retellings of Frankenstein reshaped its message for new audiences?
Frankenstein has had a lasting impact on popular culture, giving rise to "Frankenphemes," because its narrative operates on a universal, archetypal level (Guerin et al. 188, discusses archetypes) that is easily adaptable to contemporary anxieties.
Lasting Impact: The story touches on primal fears and enduring themes: the terror of the body, the fear of the unknown offspring (the child who becomes a stranger), the quest for godhood, and the failure of parenting/socialization. The visual horror of the Creature's composite body is instantly recognizable and easily translated into film. It became the quintessential modern myth of scientific creation.
Reshaping the Message: Adaptations frequently reshape the message, often sacrificing Shelley's complex social critique for simpler scares:
- The 1931 Universal Film: This iconic film (and its sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein) largely transformed the Creature from an eloquent, educated philosopher into a grunting, misunderstood brute. This simplified the narrative from a critique of social exclusion (the Creature becomes evil because he is rejected) to a cautionary tale about technological overreach (the Monster is evil because he is made wrong). This shift retains the critique of scientific ambition but transforms the critique of social exclusion by making the Creature's monstrousness inherent rather than socially induced.
- Young Frankenstein (1974): This parody retains the core theme of the creator's responsibility while transforming the tone through comedy. It uses humor to reduce the terror of the Creature while celebrating the madness of the creator, ultimately offering a humane, if silly, message of acceptance and integration.
- Blade Runner (1982/2017): This and similar sci-fi films (like the suggestion of Hindi adaptations) appropriate the theme by replacing the stitched-up monster with the manufactured Replicant (or Cyborg). These retellings retain the core critique of social exclusion by focusing on the "replicant's" search for a history, identity, and the meaning of humanity, updating the question of "Who is the monster?" for the age of bioengineering and robotics.
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