What part of the scholarly essay would you focus on if you were giving a lecture on the material to the class?
Create a heading describing your focus, a few bullet points beneath it (they can include quotations) and, finally, a question about the material you would use to generate discussion.
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ENLIGHTENMENT IN FRANKENSTEIN
-Enlightenment era: an intellectual movement in Europe during the 17th to 19th centuries
-The Enlightenment era popularized the discipline of science, as well as humanity and religion
-”Frankenstein’s narrative of his own life confirms his role as a son of the Enlightenment intent on the conquest of nature’s secrets” (Bate 50)
-”Frankenstein’s education re-enacts the history of European science, as he progresses from alchemical fancy to sceptical Enlightenment… to modern chemistry(Bate 50).
-”Frankenstein frequently uses a language of light-bringing – of Enlightenment – in describing his task…the Creature’s first motion is the opening of a ‘dull yellow eye’ seen ‘by the glimmer of the half extinguished light’”(Bate 51).
Discussion question: How does the title “Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus” relate to the theme of Enlightenment?
Enlightenment in Mary Shelley ” Frankenstein”
– Do Now : What is enlightenment?
Enlightenment is a period ( 17 and 19 century) where manufacturing and a new way for people to live. It often called a ” age of reason” since a lot of philosophers wanted to make rational changes to the world at that time.
– ” Frankenstein education re-enacts the history of Europeans science, as he progress from alchemical fancy to skeptical Enlightenment” ( Bates,50)
– Mary Shelley uses enlightenment when describing the what he was doing in his quest in November(Bates, 51).
– ” Where Frankenstein is the representative of enlightenment man, the creature is an embodiment of the state of nature”( Bates,52)
Discussion Question: From the reading from Mary Shelly compare and contrast enlightenment to victor Frankenstein.
Enlightenment in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
– The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 17th to 19th centuries
– During this era many believed in the power by which humans understand the universe and improve their own condition
-”Frankenstein’s education re-enacts the history of European science, as he progresses from alchemical fancy to sceptical Enlightenment” (Bate, 50).
Discussion question: How does Frankenstein relate to the Enlightenment era?
Frankinstein relates enlightenment era in many ways.For starters when he was on his quest learning about science in his university. Victor re-enacts European science by moving from alchemical fancy to sceptical enlightenment. Also, by finding way to creating a creature part of enlightenment as well. I say this because it goes against nature and is an invention he wanted to see produce like many philosophers and scientists do
Response to Cynthia’s Question: How does Frankenstein relate to the Enlightenment era?
There are many ways in which Frankenstein relates to the Enlightenment era. John Bates even refers to Frankenstein as a representative of “Enlightenment” man (Bade,52). He is a science driven man and has been from a young age, he is interested in looking towards science to find the answers. This coincides with the Enlightenment era as it was a time where people were looking towards science and fact for answers rather than nature and religion etc. Frankenstein goes against nature in a sense through his creation of the Creature, which he is able to do through his knowledge of science.
Nature and Enlightenment
-the link between Agriculture and the division of labor and further, how this ties to war
-the process of the natural man becoming the “monster” only in relation to the enlightened man
-the femininity of nature
-“Enlightenment mastery is based on division. Knowledge is divided into categories, as in that archetypal enterprise of the eighteenth century, the encyclopaedia.”
-Mary Shelley’s decision to end Frankenstein in the arctic – “a place where divisions do not hold.”
? How does Frankenstein’s destruction of the female partner for the Creature relate to the concept of femininity of nature?
JAREEFAH:
Femininity and nature are often linked together. This is because femininity relates to maternity, of giving life, both nature and women are reproductive. Nature is maternal in this way, it is life, and this is why we say “Mother Nature” and why in ancient times, people believed that the Gods in charge of nature were actually Goddesses. Victor’s decision to destroy the work he has done on a new female version of the Creature is showing that there cannot be man-made nature. Nature is something that cannot be controlled and cannot be recreated. Victor already saw what happened when he committed his “first sin,” going against the laws of nature and creating a being without a “woman’s womb.” It resulted in many deaths, and he knew that he could not be responsible for this sin again. In fact, this would be a worse sin than the first time, because he would be going against the laws of nature to recreate reproduction.
Enlightenment vs Nature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
“The creature is thus identified with primitivism, with the state of nature, Frankenstein with cultivation, the state of Enlightenment”(Bade,50). Contrast between Frankenstein representing cultivation and invention which=enlightenment vs Creature representing being primal= nature. “Where Frankenstein is the representative of Enlightenment man, the Creature is the embodiment of the state of nature” (Bade,52).
Enlightenment=”conquest of nature’s secrets” (Bade,50). To be enlightened one must understand nature.
Frankenstein’s state of Enlightenment pushes him to pursue a new nature, the creature, such creation goes against nature itself (Bade,51).
Question: How do Nature and Enlightenment coincide with each other? How do they contrast each other?
In response to Victoria’s question: How do Nature and Enlightenment coincide with each other? How do they contrast each other?
In the beginning of the book, nature and the idea of Enlightenment coincide when Frankenstein witnesses a lightning storm and it encourages his interest in pursuing science. Nature and Enlightenment are also in contradiction with each other throughout the book because Frankenstein uses scientific knowledge to go against mother nature by creating a new being in an unnatural way. As Bate says, “by going against the natural process of generation, by making a child of his own without submission to the fecundity of a woman’s womb, he symbolically kills mother nature”(51).
Mary Shelley’s ” Frankenstein” as a tool for Enlightenment
– Frankenstein’s education as a representation of the transition from alchemy to modern science in European history of the 18-19th centuries (page 50, Bate)
– “Enlightenment proves to be endarkening” (page 51-52, Bate)
– “Enlightenment mastery is based on division” (page 54, bate)
Do you agree with Bate’s argument that Frankenstein is the true monster? Why or why not?
I agree that Frankenstein is the true monster. According to Bates “Frankenstein’s crime…has been to deny the principle of community…he breaks the contract of mutual dependency which binds species in a network of reciprocal relations. The attempt to cheat death through knowledge instead of intercourse is the novel’s original sin.” He had no concerns regarding humans. It never crossed his mind the consequences that could occur. He goes against nature in attempt to create a “super being”. “Frankenstein’s narrative of his own life confirms his role as a son of the enlightenment intent on the conquest of nature’s secrets.”(Bates.50) Subconsciously he is playing god because he can create life and take it away as we see when Frankenstein destroys the female monster. Victor goes against nature by creating the monster using his scientific knowledge which in ways would symbolize how a mother would create a child in her womb naturally. “By going against the natural process of generation, by making a child of his own without submission to the fecundity of a women’s womb, he symbolically kills mother nature.” (Bates. 51)
Enlightenment in Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein”
-“Frankenstein’s narrative of his own life confirmes his role as the son of the enlightenment intent on the conquest of natures secrets” (page 50, bate)
-The onset of Frankenstein’s higher education into the mastery of nature coincides with the death of his mother and his departure from home. Science is thus set in opposition to the female principles of maternity and natural landscape. The bond with both biological mother and mother nature is broken” (page 51 Bate)
-Science will remove all-natural aspects of how nature and enlightenment can differ and coincide a the same time. This causes Frankenstein to create his own nature where the need for any womb or mother figure is removed and therefore can remove nature itself.
Discussion question: Can Nature and Enlightenment remove the need for a female and maternal companion?
I disagree with Bate’s argument that Victor is a monster himself.
Bate suggests ” he pursues his dream of becoming….”the modern Prometheus”. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” that represents as Frankenstein convinced in the success of the result of his toil, but I think Victor didn’t expect that he will create a monster, and he just was obsessed with the idea of animating the dead body using his knowledge.
“Frankenstein initially denies the Creatures request on the grounds that the “joint wickedness” of the monster and his partner “might desolate the world”. Despite the fact that he was impressed by the story told by the monster, he first rejected his request to create a female body, but then still takes on its creation, and then again canceled this idea of creation, because he understands that in this way he can endanger humanity. On the one hand, we see that Victor is driven by his ambitions as a novice scientist, which he puts above moral principles. On the other hand, would it have been possible for Victor to create a monster if he had started by thinking about moral principles and consequences? As a scientist, this idea was important to him from the point of view of the possibility of its technical implementation.
Nature Vs Enlightenment:
-Define Enlightenment
-Define Nature
-How does Mary Shelley’s book begin with the Enlightenment quest to master nature?
-“Frankenstein’s narrative of his own life confirms his role as a son of the Enlightenment intent on the conquest of nature’s secrets” (Bates 50)
-“The close of Frankenstein offers an image of nature’s continuing power to resist the human quest for mastery” (Bates 54)
-Discussion Question: How does nature and enlightenment affect the development of the characters in the book?