Frankenstein

Jumping into the semester late, I attempted the first class's material first and read Frankenstein.  I did not finish it, but I got most of the way through.  Given the countless derivative works that branched from the central idea of this classic novel, I am surprised how little of the original story has survived in modern renditions.  I have no doubt that film adaptations had a greater impact than the book.  I found the writing a bit biblical, dry, and hard to follow, but I have always held a fascination with Pinocchio stories, by which I mean stories in which humans create life from something inanimate and must then deal with the ramifications.  Rather than the older notion of a golem made of clay, wood, or stone, Frankenstein seems to be original in its featuring of a flesh golem made from parts of dead bodies which is brought to life with science rather than magic, which is the primary aspect of the story that is reflected upon most.  This may be simply because it is frightening to think of scientists digging up graves for such a nefarious cause, but I like to think that the idea of a scientifically resurrected flesh golem resonates with us because it seems oddly plausible relative to other golem stories.

I found the part where Frankenstein's monster recanted his upbringing fascinating and deeply thought provoking, putting the reader in the mind of an essentially inhuman creature observing humans without any foreknowledge and trying to learn their ways.  It really goes into great detail and unfolds a very compelling background story behind the family he observes.  I think it may have been interesting if the entire recantation were puled from the novel and modified to be read as an independent short story from the perspective of the monster.  

I found Dr. Frankenstein to be a much less relatable and sensible character than his monster, having succeeded in his mad ambition of creating life only to abandon and condemn it immediately and spend the remainder of his life trying to escape from it, causing tons of problems that would have been easily avoided if he had simply taken professional responsibility for his endeavors from the beginning.  I have a hard time understanding why Dr. Frankenstein behaves the way he does, but at the time this work was written, when high technology and philosophical science fiction had not so deeply permeated the culture, I suppose that fear alone may be a sufficient explanation for his erratic behavior.