Analytical Essay on Frankenstein Perceptions of the Character

Analytical Essay on Frankenstein Perceptions of the Character In 1818, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was published and since then, it has become a tale that lives on in everybody. Beginning in the 1900s, comic books, movies, jokes, television shows, cartoons, and even cereal has been made because of Frankenstein. Since the very first film was made, in 1910 by Thomas Edison, several other movies have been created about this legend. In this essay, I will examine a few of the many popular films made and I will compare and contrast them to Mary Shelleys 1831 edition of Frankenstein. In the 19th century, there have been roughly 400 films that use the characters of Frankenstein and/or his monster(Carter 354). The first film adaptation consists of four scenes on one reel and is only a 16 minute silent film(Carter 355). Produced by Thomas Edison and Directed by Searle Dawley, the film has a very interesting scene. On Victor and Elizabeths wedding night the monster goes into the brides room where Elizabeth faints at the sight of him. The monster is seen looking into the mirror but the image gradually fades away. Victor is so overpowered by his love of Elizabeth that the monster cannot exist. Victor comes in and looks into the same mirror, but instead of seeing himself, he sees the reflection of the monster. As Victor focuses on the good in him, the reflection gradually changes back into Victor. The film ends with the embrace of Victor and Elizabeth, both relieved that the forces of evil have been conquered. Thomas Edison seen Shelleys novel as the forces between good and evil. Like most movies, the good guys always prevail. She did not have a typical, forces of goodness win, Victor and Elizabeth live happily ever after, ending. The only people that survive in her novel are Walton and the monster. Mary Shelley obviously was not trying to show us that the good outweighs the bad in every situation. In 1931, Universal Pictures presented us with not only Dracula but also Frankenstein. Director, James Whale, based this film on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein but it does not follow it very well. He makes us feel sympathy for the monster as Shelleys novel does also. Shelley has the monster strangle his victims after he realizes that he cannot live normally in society and wants to get revenge on Victor. He knows exactly what he is doing. In Whales film, he hangs Fritz, the hunchback assistant that taunts him with fire, and he strangles the Doctor after he tries killing him. He is only killing out of self-defense. Then, he drowns Maria in the pond only to see if she would float like the flowers did. She did not. It is odd though that in the book he actually saves a drowning girl and strangles everyone else, and in the movie he breaks peoples neck, hangs them, and drowns them. James Whale decides to keep Walton out of the film but he adds a Dr. Waldman. Walton/Waldman, sounds a lot alike. He also has Victor as the friend and Henry as the mad scientist that creates the monster. Boris Karloff plays the monster in Frankenstein. In the opening credits of the film, he is uncredited as the monster (Young). In the beginning credits titled The Players the monster is listed fourth, with a question mark after its name. Then, in the end credits where the cast list is prefaced by Ð £a good cast is worth repeating (Frankenstein), the monster is listed fourth with Boris Karloffs name following. Why does Whale decide to do this? This is the series that really launched Karloffs acting career (Young). Like the monster, no one really gave him any credit. That was until he played the gruesome monster in Frankenstein. So, at the beginning they do not include him as an actor. Then, they question his ability with a question mark, and finally, they give him credit at the end. In 1935, Whale makes a sequel to Frankenstein, and names it the Bride of Frankenstein. At the end of Frankenstein, Henry Frankenstein ends up burning the windmill with the monster in it, but in the sequel they tell it differently. It starts out with Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron discussing the novel Shelley wrote. Mary Shelley says, The publishers did not see that my purpose was to write a moral lesson: the punishment that befell on mortal men who dared to emilate god (Bride of Frankenstein). James Whale tries to put Mary Shelley into this movie as much as he can. He even gives the Frankenstein family a servant names Mary in the movie. The thirst for knowledge was definitely a major theme in Shelleys novel, and in Kennith Branaghs 1997 film, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, he makes it very evident. Unlike Whale, Branagh decides to keep Walton in the movie. At the beginning, Walton is portrayed as a man who is so set on getting what he wants. He does not care if he risks everyones lives on the ship as long as he proceeds north with his accomplishments (Branagh). Only after Victor tells him his story does he decide to turn around and go home. Branagh is faithful to Shelleys novel more so than the other movies but still goes off track a lot. He has Victors mother die giving birth to her child. This is very ironic since Mary Shelleys own mother dies giving birth to her. That very same day Elizabeth is introduced into the plotline. Branagh noticed Victors obsession with replacing his mother with Elizabeth in Shelleys novel. He does it again when, like the novel, he has a dream that he is kissing Elizabeth but instead holds the corpse of his mother (Zakharieva 421). In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Victor does not attempt to make a creature for the monster, but for himself. He makes a creature out of Justine and Elizabeth both of whom love Frankenstein and are desired by the creature (Zakharieva 429). She must choose between them but she does not. Instead she kills herself so she does not have to choose at all. So, not only was Victor acting as god by creating her without a woman, but the creature he created was too by taking her own life, and deciding her own fate. In Whales the Bride of Frankenstein, the bride is terrified by the monster and chooses Henry Frankenstein before he burns the place down. This brings up Elizabeth Youngs argument about the gender triangle between two rivalrous men and one woman. Young argues that Whales film Characteristically invokes its third (female) term only in the interests of the original rivalry and works finally to get rid of the woman (Young). To simplify it she says that Elizabeth is Henry Frankensteins bride. But, Dr. Praetorious triumphantly names the female monster as the Bride of Frankenstein (Bride of Frankenstein). So, there are now two brides of Frankenstein. Also, actress Elsa Lanchester, plays both Mary Shelley at the beginning with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and she plays the bride. Here, she is not two women, but only one. So, Mary Shelley, Elsa Lanchester, Elizabeth Frankenstein, and the monsters mate are all Mrs. Frankenstein (Young). Young argues that the role of women therefore is not interchangeable in Bride of Frankenstein, but it is no one at all. The Mad Scientist theme is apparent in James Whales film. Henry Frankenstein is determined to create a human being. In the book Victor is so dedicated to his work that he does not tell a single soul about his experiments except for Walton, and that is only so he will continue in hunting the monster down and killing it. In the movies though, directors have given him assistants such as Fritz in the 1931, Frankenstein, and Igor in the 1974, Young Frankenstein. Shelley does not let Victor tell anyone, and no one even knows where he is half the time. In Kenneth Branaghs film, Victor does not meet Henry until he is away at school. Most of the time Henry knows everything that Victor is doing. Elizabeth actually travels to where Victor is and sees his laboratory that he is working in. She tells him that he cannot stay there, and Victor says that he has to. Elizabeth says, Even if it means you will die? and Victor says Yes (Branagh). Victor chooses death over his own life and better yet, over the monster not being created. In 1974 Mel Brooks directs the movie Young Frankenstein. He believes that scientists will never give up their attempts at bigger and better things and will always strive to do better than the last (Woodridge). Brooks has a young brain surgeon, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, inherit his grandfathers castle, which just happens to be Victor Frankenstein. He meets up with his assistant Igor, and together they create a human being after Frederick finds Victors diary in the castle. Mel Brooks really is not that far off the mark on scientists though. They kind of have to be like that in order to achieve everything they have so far. No one knows the exact risks that come with experimenting and in order to live life better we have to experiment. If we want to find a cure for cancer a few rats might have to die first and thousands of humans will die of cancer until some scientist out there finds a cure. Hundreds of astronauts had to risk their lives and crash their aircrafts before we finally bui lt one that would make it to the moon. Granted, this stuff has nothing to do with creating humans, but scientists are already trying to clone people. How does this make them any different from Victor Frankenstein? In the book titled Frankensteins Footsteps, author Jon Turney stresses that from its very first appearance in the 1818, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, it has taken on a life beyond the original book by being constantly retold in a variety of ways (Carter354). Frankenstein has been made into comedies such as the 1948, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and Al Adamsons 1971, Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Some directors have gone completely off track of the novel and created films like, Frankenstein: The College Years, Frankenweenie, and Frankenstein Island. In fact, Frankenstein is not even recognized as the last name of Victor anymore. The name Frankenstein is given to the monster now. No matter how many movies are created and how many translators try to translate Mary Shelleys classic novel, only one person holds the truth and that person has been dead for a very long time now. Im sure she is rolling in her grave now laughing at all the ways people have interpreted her book.

Free Printable Holiday Worksheets and Projects

Free Printable Holiday Worksheets and Projects Printables by Subject: Language Arts Math Science History Geography P.E., Health, Safety Nutrition Homeschool Forms Free holiday worksheets and activities for your students. Add these free printable holiday worksheets, activity pages and coloring pages to your homeschool day. Back to School Printables Black History Month - Famous Firsts Christmas:~ Christmas Symbols Printables~ Twelve Days of Christmas Printables~ Santa and Other Traditions Printables~ Christmas - Nativity Printables Cinco de MayoColumbus Day Printables Earth Day Easter:~ Easter~ Easter - religious Fathers Day Coupon Book and PrintablesFlag Day PrintablesFourth of JulyGroundhog Day Printables Halloween Printables Hanukkah Kwanzaa Labor Day Printables Mardi Gras Printables Martin Luther King, Jr Printables Memorial Day Printables Mothers Day Coupon Book and Printables New Years Printables Passover Presidents Day:~ George Washington~ Abraham Lincoln St. Patricks Day Thanksgiving Printables Valentines Day~ Valentines Day~ Valentines Day Cards~ Valentines Day Coupon Book for Kids Veterans Day Printables Womens History Month - Famous Firsts Seasons: SpringSummerFallWinter

War in Darfur Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War in Darfur - Article Example They are given complete impunity for looting and destruction as long as they ensure the government’s interests in Darfur. The main interest of the government is the land in Darfur. The Darfur natives identify Ali Kosheib as the commander of the Janjaweed unit which is responsible for looting and burning their properties. He calls himself the government and uses the government machinery like weapons and vehicles when he goes looting. The government allows the militia to smuggle gum Arabic as part of their compensation. It also helps them extort resources from the public by organizing Government-sponsored â€Å"reconciliation conferences† where the Janjaweed militia demands huge payoffs to prevent further attacks. The Darfur conflict intensifies more with attempted peace efforts. There have not been proposed peace efforts addressing the main issues which cause war in Darfur and this leads to rejection of such proposals. International initiatives of peace in Sudan are disconnected from Darfur and instead they are concentrated in other areas which allow the militia to divide and conquer minimizing the chances of peace in Darfur. Peace in Darfur can only be propagated by internationally-backed peace initiatives which will address the core issues and resolve the conflict once and for all. Otherwise, some population of Darfur will continue to be wiped out as their land is taken and their property destroyed while nothing is being done about it. In my opinion, this article presented the accurate situation on the ground of what is happening in Darfur. Despite reports from the UN that the war in Darfur is no more; their citizens continue to flee their country in search for peaceful places to stay in other countries as refugees. This article also gives evidence of interviewed nationals who have witnessed the militia loot, burn and kill people while using government vehicles. I totally agree with the author of