Marilyn Monroe is one of Hollywood’s most famed actresses and sex symbols. Typically cast in the “dumb-blonde” roles, Monroe’s true personality and intelligence was not reflected in the stereotypical characters she portrayed. Despite her fame and popularity, Monroe faced numerous struggles throughout her life until her death, an apparent suicide by drug overdose, in 1962. In this sense, she was actually quite similar to Frankenstein’s monster from the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. The monster is brought to life by Victor Frankenstein only to be abandoned moments after his creation. Desperate to find companionship and make sense of the world, the monster ventures off on his own, only to be shunned by society because of unnatural …show more content…
In a desperate attempt to cure her depression and anxiety, Monroe resorted to drugs and eventually became addicted (Henrikson). This drug addiction led to Monroe’s apparent suicide caused by a drug overdose in 1962 (History.com Staff). Despite facing this long list of struggles, Monroe continued acting and even got professional help. In 1961, Monroe admitted herself to the Payne-Whitney Clinic in New York, but soon transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (Doll). Several conspiracy theories have arisen over the decades regarding Monroe’s apparent suicide, some claim that her psychiatrists messed up her prescription and killed her accidentally (Henrikson). One of the most popular theories is that she was murdered by the Kennedys after a rumor emerged saying that she had a “brief fling” with President John F. Kennedy (Henrikson). Regardless of whether these theories are true, Monroe was an incredible woman with amazing “strength and resilience” to be able to accomplish all that she did, despite the struggles she faced.
Frankenstein’s monster is actually quite similar to Monroe in the sense that he also faced many difficulties throughout his short life. The monster’s struggles begin the moment he is created when Victor Frankenstein, filled with “breathless horror and disgust”, flees from the monster
Victor Frankenstein created life, a monster that was born into this world with no purpose, and no one to love. He did not even have a name, he was called a monster from the start. Just like a normal human baby, he came to life not knowing anything, and had to learn from his surroundings. Just like a person, he watched and learned from others, and tried to understand the world and the people in it. From that, the monster understood that he just wants to find a life for himself, and not be viewed as an evil monster, but there are many things that are preventing that. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the author portrays Frankenstein’s monster as a friend through details in his character and his outlook on life.
Many timeless novels have impacts on our everyday culture, not only as a book, but also through music or movies. Many popular novels have multiple adaptations, which shape how we approach their interpretation, in ways we may never even notice. In some films, humans are depicted as monsters, whether through their actions, or through the thoughts of other beings. In these films we find issues with our own society, and in turn see ourselves as monsters, and look for ways we can change, for the better. One particular novel that influences this side of Hollywood is Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein”. The ways Frankenstein influences pop culture can be seen in science fiction films in which humans are depicted as monster, and “monsters” are seen as
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, illustrates an interesting story focusing in on many different themes, but what most readers may miss, is the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the creature he created. As the story develops, one may pick up on these similarities more and more. This is portrayed through their feelings of isolation, thirst for revenge, their bold attempt to play god, and also their hunger to obtain knowledge. These are all displayed through a series of both the actions and the words of Frankenstein and his creature.
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein creates a creature, stronger and better than humans in every way except his looks. After Frankenstein abandons him, the Creature meets the De Lacey’s, a nice little family that indirectly teach him how to read and write. In truth, the Creature only becomes a monster after the hatred that Felix, one of the De Lacey’s, shows him. Before, he had done nothing wrong, but afterwards, all he did was fall down a slippery slope.
The novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley involves the complex issues with the creation of life through an inanimate life. Shelley uses these character archetypes to develop a deeper meaning of the characters intentions. Shelley does an excellent job at allowing the reader to have a peak at the characters inner thoughts and feelings. The archetypes presented in Frankenstein allow readers to identify with the character's role and purpose.
Like most horror stories, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a wretched monster who terrorizes and kills his victims with ease. However, the story is not as simple as it seems. One increasingly popular view of the true nature of the creature is one of understanding. This sympathetic view is often strengthened by looking at the upbringing of the creature in the harsh world in which he matures much as a child would. With no friends or even a true father, the creature can be said to be a product of society and its negative views and constant rejections of him. Although this popular view serves to lessen the severity of his crimes in most people’s eyes, the fact remains that the creature is in fact a cold-hearted wretch whose vindictive nature
The crime scene and how they found Monroe dead, in her own bed, is an enormous indication of who actually killed her. The Saturday night before she passed away, she did not go out with anyone, “By early next day she would be dead, found nude by her housekeeper, face down on her bed, clutching a telephone receiver, an empty bottle of Nembutal capsules at her side” (“Monroe’s last day”). Her housekeeper, Mrs. Murray, could not open the door so she immediately called Monroe’s psychiatrist, Dr. Greenson, because her light was still on and she was unaware of what was happening at the time. When Dr. Greenson arrived he had to take a poker from the fireplace and smash the window and climb in Monroe 's room. Once Dr. Greenson walked into Marilyn Monroe 's room he found her, “...nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand” (“Monroe found dead”). She may have just hung up the phone with her doctor saying she wanted to go for a
Throughout the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the creature is subjected to countless acts of violence and rejection. For a monster to develop, one must have been formerly exploited either by an individual or their society. The creature is not only a physical product of science, but his atrocious behavior is also an explicit result of Victor’s actions toward him. The creature was not born a monster, but slowly morphed into one as he experiences violence and rejection from his society.
Victor Frankenstein was well known for his “monster” that he created. He brought something to life by simply using his source of knowledge and materials that he had acquired, more specifically, body parts. Although it was a success, it all ended in tragedy. Both Victor Frankenstein and his creation were deceased by the end of the story. My prediction is that Victor Frankenstein’s legacy will live on and probably even inspire others to create as well. Many will try just like he did to create something that no one has before.
Thank you June for sharing your comments! I enjoyed learning many things about Frankenstein. I also enjoyed learning many things about evolution. Yes, science is involved with the laws of nature. Science does involve culture. Culture may be able to affect the society overall. Different cultures have a different way of living. Yes, some people may believe that it is good to earn power. Evolution does deal with organisms. Did you learn anything new while conducting your
In Mary Shelley's novel, Victor Frankenstein suffers an extreme psychological crisis following his violation of what is considered a fundamental biological principle. His creation of life undermines the role of women in his life and the role of sexuality, and allows existing misogynist and homosexual tendencies to surface. Victor represses what he has uncovered about himself, and it merges into a cohesive whole in his psyche that becomes projected on the instrument of revelation, the monster.
The above quote by Bloom is an explanation of the view that all the gothic novels are interpretation of psychological and social factors and this is especially true in the case of Mary Shelley. Shelley began her novel at the age of 18 when the most prominent materials in the consciousness and unconsciousness of Shelley were concerned with the conflicts stemming from the death of her mother. Frankenstein is the outcome of Shelley’s unresolved grief for the death of her mother which was the crisis she needed to work through to forget her own adult identity.
The Bride of Frankenstein A horror film is a film dominated by elements of horror. This film genre underestimates a number of sub-genres and repeated themes, such as slashed themes, vampire. Horror films are designed to frighten and panic that cause dread and alarm within our hearts, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying and shocking endings at the same time entertaining us with excitement and therapeutic experience. Most horror films are designed to show the dark side of life, the forbidden and strange events that take place within the society and our lives.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley is an author who wrote the novel of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley herself in her life, experienced many deaths of close friends and family. When she was first born her mother died, furthermore Mary had a baby, who died 12 days later and her husband Percy Shelly drowned. Maybe it was these experiences, which led Mary Shelley to write such a novel of great horror published in 1818. Frankenstein itself is called 'the modern Prometheus'.
In Frankenstein – A Critical Study from a Freudian Perspective, it compares the monster and Victor and concludes that the monster and Victor is the “mirror-inversion”, it states that they “both are intelligent and well educated, and both start out with the impulse to be good” (Johnson 3), for example: Victor is a “dutiful son and the monster in his efforts to help the de Lacey family”, and “Yet both end up as murderers, haunted and hunted by each other” (Johnson 3). I agree with this, Victor and the monster are like contradictory parts of a same person; the monster is active and energetic but also violent and cruel, it is like the evil side of Victor. And this is the reason that Victor constantly tries to get rid of the monster but fail to do so: the monster represents Victor’s dark side, and Victor can’t escape from his own negative thoughts. Moreover, every time when Victor makes the decision which relates to the monster, the monster is like a mirror that reflects Victor’s irresponsible, timid and selfish characters, and it’s the growing of these negative characters which lead Victor to frequently make the false decision. Overall, the monster makes Victor comes to a deep understanding of his characters: if Victor does not create the monster, he would never know how destructive his mind is; also,