Goya's Saturno Devorando a Su Hijo (Saturn Devouring His Son)
Why do you think the creature refers to Paradise Lost and Adam when he refers to himself? Why is Paradise Lost the creature's frame of reference?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Paradise Lost
I found a relatively interesting article that discusses the connection between Milton's Paradise Lost and Shelley's Frankenstein. You can find it here.
Why do you think the creature refers to Paradise Lost and Adam when he refers to himself? Why is Paradise Lost the creature's frame of reference?
Why do you think the creature refers to Paradise Lost and Adam when he refers to himself? Why is Paradise Lost the creature's frame of reference?
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ReplyDeleteMr. Ferencz, I have to say... that picture is freaky... However to answer the question i think that the creature in Frankenstein feels himself as being a new creation to the land and how he had capabilities nobody else had before. Maybe even that he could make something of himself like Adam did. I did not get the second question though.
ReplyDeleteWilson Lin-
ReplyDeleteI agree with Daniel, that picture looks like a giant zombie eating a human. Back to the question.... The creature refers himself to Adam because they both began with limited knowledge. The creature sought to know more, so he played with the fire. Adam kept asking the angel Rapheal about the world. Their curiousity eventually gets them in trouble. Adam and Eve eats the Apple of The Tree of Life and gets banished from the Garden of Eden. The creature kills someone and feels guilty.
The creature uses Paradise Lost as his frame of reference because he is similar to Adam in the way that they are both the first of their kinds and are very curious of the world. Their curiosity leads them to tempteion which leads to pain
ReplyDeleteThe creature refers to Paradise Lost and Adam when he refers to himself because both went through similar kinds of hardships. They showed that knowledge is painful and curiosity and temptation will lead to you hurting yourself. After Adam and Eve ate the apple, the learned all about lust, shame, and distrust and they lost their innocence. After the creature sought to learn from books and observation, he was upset because of what he was missing (love, care, trust, etc.)
ReplyDeleteThe creature says “I ought to be thy Adam” (114) to Frankenstein, stating the fact that he should be treated more mercifully, similar to the way that Adam was treated by God. The creature envies that Adam “had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator,” (153) while he was “wretched, helpless, and alone” (153). Paradise Lost is the creature’s frame of reference because while he was reading it, the many stories “excited different and far deeper emotions” (153) within him. He often refers the situations from Paradise Lost to his own mainly because that the characters had started out just like him, but had ended up much wiser and intelligent because of the care of their Creator. They were also all pained when they started to acquire knowledge.
ReplyDelete@Anisha: I agree with you on the knowledge because all of the characters (Adam, Eve, the creature, even Frankenstein) are pained when the acquire knowledge.
The creature refers to Adam when he refers to himself because he wants Frankenstein to guide him as God guided Adam. Unlike the creature, Adam had God to instruct him on what to do and what not to do. The creature indicates his longing for guidance and acceptance when he says "He (Adam) had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guardedby the especial care of his Creator...but I was wretched, helpless and alone." (153)The creature uses Paradise Lost as his frame of reference because his situation corresponds with Adam's to a certain degree. Both the creature and Adam were the first of their kind situated in a world they knew little about. They were both curious and they both acquired knowledge at a price. Adam realizes he is naked and has shame while the creature realizes the kinds of emotions he is unable to obtain.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the picture that you all decry as "freaky" is Saturn Devouring His Son. How is Frankenstein a text where the father is "devouring" his son. And yes, it is a creepy picture. Goya is a brilliant artist.
ReplyDeleteThe creature referred himselve as Adam because both their creators eventually rejects their creation, creature being rejected by Victor and Adam rejected by god. They are both left on their own to fend for themselves with no one to guide them.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Mr. Ferencz's question about fathers devouring their sons, we discussed in class about the idea of paternal rejection. It is a big reoccurring theme in Frankenstein. We see paternal rejection from Frankenstein to the creature, and even from Frankenstein's own father to him. For example, when Frankenstein's father criticizes him for reading the works of Agrippa. Also, an obvious example, is when the creature is first created and Frankenstein flees in feer and shame. Although no one in Frankenstein is literally "devouring" their children, we see the same general idea through paternal rejection.
ReplyDeleteI think that the creature refers to himself as Adam is because both sought knowledge. Adam ate the fruit of the Tree of Life. Likewise, the creature sought knowledge via the De Lacey family, the acquirement of books, etc. Both were pained by the burden of knowledge after having it. The creature refers to Paradise Lost because he his lust for knowledge gave him hardships. He also wished to be treated more gently like how God treated Adam.
ReplyDelete