Frankenstein Comparison
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Frankenstein Comparison Essay
Humans fear the unknown, because of their unwillingness to accept outsiders. While much less dramatic than Frankenstein, in Girl, the main character begins to resent her parents and even herself simply because of who she is, similarly in the case of Frankensteins monster, the monster develops a deep hatred for himself and his creator. Unlike the author of Girl, however, Mary Shelley chooses a much more violent tone. Her monster ends up killing many of Dr. Frankensteins loved ones and even indirectly causes the death of more. As the Monster in Frankenstein and Jamaica Kincaid in Girl both experience the corrosive effects of being the victims of prejudice Mary Shelley uses an elegiac tone to show these effects while Stephanie Vaughn uses a more exploitive tone however, both convey the disastrous effects of scornful discrimination.
Mary Shelleys use of an ever darkening tone creates a very lithesome and fearful sense. “I beheld the wretch– the miserable monster whom I had created” (Shelly 59). Mary Shelleys use of tone throughout her novel exquisitely demonstrates the burden that the Monster feels from being labeled an outcast, each time that the monster is rejected by society the entire mood seems to darken. From the moment that the monster is conceived it is labeled “not good” by its own creator solely because of its appearance, not because of its personality. “I had none to support me; all looked on me as a wretch doomed to ignominy and perdition. What could I do? In an evil hour I subscribed to a lie; and now only am I truly miserable” (Shelley 97). As I said before upon each act of discrimination the tone of Frankenstein seemed to darken, at the same time the retaliation by the monster seemed more and more extreme. The monster desired vengeance on Dr. Frankenstein for creating him, and tried to hurt him as bad as he had been hurt by murdering his family members. The desire for acceptance, love, and companionship that the monster had showed its sensitivity and capacity for compassion yet it is never given a chance to express these feelings, simply because of its appearance.
“This is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming; this is how you iron your fathers khaki shirt so that it doesnt have a crease; this is how”( Vaughn 305). Vaughn uses the repetition of “this is how” to create her desired tone, that being the repetitive, boring child hood that was Jamaica Kincaids. There is no sense of sentimentality or compassion towards the girl from her mother during the story.
“… This is how to love a man, and if this doesnt work there are other ways, and if they dont work dont feel bad about giving up…” (Vaughn 305). This quote shows that the girls