Frankenstein, or, the Folly of Man

I should have read this book and not just listened to the audio book, but audio books allow listening while cooking dinner or otherwise multitasking.  But for this book my engagement and retention of the story suffered as various long self-bemoaning passages faded into white noise.  For all of that Frankenstein contains some beautiful prose.

The feedback on my essay was generally inconclusive, though overall more positive than negative.  Some reviewers felt that my thesis and essay were clear and concise, that my writing showed "keen element of understanding of the plot weaved by Mary Shelley" and was thought provoking.  Others felt my writing was too simplistic and in need of focus.  Considering my lack of focus while reading/listening to the text, I think such criticisms are more than fair.

Frankenstein is a story about the folly of man, in the dangers of technological innovation without thought for repercussions.  Frankenstein's monster is the result of technology executed with truly the best of intentions, inspired by the death of the doctor's mother and a desire to reduce human suffering (ch.2 & 3).  Dr. Frankenstein is "seeking the mysteries of creation," looking to expand the bounds of science rather than following alchemy's search for "immorality and power" (ch.3).  However he single-mindedly pursues his goal and ended up horrified by his own creation, the doctor tells us that he "will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I was, to your destruction" (ch.4), and that the monster was "beautiful" except for his eyes (ch.5).

The end result of this monomania on the part of Dr. Frankenstein is torment and loss.  He creates a new form of life, a one of a kind that desires to belong, that feels and thinks, but is shunned and feared by all.  The monster demands a mate, for he is "shunned and hated by all of mankind" so that he may have one companion whom he can share his life with (ch.17).  In fact the fear and disgust of those he encounters teaches the creation to refer to himself as evil (ch.9).  The results of the doctor's actions in creating his 'monster' are the deaths of those close to him.  Not only that, but his prometheus itself suffers greatly in its existence and of the betrayal and abandonment by Frankenstein (ch.24).

No moral ramifications were considered in the creation of the monster, simply one man's fervor and obsession.  The result of Frankenstein's folly is tragedy, the result of invention without thought.

FEEDBACK
FORM (2)

peer 1 → This is good but there were a few typo's.

 

peer 2 → Very well, the essay has a good structure, nice thesis and conclusions.

 

peer 3 → More attention could be devoted to spelling and grammar. For instance, in the first sentence, the word 'of' needed to succeed the word 'dangers'. Other than that the arguments are very neat, clean and to the point.

 

peer 4 → Form and structure of this essay are well presented and clearly stated. The grammar and word usage is correct. The writer clearly stated the thesis and defended it properly with various quotes from the book. I found one error possibly, "in the dangers (of) technological innovation. Otherwise very proper thesis.

CONTENT (2)

peer 1 → This is good but does not seem to have a clear focus. Also, I am not sure that Frankenstein was motivated by loss. I think his motivation was self agrandismant and by the love of pure scientific advancement.

 

peer 2 → I like the essay in spite of the fact that it is too simple. You didn’t make any inventions and sometimes only scratch the surface. If you write for people who haven’t read Frankenstein, it’s ok, but all of your peers have read the book, and I’m not very interested in retelling the story. I want you to show deeper understanding.

 

peer 3 → There is a keen element of understanding of the plot weaved by Mary Shelley. The notion of an invention without any social or moral ramifications is though provoking indeed.

 

peer 4 → The content is insightful and persuasive. The text supports the argument. I also learned a new word. The thesis is stated and defended and I took to the same thought process while reading this book.