O’Hara 2QSQ 9:18:23
1.) “If a good seed falls into a man, it grows from him, since this man is its field, his heart is its tree, and his works are its fruits. Cannot a field that bears weeds be weeded and cleaned of this bad fruit, so that another, good seed can be planted in it…Every man is like a field, neither entirely good nor entirely bad, but of an uncertain kind…If a good seed falls into the field, and the soil receives it, it grows to be good. If a bad seed falls into the field and is received, it grows to be bad. Therefore it is not the soil of the field that decides the matter; it is neither good nor bad. It is like a body of water, coloured by the colours that falls on the water”(206).
Paracelsus, Writings on creation(1531-1538)
2.) “Evil thenceforth became my good. Urged thus far, I had no choice but to adapt my nature to an element which I had willingly chosen. The completion of my demoniacal design became an insatiable passion. And now it is ended; there is my last victim!”(186).
SYNTHESIZING COMMENT/ANALYSIS:
The first quote I chose is from Part II of our book “Frankenstein in Cultural Context,” under the selected excerpt from Paracelsus, Writings on Creation, which follows up on a novel by Wollstonecraft alluding to the importance of parenting, especially a mother figure, but also this idea that an individual is shaped by the evils that surround them in society and without guidance or love, evil penetrates. While Victor is considered the ‘parent’ of his Creature, Wollstonecraft, in her novel Maria and this excerpt from Paracelsus, both would point to that being one of the errors of Victor’s obsession with playing God. It was not considered natural for this type of creation, more in this era than perhaps today, where we adhere to less rigid definitions of parents. Still, I want to focus on the idea that these two passages highlight, which is the innate goodness of humankind that is just waiting to be received and cultivated. Adhering to some of the major themes explored in Frankenstein — compassion, connection/friendship, and perhaps family — showcases what disastrous and monstrous turns can arise. Frankenstein’s Creature has recognized and is capable of inner reflection of his past good self and the outside forces that pulled him down to where he even makes the connection that “the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil”(187). Like the field in the first source, the monster was this blank slate, awaiting the good seed that would then cultivate his goodness, yet all that awaited him was neglect, horror, and evil wrongdoings.
QUESTION:
Knowing that Victor has recounted in the early phases of his life the impeccable goodness and kindness of his parents, I wonder if we could bring this aspect of family and harmony with the rest of the world into play. Victor had the best of “good seeds” that shaped him into a genuinely good person. Yet, his mother’s death seems to play a role in his fall into the obsession/madness that resulted in his creation and disregard for the natural harmony between humans and nature. In other novels, such as the cultural context from Wollstonecraft’s novel and Paracelsus, the loneliness and neglect of his monster might be represented in a child growing up in abusive settings that make a point of their aptitude for later evil lifestyles. However, Shelley’s choice of a monster brings out a very different response as we get into ideas Cohen raised, such as the uncomfortable and suspense of not knowing how to feel about this uncategorizable figure.
PART 2: IN-CLASS WRITING RESPONSE (NAME:__________________)
