Frankenstein A Gothic Narrative Of Carnivorism Summary

A Gothic Narrative of Carnivorism In the article An Already Alienated Animality: Frankenstein as a Gothic Narrative of Carnivorism, Jackson Petsche claims that both the monsters corporeality and his vegetarian diet threaten the carnivorist and speciest social order which underscores human relations. “The very creation of the monster illustrates how notions of humans are called into question by the treatment of non-human animals.”(Petshe 3) Victor’s experiment to create life steam from his desire to have power over nature. How we treat animals defines our humanity. Victor’s lack of compassion towards animals and his monster is caused by the “need to place himself above and against non-humans.”(Petshe 4) In his early work Victor felt no remorse for the animals he dissected …show more content…
Maybe victor is seeing “his monster as he really is- as a being that contests the distinction between humans and animals.”(Petshe 7) This challenges the notion of Carnivorism because it closes he gap between animals and humans. Carnivorism depends on humans recognizing their superiority over animals to allow the consumption of their flesh to be natural. “In rejecting the food of man the monster rejects the system of carnivorism.”(Petshe 8) The monster’s vegetarian diet further alienates him from society. The monster rejects this diet because “he is composed of pieces of the food of man.”(Petshe 8) Carnivorism allows animals to be viewed as meat. The monster rejects he is a product of animals subjected to Carnivorism. The article states that he monster’s corporeality is a “decaying corpse that was in part meant to be consumed by humans.”(Petshe 9) The monster is made of both unconsumed flesh of animals and human parts. This combination threatens carnivorism because it bridges the gap between humans and animals. How could the monster consume meat that he himself is made