Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein written in 1818 is a novel about scientist Victor Frankenstein who brings a creature to life, and the journey of the two from the monsters creation to their demise. Many interpretations and readings have been attributed to this novel, all of which apply a different understanding to the meaning of the text, the themes and the characters. The notion of the monster and the pursuit of knowledge in a slowly globalising world is prevalent throughout the novel and will be explored later on with a direct analysis drawn from the two theories of Post Modernism and Marxism. Marxism a theory and ideology first brought about in 1848 with the publication of the Communist Manifesto, aimed to “bring about a classes society,
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“Like the proletariat, the monster is denied a name and an individuality.” (Moretti) Moretti uses Marxism to define what it is to be a monster, he uses Marxist characteristics to decipher who the monster is. “often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion.” (Frankenstein) Like the proletariat, the monster was created by others who thought themselves above the others, once Victor creates this monster he is determined to kill him almost immediately, only to abandon him instead. The idea that the Monster was stronger than its maker also goes back to the unbalanced numbers of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, the fact that these ‘commoners’ outnumbered the noble class made the distinction all the more worse. The essence of Marxism is to have a classless society, through the Monsters journey to learn to become human like his master, Shelley shows the struggle for this achievement and with a Marxist lens she also shows that it is not always an achievable goal. "That is also my victim!" Oh, Frankenstein! now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovest. Alas! he is cold, he cannot answer me." (Frankenstein). The monster, in his final words make it clear that the struggle to be free from hierarchy comes with consequences, in this example it is the death of both master and monster, in their deaths they are equal. Similarly, the first key idea of postmodernism is the state of global culture dominated by new cultures, the link to Frankenstein is in its relation to science and to an extent, globalisation. Written in 1818 Frankenstein saw the early products that globalisation
“Like the proletariat, the monster is denied a name and an individuality.” (Moretti) Moretti uses Marxism to define what it is to be a monster, he uses Marxist characteristics to decipher who the monster is. “often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion.” (Frankenstein) Like the proletariat, the monster was created by others who thought themselves above the others, once Victor creates this monster he is determined to kill him almost immediately, only to abandon him instead. The idea that the Monster was stronger than its maker also goes back to the unbalanced numbers of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, the fact that these ‘commoners’ outnumbered the noble class made the distinction all the more worse. The essence of Marxism is to have a classless society, through the Monsters journey to learn to become human like his master, Shelley shows the struggle for this achievement and with a Marxist lens she also shows that it is not always an achievable goal. "That is also my victim!" Oh, Frankenstein! now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovest. Alas! he is cold, he cannot answer me." (Frankenstein). The monster, in his final words make it clear that the struggle to be free from hierarchy comes with consequences, in this example it is the death of both master and monster, in their deaths they are equal. Similarly, the first key idea of postmodernism is the state of global culture dominated by new cultures, the link to Frankenstein is in its relation to science and to an extent, globalisation. Written in 1818 Frankenstein saw the early products that globalisation