Only after viewing it from these frames can the question be asked if he creation is simply evil, or if he is victimized and a misunderstood child. Then the author questions whether to call the creation a “creation” or a “monster”, and depicts how most people change the way they address him sometimes within the same sentence. Burt, Daniel S. “Frankincense. ” Bloom’s Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Par. 2014. In this article, Burt praises her for her genius and compelling literary work, Frankincense.
He claims that it’s her literary skills were quite overshadowed by her husband, as many thought he was the true mastermind behind her books, but Frankincense soon was realized by the new emergence of feminist criticism to be genius and a remarkable literary and intellectual contribution. Then it points out how the story was actually found in a competition between Shells and her husband for a late night horror story. Burt concluded that the creation’s murders might be a representation of Victor’s desires. Cross, Ashley J. “indelible Impressions’: Gender And Language In Mary Shelley Frankincense. Women’s Studies 27. 6 (1998): 547. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Par. 2014. In this article, Cross claims that Mary Shelley created her novel by use of gender and language. She claims that knowing and understanding language can overcome you with power, and empower you to become a monster. As Victor’s monster becomes accustomed with language, he deceivingly becomes more monstrous in the way he thinks. Also, gender roles are a big part of the novel, as the monster is not necessarily deemed male or female, as it was too gruesome to look like an ordinary man or woman.
It also goes into the background of the status of women and Mary Shelley in the time that she wrote the book. Dickerson, Vanessa D. “The Ghost Of A Self: Female Identity In Mary Shelley Frankincense. ” Journal Of Popular Culture 27. 3 (1993): 79-91. Literary Reference center. Web. 29 Par. 2014. In this article, the author points out the absence of female women in Mary Shelley novel, Frankincense. She compares women in the novel to ghosts, because they are there but they are not there. The author then concludes that women in the novel are more of an accessory, but their presence is very significant.
Their absence s an important part of the novel, because, as Dickerson puts it, women are nurturing and silent listeners. But the women in this novel all seem to collapse at some point of the novel. Spark, Muriel. “The Shifting Roles of Frankincense and His Monster. ” Bloom’s Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Par. 2014 In this article, Spark point out the shifting roles of both Victor Frankincense and his Monster. Spark points out how at the beginning of the novel, Victor is fervently chasing after the creation of “life” or in other words, his monster.
But when the monster is finally created, Frankincense is afraid and runs away, and then the monster and Frankincense switch roles because the monster then is chasing after Frankincense and searching for him. After the monster finally finds Victor, and tells him a story, and after Frankincense destroys his woman version of the monster, the roles switch again as Frankincense is then chasing after his creation again in order to get vengeance. Strange, Margin. “You Must Create A Female’: Republican Order And Its Natural Base In Frankincense. Women’s Studies 29. 3 (2000): 309. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Par. 2014. This article examines the role of women (or lack thereof) in the lives of both Victor and his creation. This lack of feminine influence contributes to their monstrosity. The author indicates how, with regard to the “Republican Order”, how women are not excluded from this, but rather included. Strange goes on to exemplify her claim by pointing out how the creation threatens Victor in order to get his women, and how Victor destroys his woman creation out of fear and strife.
Strange also recognizes that women have a “civil assignment” of sympathy, and if they fail, they are considered criminals. Also, she concludes that without a motherly or feminine influence, that someone can easily become corrupt. The novel’s female characters all enter from the outside, meaning Victor and his creation are both highly eligible to become corrupt. Woolworth, A. James. “A Tradition Of Male Poetics: Mary Shelley Frankincense As An Allegory Of Art. ” Midwest Quarterly 39. 3 (1998): 265-276. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Par. 2014. Wallpaper’s article is assessing the role of a feminine influence of human beings.
He claims that as one gets further away from the influences of females, the more and ore monstrous they become. The author’s big idea of this is to portray how Mary Shelley was trying to show the world that it needs to accept female influences into literature, as well as in real life, because without it, you will grow bitter, angry, and maybe even become a sort of “monster”. And without the female influences in the world, “male poetics” is a dry and lacking aspect of literature. Houses, Nancy. “The Monster In A Dark Room: Frankincense, Feminism, And Philosophy. ” Modern Language Quarterly 63. (2002): 197. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Par. 2014. In this article, Houses examines the role of the creation’s “birth”, or, if you rather, creation. She contrasts it to the birth of a human child. When humans are born, they are born weak, helpless, and defenseless. They need someone to take care of them and nurture them in order to survive. But the creation’s “birth” was through technology and science, and he is giant and strong. He can manage things by himself, but he still needs to be taught a lot of things, which never happens as a result of Victor abandoning the creation.
