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The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 6:23 am
by MeDeFe
This morning while I was under the shower I thought that the plots of the bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are extremely similar. God and Victor Frankenstein both create life, but their creations are discontent and rebel, conflict ensues and the creation wants to destroy his creator in the end. In the bible the creator is killed, in Frankenstein the creator dies shortly before the creation gets around to it. So far, the parallels are striking.
But there are some differences as well, the mainstream interpretation of the bible sees the death of the creator at the hand of his creations as something liberating, in Frankenstein there is no such liberation even though the creation achieved the majority of the goals it set out for itself, it is not content at all, in fact its suicide is implied, which can be seen as the ultimate, though unfulfilling, liberation.
Discuss.
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:58 am
by khazalid
one rather large hole..
god = creator. god = immortal
jesus and god = different entities
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:02 am
by PLAYER57832
Shellys' book was, of course an allegory for modern life -- industrialism and its hazards, so you are partly correct.
Novels, of course, are popular precisely because they reflect ourselves. The Bible speaks to these things also, but only a fool would confuse the two. (and I do not believe you to be a fool ... though you might find it amusing to pretend such on occasion).
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:31 am
by MeDeFe
PLAYER57832 wrote:Shellys' book was, of course an allegory for modern life -- industrialism and its hazards, so you are partly correct.
Novels, of course, are popular precisely because they reflect ourselves. The Bible speaks to these things also, but only a fool would confuse the two. (and I do not believe you to be a fool ... though you might find it amusing to pretend such on occasion).
How did I confuse the two books? I think I rather distinctly distinguished between them.
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:55 pm
by dustn64
I read Frankenstein about a week ago for a English project. Coincidence that you make this thread now?
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:06 pm
by Jenos Ridan
PLAYER57832 wrote:Shellys' book was, of course an allegory for modern life -- industrialism and its hazards, so you are partly correct.
Novels, of course, are popular precisely because they reflect ourselves. The Bible speaks to these things also, but only a fool would confuse the two. (and I do not believe you to be a fool ... though you might find it amusing to pretend such on occasion).
Good point. Next time, we should remember this in case a similar event happens again.
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:13 pm
by ben kenobie
MeDeFe wrote:This morning while I was under the shower I thought that the plots of the bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are extremely similar. God and Victor Frankenstein both create life, but their creations are discontent and rebel, conflict ensues and the creation wants to destroy his creator in the end. In the bible the creator is killed, in Frankenstein the creator dies shortly before the creation gets around to it. So far, the parallels are striking.
But there are some differences as well, the mainstream interpretation of the bible sees the death of the creator at the hand of his creations as something liberating, in Frankenstein there is no such liberation even though the creation achieved the majority of the goals it set out for itself, it is not content at all, in fact its suicide is implied, which can be seen as the ultimate, though unfulfilling, liberation.
Discuss.
What do you mean that the creator dies? God is a living being, who has control over everything.
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:24 pm
by khazalid
well thats pretty debatable to say the least..
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:17 pm
by ben kenobie
You're right. It all depends on your point of view. By the way, I made a small mistake in my earlier post. I noticed that you said that Jesus and God are different entities, but actually God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are a trinity-three in one. God did not die, but In his human form, Jesus, he came to earth to be the sacrifice for all who have sinned. Jesus died, but then he also rose again on the third day, defeating death, and proving his awesome and almighty power.
Re: The Bible and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Posted:
Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:01 pm
by Hologram
We're reading Frankenstein in our British Lit class. I'm about halfway through.
In any case....
Novels, of course, are popular precisely because they reflect ourselves. The Bible speaks to these things also, but only a fool would confuse the two. (and I do not believe you to be a fool ... though you might find it amusing to pretend such on occasion).
and yes, I was too lazy to add the name to the quote. Sue me.