sem-2 paper no-5 assignment

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Name: Kajal Keraliya

Topic: Frankenstein as Mythological Approach

Roll no.: 18

Paper no 5: Romantic Literature

M.A: Sem-2

Enrolment no.:2069108420180030

Year: 2017-19

E-mail: Www.kajalk1@gmail.com

Submitted to:

Smt. S.B. Gardi Department Of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

Introduction
         Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. She married poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. Two years later, she published her most famous novel, Frankenstein. She wrote several other books, including Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), the autobiographical Lodore (1835) and the posthumously published Mathilde. Shelley died of brain cancer on February 1, 1851, in London, England.
            The only daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, she met the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1812 and eloped with him to France in July 1814. The couple were married in 1816, after Shelley’s first wife had committed suicide. After her husband’s death in 1822, she returned to England and devoted herself to publicizing Shelley’s writings and to educating their only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley. She published her late husband’s Posthumous Poems (1824); she also edited his Poetical Works (1839), with long and invaluable notes, and his prose works. Her Journal is a rich source of Shelley biography, and her letters are an indispensable adjunct.
               Mary Shelley’s best-known book is Frankenstein or The Modern promethues(1818, revised 1831), a text that is part Gothic novel and part philosophical novel; it is also often considered an early example of science fiction.It narrates the dreadful consequences that arise after a scientist has artificially created a human being. (The man-made monster in this novel inspired a similar creature in numerous American horror films.) She wrote several other novels, including Valperga (1823), The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835), and Falkner (1837); The Last Man (1826), an account of the future destruction of the human race by a plague, is often ranked as her best work. Her travel book History of a Six Weeks’ Tour (1817) recounts the continental tour she and Shelley took in 1814 following their elopement and then recounts their summer near Geneva in 1816.
              Late 20th-century publications of her casual writings include The Journals of Mary Shelley, 1814–1844 (1987), edited by Paula R. Feldman and Diana Scott-Kilvert, and Selected Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1995), edited by Betty T. Bennett.
           Let’s clear defination of myth and mythology before elaborating the mythological approach in Frankenstein in detail.
Myth can be defined as

“A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.”

Now let’s have a glance on the definition of Mythology.

                     “ A set of stories or beliefs about a particular person, institution,                       

                       Or situation, especially when exaggerated or fictitious”.

      Myth critics concerned to find out those mysterious elements that inform certain literary works and that elicit, with almost uncanny force, dramatic & universal human reactions. Study of myth reveals about the mind and character of people. Myths are symbolic projections of people’s hopes, values, fears and aspirations. There are many misconceptions about myth in reality myth reflects more profound reality.

             

                Traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the worldview of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon. Myths relate the events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basic to it. These events are set in a time altogether different from historical time, often at the beginning of creation or at an early stage of prehistory. A culture's myths are usually closely related to its religious beliefs and rituals. The modern study of myth arose with early 19th-century.

            Myth of Prometheus

In Ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus was said to be the wisest of all the Titans. In the form of fire Prometheus is credited with bringing mankind knowledge and enlightenment. He stole fire from the Gods of Mount Olympus. For acting against the decree of the Gods, who wanted to keep the power of fire to themselves, Prometheus was harshly punished. He was chained to a rock to have his liver eaten out every day by an eagle. Every night his liver would grow back. This was to be his punishment for all of eternity.              The full title of Mary Shelley's novel is Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Mary Shelley was influenced by this tale. Her husband Percy Shelley even began composing his own tale of Prometheus in the form of a poem entitled, Prometheus Unbound. He began composing this work right around the same time that Mary was publishing Frankenstein.

                     Aside from the title, Shelley borrows from the tale of Prometheus a sense of consequence resulting from seeking enlightenment and power. Victor is her modern incarnation of Prometheus. He as Prometheus was, is fascinated by the power of electricity (lightning). We can recall from the narrative the moment when he becomes captivated by its fantastical power.

                    It is from this power, that he has equipped himself with, that the inner torture he will suffer from the use of it stems. Immediately following the creation if the creature, Victor is ill with disgust for what he has done. His torture mirrors that of Prometheus'; undying and eternal. From the beginning of the novel, when Victor warns Walton of the consequences of his quest, to the conclusion when Victor again reiterates the misfortunes he has suffered as a result of his curiosity, Mary Shelley mimics the Prometheus tale. Perhaps, this is why she saw it as a fitting subtitle.

Myth of Narcissus

         The myth of Narcissus in which the legend is there. A tale told by Roman poet Ovid.Eacho, a young girl who falls in love with Narcissus. In Greek mythology, the myth of Narcissus can be noticed. It tells that Narcissus was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was the son of a river god named Cephisus and a nymph named Lyriope. He was exceptionally proud of what he did to those who loved him. Nemesis noticed and attracted Narcissus to a pool, wherein he saw his reflection and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, after this story this term came into existence.

      The myth of Narcissus is one of the most known Greek Myths, due to its uniqueness and moral tale; Narcissus, was the son of River God Cephisus and nymph Lyriope. He was known for his beauty and he was loved by God Apollo due to his extraordinary physique. The myth of Narcissus comes in two different versions, the Greek and the Greco-Roman version, as both Conon the Greek and Ovid, the Roman poet, wrote the story of Narcissus, enhancing it with different elements.

       According to Conon, Aminias, a young man fell in love with Narcissus, who had already spurned his male suitors. Aminias was also spurned by Narcissus who gave the unfortunate young man a sword. Aminias killed himself at Narcissus’ doorstep praying to the Gods to give Narcissus a lesson for all the pain he had provoked. Narcissus was once walking by a lake or river and decided to drink some water; he saw his reflection in the water and was surprised by the beauty he saw; he became entranced by the reflection of himself. He could not obtain the object of his desire though, and he died at the banks of the river or lake from his sorrow. According to the myth Narcissus is still admiring himself in the Underworld, looking at the waters of the Styx.

      The myth presented by Ovid the poet is slightly altered. According to this myth, Narcissus’ parents were worried because of the extraordinary beauty of the child and asked prophet Teiresias what to do, regarding their son’s future.Teiresias tell them that the boy would grow old only if “he didn’t get to know himself”. When Narcissus was sixteen he was walking in the woods and Nymph Echo saw him and felt madly in love with him. She started following him and Narcissus asked “who’s there”, feeling someone after him. Echo responded “who’s there” and that went on for some time until Echo decided to show herself. She tried to embrace the boy who stepped away from Echo, telling her to leave him alone. Echo was left heartbroken and spent the rest of her life in glens; until nothing but an echo sound remained of her. Nemesis, though, the Goddess of Revenge, heard the story and decided to punish Narcissus. From this point the stories are similar; Narcissus sees himself in the pond and he is amazed by the beauty of the reflection. Once he figured out that his love could not be addressed, he killed himself.

       Mary Shelley has given another title to this novel is "Modern Prometheus", but she could also have referred to it as the Modern Narcissus. Victor presents, in fact, all the important characteristics of the narcissistic personality disorder as defined in the myth of Narcissus. Who has having sense of self-importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success; exhibitionism; cool indifference or feelings, and interpersonal disturbances, including exploitativeness, alternation between over idealization and devaluation, and lack of empathy. Moreover, Victor demonstrates the paradoxical nature of narcissism, where self-love exists with self-hate, and fragile self-esteem results in a sense of entitlement, the expectation of receiving special favors from others without assuming reciprocal responsibilities. In addition to, we may say that Victor pursues fantasies of unlimited power and glory with monomaniacal intensity. He experiences the profound depression often accompanying a narcissistic disorder, dejection, loss of interest in the external world, inability to love, and a lowering self-esteem, culminating in an expectation of punishment. It is as if he has internalized a poisonous object, the Creature, who is now consuming his heart.

          

  Myth of Paradise lost

When we first meet Adam and Eve they have been given a limited knowledge. They are in a blissful state of naiveté. They are nude and are not ashamed. As the first man and woman they have been given control of all the creatures of the earth. They know not of temptation, as they have been given all that they need. However, as the tale progresses we find our characters begin to submit to curiosity. In a dream Eve is whispered to by Satan the bounty of a forbidden tree. A tree which bears the fruit that they have been warned to not eat

	After having eaten the fruit, Eve convinces Adam that he should as well. Although he is abhorred by her disobedience  he is dedicated to her, and eats of the fruit as well. Once the fruit has passed their lips they know of lust, and shame, and mutual distrust. Their lust for knowledge leads to their loss of innocence. Eve now must suffer pain in child bearing, and Adam now must work the land. Their sentencing continues with their banishment from the garden.

We now have a grasp of what about Paradise Lost effects the creature from Shelley's Frankenstein so deeply. He longs for the opportunities that Adam had been afforded to him. The creature was left helpless and alone without any love. He describes his loss of innocence as being responsible for the atrocious acts he has committed. Without even mentioning the influence Milton had upon Shelley when creating Victor's character. We can still clearly see the tremendous influence that Milton and his poem Paradise Lost had on the writing of Frankenstein through the events surrounding Frankenstein's creature.

Conclusion

So; at last I want to say that many myths are indicated in the novel, which makes this novel unique one. Therefore one can see this novel from the mythological perspective.

Works Cited

Wickipedia.com

Shodhganga.com